Fusels? Saisons and wlp565

[timos]

Hi all,

I am trying to get a little more information on this mess I got going on here.

This is my Recipe: https://www.brewtoad.com/recipes/spores-among-us-bpa

Kind of weird, a Belgian Pale ale with a Maris Otter Base fermented with wlp565 Saison I

I pitched at room temp (April 6th) in an Ale Pale.
This sat in Primary for 18 days around 65° ambient.

While I was transferring to secondary it was a Hot alcohol mess. A big time, boozy, intoxicating smell. So I was thinking Fusels...yet Ive read that its not a real concern with this yeast at those temperatures.
It sat in secondary at temps a couple degrees higher for 29 days.

Now it has been in the bottle for 21 days. The initial taste is good and reminds me of tangerines somehow (maybe its just the 8 SRM) but finishes with a tip of the toungue numbing effect, and a kinda of solventy taste.

Is this what Fusel alcohols is like? It has only been 3 weeks bottle conditioning so maybe 8 weeks will see an improvement?

My first reaction to tasting this was I should have racked this onto some fruit in secondary and added some brett. Maybe that could make a tasty brew outa this...

-Tim

 

[Jawbox0]

First question, did you use a starter? If so, how big did you go? It could be be a yeast viability issue.

 

[timos]

Yes I will have to double check but believe i used either a 2 quart or 1 quart starter for 36 hours. I did pitch the whole thing in there.

 

[TheLiquidBakery]

Ive had this happen with 565 on my first batch of Saison. Decided to switch to WLP566 and its never happened again. If using 565 again, try increasing the temp on the next batch for the first few days ~72F or ~74F. This should increase your yeast population size during the yeast growth phase. This will ensure a large healthy yeast population and will help clean all those fuesels up. Then you could back it down if ud like.
As a recommendation ferment a saison at higher temps. Keep it in the 70s (some people go 80s!) and youll get all that saison funky goodness!! My last saison I did was at 72F it came out great and went to Mini-BOS at Falls Church this year with a 35.5 which I was quite proud of. Next schedule will be 72F at pitching and increasing it everyday over 4 days to 76F and finish up at 76F over a course of 3 days or so. WLP566 finishes up fast so it doesn't need to sit for a long period of time on the primary due to stalling like 565 tends to do. That's my two cents. Good Luck.

 

[Bearfoot]

try increasing the temp on the next batch for the first few days ~72F or ~74F. This should increase your yeast population size during the yeast growth phase. This will ensure a large healthy yeast population and will help clean all those fuesels up. Then you could back it down if ud like.

I'd recommend the opposite. Most of the harsh fusels are formed at the beginning of fermentation. Keeping a low temperature during this most active phase is essential...then ramp the temp up after that to get the esters going

 

[timos]

Thanks for input all. I re checked my notes and found that I pitched the yeast when the wort was 80°. I remember now...it was getting to be 1 am or so and I wanted to get it over with. ( no wort chiller) So I pitched it at 80 thinking , hey this yeast likes higher temps anyway....Welll I do believe that is where this hot alcohol mess came from and Even after 70 days you can still taste it, ohh well..

 

[timos]

Well there is still that off flavor , Ive got to add a bit of lime juice to drink it. Funny thing is several of my beers have been fermenting in the same conditions and were pitched into wort the same temp but this is the only one tastes like this.