Early IPA Tasting Tastes Like Apples

[KennyPowers55]

I brewed a Bell's Two Hearted clone recipe a few weeks ago. This was my first time making the same recipe twice, although the first time I dry hopped with some extra hops.
After I fermented for 3-4 weeks I cold crashed for a week and kegged. I few days later I tried some (still not fully carbonated) and it had an apple taste to it.
Did I mess something or should I expect this apple flavor to disappear over time?

 

[dmtaylor]

Could be an ester that will fade in time. What hops did you use? What yeast did you use? What temperature did you ferment at?

 

[KennyPowers55]

I used Centennial hops, Safale-05, and I had a heater wrapped around the bucket for the first two weeks or so set to 64.

 

[helibrewer]

You are probably tasting Acetaldehyde. Yeast generally clean this up given enough time in the fermenter. Sounds like you had plenty of contact time, I would look to the yeast strain (some make more of this than others) and making sure you pitched a good healthy yeast count.

 

[dmtaylor]

Not sure I agree with acetaldehyde. How many gallons? How many packs did you pitch? Did you rehydrate? I seriously, seriously doubt there would be any issues with US-05 unless the packets were like >5 years old or you were brewing >10 gallons and only used one pack without rehydration.

 

[oceanic_brew]

I have a beer with acetaldehyde right now. Closest thing I can relate the flavor to would be green apples only because I've been taught to look for that off flavor in young beer. However it's not identical to the flavor.

Time would clear it up If left at room temp, especially on a yeast cake but I have doubts that this flavor you're noticing will completely dissipate in the keg.

I always wait a week after primary fermentation is complete when noticing off flavors before intervening. Not enough credit is given to yeasts ability to clean up a beer

After that week I've had success employing Krausening to help clear up a batch. I just make up 1500ml yeast starter and pitch it into the beer when the starter is showing vital signs of being at full activity.
The starter is in a state where it has mostly gone through a growth phase and is ready to get to work turning your acetaldehyde back into alcohol.

The intended flavor profile of your beer is mostly unaffected since yeast throw out our wanted phenols and esters during the growth phase and that will not reoccur in the re-pitched beer.

You can warm your beer to room temp, release pressure, and krausen if your beer doesn't clean up.

Good luck

 

[oceanic_brew]

I used Centennial hops, Safale-05, and I had a heater wrapped around the bucket for the first two weeks or so set to 64.

Was the fermenting beer at 64 or the heater set at 64? High temps with that yeast could easily put off some flavors unwanted in an IPA. An ambient temp of 64 could have gotten you spikes into the 70's during peak fermentation and a heater wrapped around a bucket sat to 64 could be even worse depending on the set-up.

 

[KennyPowers55]

Was the fermenting beer at 64 or the heater set at 64? High temps with that yeast could easily put off some flavors unwanted in an IPA. An ambient temp of 64 could have gotten you spikes into the 70's during peak fermentation and a heater wrapped around a bucket sat to 64 could be even worse depending on the set-up.

The heater was set at 64 with the probe taped to the outside of the bucket. The ambient temp was likely 55-60 (temperature controlled basement in NE).

 

[KennyPowers55]

Not sure I agree with acetaldehyde. How many gallons? How many packs did you pitch? Did you rehydrate? I seriously, seriously doubt there would be any issues with US-05 unless the packets were like >5 years old or you were brewing >10 gallons and only used one pack without rehydration.

I pitched one package into ~5 gallons, I did not rehydrate, and the yeast was not expired according to date on the package.

 

[dmtaylor]

I pitched one package into ~5 gallons, I did not rehydrate, and the yeast was not expired according to date on the package.

Then it almost definitely is NOT acetaldehyde. You probably have an apple ester, which *might* fade but might take many months before it does. In all honesty, it's really impossible to help much more without tasting the beer myself.