alcoholic mouth feel during fermentation is this a problem?

[cshulha]

I am making a foreign extra strout. the beer is in it's third day of fermenting and has a slighlty alcoholic mouth feel and a little bit for warming/hot sensation. But no other signs of infections.

Is this a sign of infection or is it normal to have an alcoholic and warming mouthfeel during fermentation?

 

[Pkrd]

Why are you tasting it after 3 days in the fermenter? Leave the yeasties alone to do their thing for at least a week.

 

[cshulha]

Why are you tasting it after 3 days in the fermenter? Leave the yeasties alone to do their thing for at least a week.

So you would not worry

 

[Sadu]

A foreign extra stout is a biggish beer so it's prone to hot alcohol flavours if you ferment too warm. So make sure you manage those fermentation temperatures for at least the first 5 days and apart from that leave the beer alone.

It's too early to be worrying about harsh flavours, pretty normal in a biggish stout I think at this stage.

 

[Gravity]

So you would not worry

...lol...leave it alone and check back in 4 weeks, 2 if you check the gravity

 

[cshulha]

Well brewing at 18c will try in a few days and let you know.

 

[JonM]

Seriously - leave it alone for a couple weeks. The taste of a beer during active fermentation (or even shortly after) is worlds different from a fully attenuated, carbonated, properly aged cold beer. Tasting it now will tell you very little about the final product, it will give opportunity for infection, and it'll cause you to worry about it. The yeast know what they're doing - just let them do their work.

 

[Gravity]

seriously - leave it alone for a couple weeks. The taste of a beer during active fermentation (or even shortly after) is worlds different from a fully attenuated, carbonated, properly aged cold beer. Tasting it now will tell you very little about the final product, it will give opportunity for infection, and it'll cause you to worry about it. The yeast know what they're doing - just let them do their work.

+5

 

[Revvy]

Walk away from your beer. You can't judge ANYTHING three days into fermentation, all you end up doing is opening the fermenter which could risk contamination, and then worrying about NOTHING.

Quit hovering over your beer like a helicopter parent, the yeast have been making beer for millenia, they know more about what they need to do than you do, step off and leave them to it.

 

[str1p3s]

After 3 days, anything would taste like flaming garbage I would think

 

[Revvy]

After 3 days, anything would taste like flaming garbage I would think

Don't forget yeasty...yeasty flaming garbage.

During fermentation a crapload of compounds are being thrown off by the yeast. Most of them are reabasorbed or cleaned up during the CONDITIONING PHASE... why do you think we talk about that so much on here?

Right now when you dip into the fermenter you're tasting all the waste products that the yeast are exuding from their hard work... Just like when you're working hard, or exercising you're sweating and all sorts of crap are coming out of you.... You're tasting yeastsweat.

Here's what's going on right now...

The flavor and aroma of beer is very complex, being derived from a vast array of components that arise from a number of sources. Not only do malt, hops, and water has an impact on flavor, so does the synthesis of yeast, which forms byproducts during fermentation and conditioning. The most notable of these byproducts are, of course, ethanol and carbon dioxide; but in addition, a large number of other flavor compounds such as esters, higher alcohols, and acids are produced, all of which contribute to the taste, aroma, and other characteristics of the beer.
Esters

Esters are considered the most important aroma compounds in beer. They make up the largest family of beer aroma compounds and in general impart a "fruity" character to beer. Esters are more desirable in most ales, and in some dark or amber lagers, lower levels are preferred in pale lagers.
Diacetyl and 2,3-Pentanedione

Diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione, which are classified as ketones, are important contributions to beer flavor and aroma. Often these two ketones are grouped and reported as the vicinal diketone (VDK) content of beer, which is the primary flavor in differentiating aged beer from green beer. Of the two, diacetyl is more significant because it is produced in larger amounts and has a higher flavor impact than 2,3-pentanedione. A "buttery" or "butterscotch" flavor usually indicates the presence of diacetyl, while 2,3-pentanedione has more of a "honey" flavor.
Acetaldehydes

There are many flavor-active acetaldehydes present in beer that are formed at various stages in the brewing process. They are produced by oxidation of alcohols and various fatty substances. Acetaldehyde levels peak during the early to mid-stages of primary fermentation or immediately after kraeusening, then decrease in concentration (55).
Organic and Inorganic Sulfur Volatiles

Sulfur-containing compounds in beer arise from organic sulfur-containing compounds such as some amino acids and vitamins. They are also formed from inorganic wort constituents such as hydrogen sulfide, dimethyl sulfide, sulfur dioxide, and thiols make significant contributions to beer flavor. When present in small concentrations, sulfur compounds may be acceptable or even desirable (for example Burton ales), but in excess they give rise to unpleasant off-flavors, e.g., rotten-egg flavors.
Dimethyl Sulfide

Another major compound responsible for sulfury flavors in beer is dimethyl sulfide (DMS), which is a desirable flavor component in lager beer but not in ales. Dimethyl sulfide in lagers it will lead to a malty/sulfury note. The taste threshold for DMS is considered to be from 50-60 µg/liter (33). If the concentrations are too high, it has a relatively objectionable taste and aroma of cooked sweet corn.
Fusel Alcohols

Fusel alcohols are a group of byproducts that are sometimes called "higher alcohols." They contribute directly to beer flavor but are also important because of their involvement in ester formation. Fusel alcohols have strong flavors, producing an "alcoholic" or "solvent-like" aroma. They are known to have a warming effect on the palate. About 80% of fusel alcohols are formed during primary fermentation (34). The yeast strain is very important, with some being able to produce up to three times as much fusel alcohols as others (24). Ale strains generally produce more fusel alcohols than lager strains (8).
Organic Acids

The most important organic acids found in beer are acetic, citric, lactic, malic, pyruvic and succinic. They confer a "sour" or "salty" taste to beers. Some of these organic acids are derived from malt and are present at low levels in wort, with their concentrations increasing during fermentation.
Fatty Acids

Fatty acids are minor constituents of wort and increase in concentration during fermentation and maturation. They give rise to "goaty", "soapy", or fatty flavors and can cause a decrease in beer foam stability.
Nitrogen Compounds

Yeast also excretes some nitrogen compounds during fermentation and maturation as amino acids and lower peptides, which contribute to the rounding of the taste and an increase in palate fullness.

 

[cshulha]

Don't forget yeasty...yeasty flaming garbage.

During fermentation a crapload of compounds are being thrown off by the yeast. Most of them are reabasorbed or cleaned up during the CONDITIONING PHASE... why do you think we talk about that so much on here?

Right now when you dip into the fermenter you're tasting all the waste products that the yeast are exuding from their hard work... Just like when you're working hard, or exercising you're sweating and all sorts of crap are coming out of you.... You're tasting yeastsweat.

Here's what's going on right now...

So basically I am tasting all the wierd stuff durring fermentation that eventually fades away. This mades mee fill much better

 

[Duffman870727]

So basically I am tasting all the wierd stuff durring fermentation that eventually fades away. This mades mee fill much better

Yes, yes, and yes! Not only that, you're also gulping a mouth full of highly concentrated yeast in suspension. Yeast will be flocced out or otherwise filtered for your final product.

If you had a fermenter with a sample port, it's not a bad idea to draw of a sample and observe how the flavors change and mature, since this helps give you an idea of what goes on during a ferment and can help you design/tweak your recipes. Since most of us homebrewing don't have a sample port, it's best to just leave it alone until packaging time.

 

[cshulha]

had the beer it tastes great. No more off flavours