Mangrove Jacks M54 CA common

[Chetbrews]

Sounds like contamination. Have you brewed a hefeweizen or Belgian with the same equipment in the past?

I haven't brewed a hefeweizen in over a year and ferment in stainless steel. I will start a deep clean to see what might be the culprit.

 

[rhys333]

So...my update. It took 36 hours (and I bumped temp 1*F) to get started, but it finished super quickly. Stayed between 64*F and 68*F.

I cold crashed for a couple days, added gelatin, waited two days, kegged and carbonated.

FUSEL HELL! This yeast rendered 10 gallons undrinkable...so bad it is like instant headache. I've been brewing for 25 years (on and off), and have NEVER had fusel alcohol...and if I did, it definitely wasn't this bad.

I contacted someone I know personally who owns a yeast company and they speculated three things for me...

1.) I didn't underpitch.
2.) Fermentation temps were perfect.
3.) There is no way that all things being equal I should have had this much fusel alcohol.

The only thing we all could come up with is that the yeast must have been pre-stressed before I used it. I MIGHT try MJ yeast again...but probably not. I got word that the distributor might not be carrying either the M54 yeast anymore or maybe not be distributing MJ at all. Either way...that doesn't give me much confidence.

I brewed with M54 for the first time last month and I'm experiencing the same fusel alcohol problems. I'm picking up mild solvent aroma and just one to two beers results in a nasty headache. I don't have temp control, but my basement allows me to ferment at a stable 64F. I did ramp up to 70-72F after the active phase was complete, but I don't see why this would cause a fusel problem. I may have a dumper on my hands here.