Banana Smell

[MinnesnowtaBrew]

It's been 4 days since brew day and my blow off tube smell smells like bananas. Is this normal or am I in trouble? Beer is pumpkin ale using real pumpkin and was a partial mash

 

[homebrewdad]

Different yeast strains (and to a degree, different recipes) can have wildly different smells. Many are pleasant, some smell like rotten eggs, some smell worse (google "rhino farts").

In other words... totally normal.

 

[tre9er]

Totally normal, Especially with certain yeasts like Belgian Wit, and sometimes S05. Keep the temp controlled, as sometimes it's a sign of high fermentation temps. Give it plenty of time to clean up after itself once you reach FG.

 

[MinnesnowtaBrew]

I used Wyeast 1056

 

[tre9er]

I used Wyeast 1056

known to do this. What's your ambient temp in the area of fermentation, if you don't mind me asking? Also, what was beer temp when you pitched the yeast?

 

[MinnesnowtaBrew]

known to do this. What's your ambient temp in the area of fermentation, if you don't mind me asking? Also, what was beer temp when you pitched the yeast?

Beer temp was 68 degrees when I pitched the yeast and ambient temp is 70 degrees

 

[neosapien]

that's a bit warm for my liking with 1056. i like 64-66 to keep the fruity esters down.

 

[tre9er]

Beer temp was 68 degrees when I pitched the yeast and ambient temp is 70 degrees

ambient is pretty high for that yeast. Internal beer temp is likely closer to 75-80 degrees with it's own heat it creates. That's likely why you have the banana esters. At this point it's too late to do much other than let it ferment out then place it in a room that's just slightly warmer than where it is for a few days to clean up, and hope the banana doesn't stick with the beer...which I've had happen before.

 

[MinnesnowtaBrew]

that's a bit warm for my liking with 1056. i like 64-66 to keep the fruity esters down.

I just keep it at room temp. What do you suggest to get it down 5 degrees? I'm all ears.

 

[neosapien]

a search for "swamp cooler" on here will yield good results. basically, carboy in a tub of water, maybe with a frozen soda bottle or two in it, and a shirt draped over it so the bottom is hanging in the water. will help to drop your temp down a few degrees.

 

[Toga]

If your ambient temp is 70 your fermentation temp is higher. Fermentation will raise the temp 5-10 degrees. The recommend temp range for this yeast is 60-72 degrees. The banana esters are likely from you fermenting hot. Let this one bulk age a bit in primary so the yeast can clean up some of the off flavors.

 

[MinnesnowtaBrew]

ambient is pretty high for that yeast. Internal beer temp is likely closer to 75-80 degrees with it's own heat it creates. That's likely why you have the banana esters. At this point it's too late to do much other than let it ferment out then place it in a room that's just slightly warmer than where it is for a few days to clean up, and hope the banana doesn't stick with the beer...which I've had happen before.

Thank you for the insight. I love the help I get from this forum. What is your best solution to keep it 64-66 in the future using 1056?

 

[MinnesnowtaBrew]

If your ambient temp is 70 your fermentation temp is higher. Fermentation will raise the temp 5-10 degrees. The recommend temp range for this yeast is 60-72 degrees. The banana esters are likely from you fermenting hot. Let this one bulk age a bit in primary so the yeast can clean up some of the off flavors.

How long would you suggest in the primary? I was going to do 3 weeks. Am I off?

 

[shawnbou]

Thank you for the insight. I love the help I get from this forum. What is your best solution to keep it 64-66 in the future using 1056?

neosapien said it first, but you should search the forum for "swamp cooler". It's a cheap and easy way to drop your temperature a few degrees.

 

[tre9er]

As I said, at this point ferment it for a good few weeks, then take gravity reading after krausen has fallen. Then take another in 3 days. Make sure your samples are chilled to 60 (or use a correction table, which can easily be found online). If the two samples taken days apart are the same, fermentation is done. Bring the beer up a few degrees in temp and let it clean up for a few days to a week. At that point if you can, cold-crash it (put it in the fridge) to help aid in clearing it. If you can't, no big deal. Maybe wait another week to let gravity do the work, then bottle it.

Next time, try the swamp cooler. Chill the wort to a few degrees below ideal temps, then pitch your yeast. Do your best to get an idea what the beer temp inside the fermenter is via a stick-on thermometer or taping a thermometer with insulation (foam, cloth, etc.) over it to the side of the vessel. A thermowell would be ideal but I don't even use one of those personally. If you need to keep it in check, throw ice bottles in the swamp cooler. The key is consistency. Start cool and try to keep it there. The 2nd or 3rd day it will start to get warmer, that's when keeping it cool is key. After that, when things calm-down, you can let it free rise to room temp.

In the future, shoot for a cheap fridge or freezer on craigslist and set up a temp controller (or buy one if you're not that handy). That will help keep temps in check no matter what you want them to be.

 

[Toga]

How long would you suggest in the primary? I was going to do 3 weeks. Am I off?

I would suggest 3 weeks or more. I typically do a month long primary.

 

[tre9er]

There is no magic number for primary. If you want to forget about the beer and aren't in any hurry at all, yeah, 3-4 weeks is great. You still need to take gravity readings a few days a part at any rate, though. The method I described above has served many well. Complex beers and lagers notwithstanding.

 

[MinnesnowtaBrew]

There is no magic number for primary. If you want to forget about the beer and aren't in any hurry at all, yeah, 3-4 weeks is great. You still need to take gravity readings a few days a part at any rate, though. The method I described above has served many well. Complex beers and lagers notwithstanding.

Thank you tre9er!!! I appreciate the feedback and advice. Things are starting to make much more sense, I'm learning so much everyday. I will definitely look into a swamp cooler and take implement your advice.

 

[tre9er]

The swamp cooler is an easy thing to do. If you have a spare bathtub or rubbermaid container, use that. Once the wort is chilled to a few degrees below ideal fermentation temp (ie. 60-62 for most ales), pitch your yeast, throw the airlock on, and put the fermenter in your tub. Fill the water leve to where it reaches about half-way up the fermenter. Place a t-shirt on the fermenter as if you were dressing it and let the bottom of it reach the water level. I usually pour some of the water on the t-shirt, too. Then keep your eye on the temperature in the fermenter. Ideally you'd have a thermowell going down into the beer and you could stick a thermometer in there and keep an eye on internal temps. Chances are you don't/wont have one of those, though, so a stick-on thermometer is as good as it's gonna get. When you see that start to rise from your ideal temp, add ice bottles. I'd bet this starts happening the 2nd or 3rd day.