3 weeks in primary - beer suddenly tastes ruined

[mucdab99]

Hello all,
I have been reading this forum for a few months and appreciate all the great advice / feedback i have seen. I am fairly new to brewing and just finished an IPA that fermented at an appropriate room temp. I tasted the beer along the way a couple of times and had no issues with off-flavors.

Last Tuesday (6 days ago) I added my dry hops to the primary after active fermentation had subsided. Again, taste was what I expected.

Then, about 2/3 days ago, I bumped up the temperature in the fermenting room to around 71-72 degrees to help a Belgian IPA along. The yeast for that states it needs the slightly higher range.

So.....tonight I just tested the now 3-week old IPA again in preparation for bottling and something is not right. It has a alcoholly taste that totally overpowers what were nice hop flavors. Is there a chance the brief spike in temp caused something to go awry here? I'm having a hard time believing its fusel since fermentation was DONE already.

I am freaking out that this batch is a lost cause all of a sudden. Any ideas??

 

[casesensative]

Yeah, the spike in temperature could have upset the yeast and caused them to kick off some fusel alchohols, or something could have gotten in there during all those 'tastings'.

Hello all,
I have been reading this forum for a few months and appreciate all the great advice / feedback i have seen. I am fairly new to brewing and just finished an IPA that fermented at an appropriate room temp. I tasted the beer along the way a couple of times and had no issues with off-flavors.

Last Tuesday (6 days ago) I added my dry hops to the primary after active fermentation had subsided. Again, taste was what I expected.

Then, about 2/3 days ago, I bumped up the temperature in the fermenting room to around 71-72 degrees to help a Belgian IPA along. The yeast for that states it needs the slightly higher range.

So.....tonight I just tested the now 3-week old IPA again in preparation for bottling and something is not right. It has a alcoholly taste that totally overpowers what were nice hop flavors. Is there a chance the brief spike in temp caused something to go awry here? I'm having a hard time believing its fusel since fermentation was DONE already.

I am freaking out that this batch is a lost cause all of a sudden. Any ideas??

 

[LLBeanJ]

What yeast did you use and how long was it fermenting before you dry hopped it?

 

[beergolf]

That late into fermentation raising the temp will not cause fusels. You have some other problem.

 

[mucdab99]

What yeast did you use and how long was it fermenting before you dry hopped it?

I used wlp001 and the ambient temp of the room was 66. It fermented for a little over 2 weeks prior to dry hopping. I used a starter and got a great ferment out of the gates.

As for the "tastings", I admit I get a little excited and Tested the gravity at 1 week and again prod to dry hopping. I am psycho about sanitation though using star san on everything that gets near the carboy.

 

[LLBeanJ]

I'm with Beergolf, it's too late in the fermenting process to produce fusels. Dry hopping will cause CO2 to be released, as will a rise in temp, so that could be what you're tasting. I'd give it another week and see if it tastes any better.

 

[mucdab99]

I'm with Beergolf, it's too late in the fermenting process to produce fusels. Dry hopping will cause CO2 to be released, as will a rise in temp, so that could be what you're tasting. I'd give it another week and see if it tastes any better.

Thanks, Beergolf/LLBeanJ - is it okay to bottle at this point or should I wait a little? I need to get the dry hops out of there since its been a week. Should I just rack to something else temporarily or go straight to bottles?

 

[LLBeanJ]

If it's at FG, you're good to bottle it. To be sure, you may want to wait a few days and take another gravity reading and if it's still the same, you're safe to bottle.

 

[mucdab99]

Yeah, I'm at FG. Was reviewing some other threads about IPAs that taste off until they bottle condition long enough. I'll just cross my fingers and hope for the best.

 

[allynlyon]

The last IPA I brewed went through a similar change around that same time period. After another week it was fine.