My IPA Tastes Like a Hefeweizen

[tyler2you]

So, one of our local breweries is especially friendly to the local homebrew community. They let us buy grain in bulk and will share yeast if you bring in a sanitized container.

About 2 months ago I brought in a sterilized pint jar to pick up some yeast. They always have WLP001 going for their IPA, so that's what I got. The guy sanitized and opened up the port on the big conical and filled up my pint jar about half full. Due to circumstances, I wasn't able to use it for about 4 weeks.

When I finally got around to brewing, I wanted to use up some the last of some extract I had in the freezer, so I did a triple IPA I've done a couple of times previously. Recipe for a 5.25 gallon batch looked like this:

6 lbs Gold Liquid Malt Extract Syrup 60 min
3 lbs 2.4 oz Gold Liquid Malt Extract Syrup 30 min
2 lbs Corn Sugar (Dextrose) 30 min
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min
1.00 oz Chinook [13.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min
2.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 20.0 min
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 mins)

Steeped Hops

2.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min
0.50 oz Amarillo [9.20 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min
0.50 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 15.0 min

Est Starting Gravity: 1.085
Actual Starting Gravity: 1.083

Since I was a little unsure about the yeast's viability due to the age, I just pitched the entire half pint into the wort.

It took off within about 4 hours and went like gangbusters. My first clue that something might be amiss was the slightly sour smell coming from the airlock that I've never gotten before using fresh WLP001 or US-05 with this same recipe. Fermentation started out at 66 degrees, but ramped up to 76 degrees for a couple of days due to activity. Room was right at 68 the entire time. It fermented out at 1.013 after 3 weeks, a couple of points higher than anticipated. Another odd thing is that it never did really clear well like my other experiences with this recipe and yeast. I went ahead and kegged it and had my first taste this evening. It tastes very much like a Hefe. It's a banana bomb with slightly clove aromas. Mild bitterness and zero hop aroma. Nothing like an IPA and nothing like my other experiences with this recipe.

So, what could have caused this? Overpitch? High temps? Or something else? Thanks for any insight as I like my IPAs to taste like IPAs.

 

[Yooper]

So, what could have caused this? Overpitch? High temps? Or something else? Thanks for any insight as I like my IPAs to taste like IPAs.

Higher temperatures will cause it, but due to the cloudiness and sour smell, I would bet it's contamination.

 

[IslandLizard]

Are you sure you didn't get a weisse yeast? Did you smell the yeast before you pitched it?

Or what Yooper said, an infection.

 

[jack_a_roe]

same exact thing happened to me 15 batches ago. still to this day have no idea what the hell happened, just chalked it up to infection. it is indeed a very bizarre as it tasted like a really good hef and not like an infected beverages (had a couple at this point). so yea no help here sorry...

 

[tyler2you]

Are you sure you didn't get a weisse yeast? Did you smell the yeast before you pitched it?

Or what Yooper said, an infection.

Pretty sure as they don't brew with anything but WLP001 and WLP002 according to their head brewer.

It smelled like an IPA when I opened the jar, so no off aromas.

Maybe a combination of infection and high temps? I've never read anything would indicate an infection would produce fruity esters like banana.

 

[dantose]

Higher temperatures will cause it, but due to the cloudiness and sour smell, I would bet it's contamination.

001 doesn't have the best floccuation and I know other people have complained about how long it takes to clear. The banana flavor comes from a very specific chemical (isoamyl acetate) which 001 doesn't normally leave a lot of. Other than strains cultured for that flavor, it's presence indicates stressed yeast due to under pitching, improper temp control, or improper oxygenation of the wort. The stress allows the precursors of that chemical to be able to escape because the cell membrane is weaker. Given how quickly the yeast took off, I'm guessing either temp or the yeast were a bit beat up at the brewery. Next time you use yeast from them, make a well oxygenated starter and it should help clean it up.

 

[dantose]

Pretty sure as they don't brew with anything but WLP001 and WLP002 according to their head brewer.

It smelled like an IPA when I opened the jar, so no off aromas.

Maybe a combination of infection and high temps? I've never read anything would indicate an infection would produce fruity esters like banana.

a mix of? 001 shouldn't be estery, but I'm not sure about 002. Anyone got experience with it?

And I agree that it's probably not an infection.

 

[TriggerFingers]

Stress--while 76 is at the upper range for range, with a vigorous ferment it could have gone a little higher. What was your pitching temp? I have had 01 taste/smell like a hefe when I pitched it a tad too warm.

 

[tyler2you]

Stress--while 76 is at the upper range for range, with a vigorous ferment it could have gone a little higher. What was your pitching temp? I have had 01 taste/smell like a hefe when I pitched it a tad too warm.

Pitched at 66 degrees and oxygenated with a stone and pure O2. It quickly rose to 76. Probably the quickest and highest rise in temp I've had with any of my previous brews.

 

[dantose]

Pitched at 66 degrees and oxygenated with a stone and pure O2. It quickly rose to 76. Probably the quickest and highest rise in temp I've had with any of my previous brews.

If you took a wort temp of 76 at peak, I wouldn't consider temp a factor.