How do I save this beer?--Fusel alcohols in secondary

[eddie884]

I recently racked my beer (ale) to a secondary tank (5 gallon glass carboy) and I sampled some of the beer from the hydrometer reading. It definitely tasted like the fusel alcohol descriptions in many of the troubleshooting guides.

When I racked, I did lower the temperature for a better range and added in some malt extract. My idea was that the yeast in suspension could work on the fermentable material and produce better byproducts than they were at the higher (incorrect) temperature. I did a sample yesterday and it seemed like the fusel alcohol taste was not as strong (though still present).

I know that you can just wait for the fusel alcohols to decrease, but are there any other methods to handle the fusel alcohol problem before bottling? Would it be possible to repitch with a 2nd type of similar yeast? Should I just do a taste test before bottling to make sure the fusel alcohols have decreased?

tyia,
e

 

[WBC]

The fusels will not decrease. It would have been best to ferment at the recommended temperature for the yeast used. Let it sit but you know that this beer will not be one to share. Chalk this up to brewing experiences that teach you what to do. Your next brew will be much better.

 

[BigKahuna]

It definitely tasted like the fusel alcohol descriptions in many of the troubleshooting guides.

I don't mean to bash trouble shooting guides, they definitely have their place, but that is the trouble with them. Your beer is probably just green as hell. It's supposed to taste like that.

I'm not sure I've ever run into fusel alcohol issues, and they are really more of an issue for distillers, not home brewers. If it's still an issue, they do evaporate off at about 140F.

 

[StunnedMonkey]

+1 to BigKahuna. It may not be fusels you're tasting. I tasted mine when racking to the secondary, and mine seemed to me to have that same characteristic that one associates with fusels. But I'd pitched my yeast at 68, and the entire fermentation had taken place in a basement that doesn't get over 65. Fusels just seemed unlikely to me.

It's now one month old and I just sneaked a sample from the keg. That taste that I'd thought was fusels is completely gone. I think it's merely a "green" beer taste, as BigKahuna siggests.

 

[bergman1118]

+2, i had a simlar concern on my first batch, after having a bottle after only a week. it's just the "green" beer as kahuna and monkey have alluded to, and after 4 weeks the beer tasted heavenly! just be patient dude and your golden

 

[batches_brew]

I'm worried, too. On my first batch I messed up and let the temp get up to 80 for a few hours. Like others have mentioned, the flavor has gotten better since racking, so hopefully the bad taste will be gone by bottle cracking time. Green beer flavor, I hope. If not, live and learn.

 

[sonetlumiere85]

If it was 80 for only a few hours, I really wouldn't worry too much, unless you're using a really low-temperature yeast. I agree with what everyone said - beers just don't start tasting good until a good month or so after the union of yeast and wort. Patience is a serious virtue in homebrewing.

 

[eddie884]

Thank you all for the replies. All of the advice was quite helpful.

 

[BigKahuna]

the temp get up to 80 for a few hours.

Few hours...Sheesh.

Forget about it.


I've got a weissbier that fermented out at 78 the entire time....with T-58 Yeast....You know how bad that was....few months later it's getting pretty good.!

 

[BrewStooge]

Good deal, I've been a bit concerned about my first couple as well for sitting a bit higher temp than recommended. First one seems a bit, well, different, could be off or the best wheat I've tasted. For now I'll just go with "if it's good, it's good" as the test

 

[nakros]

All my beers so far (15) have been fermented at exactly the same temperature throughout (68-70 in the room, so probably higher in the fermenter). Everything has turned out just ducky. Except for an amber that I'm certain I must have had a bit too much to drink before bottling and forgot about the priming sugar. Oddly enough, it didn't actually carbonate at all.