Found a unicorn in my fermenter... (Autolysis?)

Brewed a moderate gravity Belgian IPA with WLP550. I let it sit on primary 4 days after it finished for a total of 15 days. I racked into a keg and tasted some. To my surprise it tasted like Vienna sausage. Not kind of like - it was exactly like Armour Vienna sausage. The yeast cake was cement like, 3 1/2" thick and the bottom 1/4" was pure white. I have never seen that before and this was a black beer.

The OG was 1060, finished at 1010, heavily aerated and I did not make a starter. Pitched at 70*, 8 hour lag time, ambient temp was 65* and it took a week to get down to ambient temperature.

I kept it at room temp in the keg a couple days and then through the keg in the fridge.


What should I expect?

RDWHA-VEGEMITE?

 

Does not sound promising.

 

I guess I am just a noob. I thought I was promised a unicorn in a fermentor. Is this some sort of slang for something? Also, sorry I have no idea (the whole noob thing).

 

Some people insist that autolysis is a myth(ical creature).

Yooper I miss the old avatar.

I need to make starters I guess. It sure took off though for being a single vial pitch, and it made the biggest yeast cake I have seen yet.

Thanks for the input guys.

 

Flavor is mellowing rapidly! It has turned into pepper and spices. I have had very young Saranac White IPA that tasted exactly like what I have now. Don't dump your batches kids.

 

glad it turned around for you, I haven't drunk a Vienna sausage or a unicorn before, not that I would turn it down if I was offered, I'd have one, maybe two, but 5 gallons? Idunnoboutthat

happy drinking

 

When I underpitched S04 to a brown ale I got the worst tasting homebrew I've ever tasted. The flavor has not improved 3 months in bottles now. I dumped most of it, gave some away to whoever would cook with it.

 

So then just maybe it WASN'T the dreaded Autolysis, and maybe it was just green. And Autolysis still remains in the realm of myth for most homebrewers, eh?

Because it's really highly unlikely you would have had such a thing after only 15 days.

 

Thats what I thought! I couldn't really explain away why it tasted like meat though... This was my second time using liquid yeast and the first time using a real Belgian yeast. Strange critters making strange smells and flavors.