Loss of Aroma

[smyrnaquince]

I brewed a Sweet Stout on February 3rd, bottling it 3 weeks later on February 25th. When I opened the fermentor, the beer had a wonderful caramel-chocolate aroma. I primed (table sugar) and bottled the beer, keeping it at room temperature until March 14th (2.5 weeks), them moved it to the basement in a 45-50F room.

I opened my first bottle yesterday (March 18) and the caramel-chocolate aroma was gone. Not really any caramel-chocolate flavor, either.

What went wrong? Were did my wonderful aroma go (and presumably, the taste along with it)?

Recipe follows (note that this is a half-batch, targeting 2.5 gallons into bottles):

Notes:

• I did miss my mash temperature: I mashed at 149F, but wanted 152F
• I used a 1-liter starter, decanted

BeerSmith 2 Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Style: Sweet Stout
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 3.63 gal
Post Boil Volume: 2.88 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 2.75 gal
Bottling Volume: 2.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.059 SG
Estimated Color: 46.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 29.2 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 74.80 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 75.1 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
0.00 lb Rice Hulls (0.0 SRM) Adjunct 1 0.0 %
2.13 lb Vienna Malt (Stone Path) (3.5 SRM) Grain 2 36.2 %
2.13 lb Wheat Malt, Pale (Weyermann) (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 36.2 %
0.38 lb Black (Crisp) (680.0 SRM) Grain 4 6.4 %
0.38 lb Carafa I (Weyermann) (320.0 SRM) Grain 5 6.4 %
0.38 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (Briess) (80. Grain 6 6.4 %
0.50 lb Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 7 8.5 %
0.80 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.10 %] - Boil 60.0 Hop 8 29.2 IBUs
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 9 -
1.50 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 10.0 mins) Other 10 -
1.0 pkg Whitbread Ale (Wyeast Labs #1099) [124.2 Yeast 11 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge 149/60
Total Grain Weight: 5.88 lb
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 2.04 gal of water at 165.9 F 149.0 F 60 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun , 2.26gal) of 168.0 F water

Prime: 62g sugar at 68° for 2.5 vol CO2

Created with BeerSmith 2 - http://www.beersmith.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[flars]

What is your carbonation level? Carbonic bite from high carbonation levels can hide flavors.

I would bring the beers back to room temperature then chill a few at a time for drinking. When they seem right, hopefully, move them to cooler storage.

 

[smyrnaquince]

Primed for 2.5 volumes of CO2. They seemed nicely carbed, but not over-carbed.

What is the purpose of warming them up again?

Thanks!

 

[bucketnative]

At what temperature were you drinking them, the 45-50°F, or at fridge temps?

 

[flars]

Primed for 2.5 volumes of CO2. They seemed nicely carbed, but not over-carbed.

What is the purpose of warming them up again?

Thanks!

I was thinking more time for the beer to mature rather than just achieve carbonation before chilling to drinking temperature.

 

[smyrnaquince]

At what temperature were you drinking them, the 45-50°F, or at fridge temps?

45-50°F.

I had another thought. I used a starter and yeast nutrient. Maybe I blew off the aroma out of the wort during (too strong a) fermentation, which is why it smelled so good when I opened the fermentor, but had no aroma/taste left in the beer?