Dammit! another Bazooka bubble gum beer.

[Beerbeque]

My latest ale (an IPA) tasted fine at bottling but now carbonated it tastes a bit like Bazooka bubble gum. This happens to me on about 1 out of fifteen beers. I don't know how, why or exactly when it happens but the same taste occurs periodically with various styles and various yeasts. This one was White labs San Diego super yeast. It's really ticking me off. I think it is a wild yeast problem but I don't know how to avoid it. Any ideas?

 

[Bensiff]

Bubble gum flavor is an ester, particularly common with Belgian yeasts. However, if you are stressing the yeast you can cause these esters to form too. The most likely culprit is fermenting too warm so my first question is what are your fermentation temps looking like? If you are not oxygenating or your pitching rates are off you can start pushing off flavors too. I would highly doubt it is an infection or "wild yeast" problem.

 

[badhabit]

bubble gum flavor is an ester, particularly common with belgian yeasts. However, if you are stressing the yeast you can cause these esters to form too. The most likely culprit is fermenting too warm so my first question is what are your fermentation temps looking like? If you are not oxygenating or your pitching rates are off you can start pushing off flavors too. I would highly doubt it is an infection or "wild yeast" problem.

+1

 

[JefeTheVol]

+2
My AC broke last May/June leaving my house a nice 90 degrees and my wheat beer turned to bubblegum. I let it alone for about 4 months in the bottle and it improved, but the bubblegum never went completely away.

 

[Bensiff]

+2
My AC broke last May/June leaving my house a nice 90 degrees and my wheat beer turned to bubblegum. I let it alone for about 4 months in the bottle and it improved, but the bubblegum never went completely away.

Yeah, if you let it sit for a while the yeast can clean some of this up. I'd let it sit at room temp to maximize the impact. However, it will never completely go away. I'd given it a couple of months, retry, and then make a decision if you need to toss it or not.

 

[bluemoose]

So the good news is Bazooka Joe will look awesome on the label.

 

[scottland]

I happened to me on a recent amber ale. The door on my fermentation fridge was left open for a day and the temp shot up. After a month in the keg it's tasting much better, but it's still fairly phenolic. Oh well.

 

[unionrdr]

I read about a German wheat beer called Damphbier that's a "poor man's wheat" that is fermented clear,but high enough temp to intentionally cause bubble gum ester's in the background. Read about it on germanbeerinstitute.com.

 

[Homercidal]

I've heard wheat beers are more susceptible to bubblegum flavors, and some people actually try to get a bit of it by using certain yeasts and temps.

 

[Beerbeque]

I fermented at ~67f. White labs said 65-68f for this yeast.

 

[tme001]

How are you measuring temperature? The thermostat for your house or a fermometer on the actual carboy? Since fermentation is exothermic, the temperature of the beer is ~5 degrees higher than the ambient temperature of the room.

 

[Beerbeque]

I have a ferm chamber fridge and a Ranco controller so It's as accurate as possible.

 

[bluemoose]

What are you using for a water source?