Help with a "off" flavor?

[b33risGOOD]

Maybe someone can shed some light on a problem im having. Its really putting me in a downer because I know my beer tastes great but I have a re occuring off taste I need to sort out.

The off taste, as best I can describe. If you ever smelt your rehydrating yeast, its a very minor minor version of that. I have an APA and its getting in the way of its great flavor. You can taste this flavor and smell it.

About my procedure.

Extract recipe, fermented at 71f constantly for over one month, Most yeast has left at bottom of glass demijohn. I try as best I can to pour my beer slowly leaving most of the yeast behind. I used saf05 yeast or whatever its called.

 

[pompeiisneaks]

Unless you filter the yeast out entirely, there will be a mild yeast flavor/smell to the beer you brew, its something I personally really like, some don't... if you don't, you should find out if you can filter your beer easily some way. There are a few people that have some howto's on that I think. I may be misunderstanding what you're referring to, though.

 

[ksbrain]

How do you handle or treat your yeast? Are you rehydrating a fresh packet of US-05 every time?

How long do you ferment for? Five weeks or five months? Both are over one month.

Have you tried a different yeast?

 

[b33risGOOD]

I rehydrate my yeast every time, and I always pitch a fresh packet.

I ferment for a month, in the primary the whole time.

My latest brew I used liquid yeast, but its a porter, so I dont know what to expect.

Could this be fermentation temperature?

 

[antman]

Try fermenting at 66-68. At least for the first week. Then let it go up to 71. Do you bottle condition or keg? how long do you wait to drink after ferment? Beer could still be a little young.

 

[Kris762]

I wonder if you're getting a bit of yeast autolysis. Try fermenting for 1 or 2 weeks then rack the beer and let it clear for another week or two before kegging or bottling.

Also experiment with different yeast strains. You may just not like the flavor profile of the yeast you're using.

Cooler fermentation temperatures are also worth a try.

 

[BrookdaleBrew]

How long are you chilling your beer before drinking? That will help drop yeast out. Also, if you're bottling, how carefully are you pouring into your glass?

 

[mikeysab]

When you transferred to bottling bucket, did you just get the clear beer or did you get a bunch of yeast? You could be transferring to much yeast to your bottles. Chill a bottle, then look on the bottom into the light. You'll be able to see the yeast, and you should have a barely noticeable layer of yeast on the bottom.If you want a commercial example, get some Sierra Nevada Celebration, or a bottle carbed belgian.

 

[ksbrain]

It's OK even to have a plainly noticeable layer of yeast. When I used to bottle, mine would tend to compact and stay there when I pour, but I kept them cold for a while before serving, as I had a whole fridge full of homebrewed bottles.

 

[dotnetdotcom]

You could try a yeast with higher flocculation than US-05, like Nottingham. Safale S-04 is really flocculant. That stuff sticks to the bottom of a bottle like clay, but it does have more of an English Ale flavor.

 

[Battery_BreweryNJ]

IMO a month in the primary is a long time for something using us-05, with a clean yeast like that the off flavor is prob comming into play after the beer is done fermenting(between 7-10 days) You don't want certian beers, such as an APA, to sit on that trub for too long after fermentation. Racking to a secondary will definitly help in the overall quality of the brew. You can also try pitching the yeast dry, this will allow less room for error while rehydrating. Most Fermentis yeast is so strong anyway, I never rehydrate mine and have never had a problem. Good luck

 

[pjj2ba]

I wonder if you're getting a bit of yeast autolysis. Try fermenting for 1 or 2 weeks then rack the beer and let it clear for another week or two before kegging or bottling.

Also experiment with different yeast strains. You may just not like the flavor profile of the yeast you're using.

Cooler fermentation temperatures are also worth a try.

This is my vote as well. It is perfectly normal that once the bulk of the fermentation is completed, yeast are dying and then breaking apart afterwards (ie autolysis). The remaining live yeast will recycle most, but not all of the released material. This is NOT what most people thinks autolysis is like. It will lead to a subtle yeasty flavor. Some styles hide it better that others, some people (I suspect including you) are more sensitive to it.

One option is to ferment and age the beer at a cooler temperature (71F is a tad warm for most ale yeast). The cooler temps mean the yeast will remain viable longer.

A second option, if you are not set up for better temperature control, is to transfer the beer to a second aging container once the bulk of fermentation is complete. This will get it off the majority of the yeast and limit those flavors you do not like.