Banana Ester - a week later

[zacster]

The banana is still there in my lager, it was only a week later after all, but I started drinking some of this and it isn't bad. My wife likes it, some friends were over and they liked it too. I even brought some to a home-brew how-to presentation at the local cafe and nobody noticed it. The presenters' beers were clearly better IMO.

After the first sip you don't notice it unless you put your glass down for a bit and go back to it. It won't go to waste.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Do you mean a week after bottling? I've had that when I've popped a bottle early, like in the first couple weeks. I just finishned a hefewiezen which had a moderate banana taste after the first couple weeks in the bottle but a month later, smooth with no banana.

I'd let it sit a month and then try. If you still get the banana taste, you simply got too many esters. Not that it makes em undrinkable!

 

[zacster]

No, not a week after bottling, a week after I last tasted it. It's been over a month in the bottle at this point. I'm hoping that it improves with age, but like I said, it'll disappear either way. I might just have another right now.

I also tasted my nut brown ale, this has only been 10 days in the bottle and it needs more time, but the carbonation was there.

 

[eddie]

What temp and how long did you ferment and what temp and how long did you lager? Did you perform a diacetyl rest?

 

[zacster]

It was at 54 to ferment for 11 days, and then at 34 to lager for almost 4 weeks. I didn't do a diacetyl rest. The problem was I didn't have total temperature control, just was lucky to have a cool 2 weeks for fermentation and then used ice bottles to keep the carboy cold in a water bath. When the outside temp hit 75 I gave up on lagering and bottled it.

I just shared one with my wife. She likes it, but I find the ester ruins it for me since I notice it.