My latest 1st brew hurdle.

So I brewed up an extract version of Pliny the Toddler IPA. I didn't use a starter for the yeast and it was a bit slow to get going. Fermented in plastic bucket. Sat for about 20 days and I used a new turkey baster to measure the gravity 3 days apart and both came out about 1.010

A couple days later I racked to keg and topped up with CO2 until I had room in fridge to store it (which came up another couple days later). So now at about 25 days I hooked up to taps and co2 lines. It sat on the gas at about 10 psi for four days. I tried a small sample pour tonight. Great colour. The aroma isn't pleasing - more like sweet red wine. The taste finishes with a great bitter note - not cidery, like a high IBU that was intended.

The aroma problem.... could it be it was actually still fermenting when I put it in fridge and I have acetaldehyde causing the smell? If I left it in fridge would anything change? Or if I took it off tap and out of fridge (but still topped up with co2) would anything then change?

 

Acetyldehyde is an apple-like taste. I doubt you have any fermentation issues after 20 days. Not sure what to think of the aroma, it doesn't sound like anything I am familiar with. I would hedge toward oxidation but that is only a guess. Are your tap lines clean?

 

All the lines etc were replaced with new once I tapped this keg. So don't think could be that. Although I poured and dumped about a pint over short 1/4 pint increments. Let it sit for a bit and poured a 1/2 pint and is much better. I wonder if something I drew up from the bottom of the keg caused that aroma and the rest of the batch will actually be fine?

Its still fairly flat, a little head. I'll pump up the co2 to sit for a bit but being that its my first brew I don't expect it to last long before passing through my belly.