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Help diagnosing odd flavor in lagers

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air_dog69

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Apr 1, 2010
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Vancouver, B.C.
So here's what happened:
I made an Oktoberfest then pitched a Maibock onto the yeast cake.
Both beers now have a subtle caramel/sweet flavour with perhaps a bit of spice? Both beers are actually very good, however the caramel, etc. add a fuzziness that is out of place and partly hides the nice malty character that is expected.

So here's what I did and how I did it:
Oktoberfest (O.G. 1.056)
-All grain with Pilsner, Vienna and 0.5 lb Crystal 30L
-Also used 2.5 lbs of Best Malz Dark Munich (never used this grain before, perhaps the issue?)
-Made 2L starter of Wyeast 2206 (w/stirplate)
-Pitched @ 50F (aerated with pure O2), Fermented @ 50F until 1.017, then D-rest, then 2 months in keg @ 40F.
-F.G. 1.016

Maibock (O.G. 1.065)
-8.5 lbs Pilsner, 2 lbs Vienna and 2 lbs of Best Malz Dark Munich
-Pitched onto yeast cake from Oktoberfest above and aerated.
-Same ferment, 1.5 months in keg @40F
-F.G. 1.015

I have never tasted this flavour in any of my beers before and don't attribute it to excessive kettle carmelization. I was convinced that it must have something to do with the yeast as the flavor is identical in both beers.
Perhaps the Oktoberfest was under pitched and the flavor carried over to the Maibock? I wonder about the Dark Munich too.
Any thoughts would be awesome.

Cheers
 
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