Banana Ester?

[zacster]

I opened my first bottle of lager that actually had some carbonation in it tonight (I'm still sipping at it as I type.) The first thing I taste is banana. Now that I've had about half of it I don't notice it, but I know it is there. The beer is otherwise crisp and dry like a lager should be.

Will this ester disappear as it ages? It's only been in the bottle for 2 weeks now, and I know that it's a little early, but I was wondering. There isn't much I can do about it now anyway, except wait. I also need to bring the bottles up from the cool basement to get better carbonation, but at least this one had some.

 

[Bytor1100]

what yeast did you use?

 

[BierMuncher]

Banana rarely subsides.

Same with clove...

Yeast is the likely culprit...

 

[Bytor1100]

I made a IPA with a White Labs Irish ale yeast cake from the stout I had to dump. I have extreme banana flavor, but it still tastes good.

 

[zacster]

I used WLP 830 German Lager, made with a starter. I didn't notice the banana before I bottled it.

What would cause it in the yeast?

 

[Brett0424]

Too high of a fermentation temperature for the yeast could cause it, were you using a temp controller on your fermentation?

 

[zacster]

I didn't use any controller, but I monitored the temp during fermentation. It hovered between 53 and 55. That is supposed to be within range on the higher side.

Like I said, there isn't anything I can do about it now except wait. I won't be doing another lager until next winter, if at all.

 

[mrfocus]

I've always thought that the "young" taste in beer is bananas (think about a hefeweizen...). I proved it to myself with the Christmas Dark Strong Ale I brewed. After 2 months in bottle, it tasted like... liquid banana bread (I mean real banana bread, not just a bit banana-ey). After 4 months, it tastes like... alcohol. The thing is, it is aging right now.
So, I would consider letting the brew age a bit more before you consider it a goner.

 

[zacster]

This one tastes pretty much like banana bread too on first sip. Since I have more on the way I'll put this one aside for a while, and hope that the others are better and this one matures.

This is the first batch I've made where there was a strong enough off taste that I'd think twice about serving it.

 

[TexLaw]

That banana probably will fade, but I doubt it will go away entirely. Remember that fermentation produces heat, so the temperature in your fermenter will be higher than the temperature outside your fermenter. The difference can reach at least five degrees. So, even if your ambient temperature only got up to 55F, your lager could have been fermenting at 60F or greater.


TL

 

[zacster]

The 53-55 was the fermention temperature, not the ambient temp. It was even colder in the room. I knew that making a lager was going to be difficult without control and now I know why.

 

[fratermus]

Banana rarely subsides.

There may be hope, though.

My hefe had easily noticeable banana when I test-cracked one at 1wk of carb. After about 3wks of carbing it had faded to where I can't taste it most of the time. So faint I can't tell if I'm imagining it or not.

The hefe was brewed up before I had temp-control, so it would have been in the 70s.