holding down the diacetyl taste

[rohanski]

I have noticed that all of my brew has a sweeter taste than micro brew beers or any beer for that matter. Is what I am tasing diacetyl? I know this comes during the respiration cycle of the yeast but is there a way to lesten it? All of the yeast I use is White labs and I mainly use the California ale.

 

[EdWort]

Do your beers have a final gravity within the recipe range? How bout an example recipe.

 

[jeff]

Does it taste buttery, or like butterscotch? Those are classic signs of diacetyl. A general "sweet" taste could be a sign of under-attenuation. What was your final gravity? What were your fermentation temps? The only time I have experienced diacetyl is when my temps got rather high due to an A/C failure at my house. You could have poured that pale ale over ice cream or popcorn

 

[zoebisch01]

Just some notes on Diacetyl....

Some yeasts are notorious for producing it. (You can find comparison charts on the web). It is much more noticeable in simple Lagers and is almost always considered a flaw (if it breaks the taste tolerance threshold). Ales on the other hand, a small amount can be acceptable if it is intentional. Like Jeff mentions, it is a Butter taste. It is actually quite easy to distinguish Diacetyl in many brews, which is probably one of the big reasons many commercial breweries are concerned about it.


Here is a great read on the technical nuances of Diacetyl production in beer.

So going back to the original question, you need to follow up on EdWorts cut-to-the-chase question

 

[ebeer]

I agree with all the butterscotch/buttered popcorn comments. I would try to make a distinction between "sweet" and "butter". I'm somewhat immune to diacetyl (hard for me to detect), but sometimes I look for a sort of buttery coating on the roof of my mouth as an indicator (even if I can't taste the butter).

Sweetness could be many things. Incomplete fermentation, mash temps being too high, or too much crystal. Often a cloying sweetness is the result of too much crystal malt....I think 8-10% is usually the recommended max (depending on style of course).