acetaldehyde and head flavor

[fridge011]

Hi, I have a batch of beer that has an acetaldehyde flavor to it. I'm in the process of trying to do what I can for it. Anyway, when I take a drink the beer has a green apple taste and not good. But when I take a drink of it and drink some head with it, it tastes like a totally different beer. Its pretty tasty. But weird that its like that. Anyone know why this is and does this mean there is hope for this beer?

 

[Zamial]

It is probably just green beer. It should clear up on its own in days to a week, if it is acetaldehyde.

 

[fridge011]

Why would it taste like a totally different beer when head is drank with the beer as opposed to no head?

 

[Trail]

Because the head presents the beer to your tongue at a different density with a higher proportion of CO2. Why wouldn't that taste totally different?

 

[duboman]

Because the head presents the beer to your tongue at a different density with a higher proportion of CO2. Why wouldn't that taste totally different?

This!

Your beer is basically too young right now. Acetaldehyde is a by product of fermentation and when a beer is fermented properly under ideal conditions and left to properly clean up this compound is consumed by the yeast during the cleanup phase.

Take a look at your fermentation practices, temperatures, pitch rate, etc. A properly fermented beer should not have this issue when packaged.

 

[Trail]

As well, acetaldehyde (or acidic, green flavor) can happen at the weirdest times.

For instance: A mild ale I bottled two weeks ago had no acetaldehyde taste from the fermenter, but started tasting green and "homebrew-ey" after two weeks in the bottle. It's now tasting less and less like apples with every day. I've also had this happen with kegged beer (not primed with sugar) which leads me to believe that in some cases it's linked to carbonic acid formation in addition to, or rather than, acetaldehyde production.

The short version is, unfortunately, leave your beer alone and it'll help. If it happens consistently try bottle conditioning at a different temperature, or force carbing more slowly.