My Wit has a Hot-dog Aftertaste!!!!

[Schnitzengiggle]

It has a hot dog aftertaste! Is it green? (only been bottled for a week after a 14 day primary fermentation) so a total of 21 days, but the aftertaste is just like a hot-dog! I fermented in the 69-70 degree range (White Labs say 68-74 for best attentuation). Is something wrong or is it "green"??? Help SWMBO, wants her Blue Moon clone, and I wanna keep Brewing!

 

[llazy_llama]

Two strange food-related off flavor threads in <5 minutes... My mind is boggled.

Here's the last hotdog thread we had, but the OP never really got back to us about his process and sanitation regime. If you're more forthcoming than he was, maybe we can help this time. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/hotdog-flavor-106509/

 

[llazy_llama]

Oh, and the one before that. I'm sensing a trend with the wheat beers and the hot dog flavor.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/yes-another-my-beer-ruined-lol-105418/

Another similarity: The OP never talks about the freshness of his ingredients, his process, or his sanitation.

 

[obezyana1]

Let it sit. If it doesn't get any better then just put some mustard, ketchup, and pickles in there and call it Ballpark Wit!

 

[Coastarine]

Another similarity: The OP never talks about the freshness of his ingredients, his process, or his sanitation.

Sounds to me like being witholding about your brewing process can cause a hot-dog flavor in your beer. DONE--next question.

 

[snailsongs]

Without having had this problem myself, I'd venture a guess that a flavor like that comes partially from the extremely unique and funky Wit yeast that WY and WL offer......I could see that yeast's "baby digestive juice after eating apricots" flavor/aroma mingling with some other off taste to produce a hot dog like flavor.....maybe it's that yeast at the wrong temp. what were your ferm temps like.......the good news is that if it is yeast related this yeast's flavor contribution, though horrible if approached too young, metamorphasizes into a delicious tangy tartness as the beer matures, so I agree with everyone else and think you should let it ride for a while and see what happens.

 

[cronxitawney]

I brewed a wit that had a corn aftertaste, but have never experienced hotdog flavored beer. If I had still had some we could've combined the 2 to make the beer version of the Jones Soda holiday packs

 

[lowlife]

My dog would love hot dog beer!

 

[Tonedef131]

Help SWMBO, wants her Blue Moon clone, and I wanna keep Brewing!

Well it sounds to me like she's got it...I think Blue Moon tastes like hot dogs every time I get it in the bottle. Strangely, I don't get that flavor from draft Blue Moon...it is a mystery.

 

[llazy_llama]

Sounds to me like being witholding about your brewing process can cause a hot-dog flavor in your beer. DONE--next question.

Yep, and now we have three threads as evidence, since OP never got back to us.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Yep, and now we have three threads as evidence, since OP never got back to us.

Give the guy some slack. It was a whopping 8 hours between the original post and your last reply. Not everyone here is as ridiculously obsessed as us and checks their threads 5 minutes after posting. He might be new and not expect answers that quick as we've all come accustomed to here. Not all forums rock as hard as HBT.

 

[llazy_llama]

We'll see. Maybe I'm just jaded from the last hotdog post. Time will tell, I suppose.

If I had the same patience with HBT that I have with my beer, you'd all think I was a saint.

 

[olllllo]

The first thing the OP needs to do is confirm that Ham is a better descriptor:

From http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style16.php#1a :

Bitterness from orange pith should not be present. Vegetal, celery-like, ham-like, or soapy flavors are inappropriate. No diacetyl.

and

The presence, character and degree of spicing and lactic sourness varies. Overly spiced and/or sour beers are not good examples of the style. Coriander of certain origins might give an inappropriate ham or celery character. The beer tends to be fragile and does not age well, so younger, fresher, properly handled examples are most desirable. Most examples seem to be approximately 5% ABV.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Does anyone remember that really funny sausage tasting beer thread from a year or so ago... I can't find it but damn was it funny. I think it was from someone with a Cubs-centric av or user name....

 

[Lou]

@OP: How many hotdogs did you use in the boil? I find that if I use any more than 2 or 3, I get a really offensive hotdog taste. YMMV.

 

[bull8042]

.....Not everyone here is as ridiculously obsessed as us and checks their threads 5 minutes after posting.....

What....what are you saying?!?! Of course they do, we all do.... Stop toying with me!

 

[olllllo]

Let's keep it on topic. Unless you are posting adulation about how correct and awesome my answer was.

 

[LaurieGator]

I would add a couple of onions, 5 - 6 raw brats and simmer on the stove for about an hour or so. After brat has simmered, drain onions and put brats on grill. Serve brats with a good bakery hot dog type roll and top with mustard and cooked onions. MMMMMM!

 

[llazy_llama]

That's pretty much what I do, but I add 1 green bell pepper to the beer, and I toss the onions and peppers onto tinfoil on the grill after I boil to get them just a little crispy.

Oh no, don't ban me! Umm... olllllo's post was super awesome and totally correct!

 

[Beerthoven]

I mis-read the thread title as "My WIFE has a hot-dog aftertaste!!!!". I was all like WTF? LOL! Then I saw it is WIT not wife, and I lost interest. Hope you figure out what is wrong with your beer.

 

[RICLARK]

OlllllO wouldn't the pith be a problem if he used Orange Zest? If he used Bitter Orange peel isnt that free of the pith?

 

[olllllo]

OlllllO wouldn't the pith be a problem if he used Orange Zest? If he used Bitter Orange peel isnt that free of the pith?

Traditional Wit ingredients.
Some of this may seem like it's out of left field. I'll try to find some references

1) Orange and bitter orange are not the same thing.
2) Bitter Orange actually gives you a chamomile flavor. Bitter oranges are more like the ornamental oranges and are used for Curacao.
3) The Orange flavor comes from... believe it or not.... the Corriander!


So if you use Orange to get orange, you are approaching the problem differently than do the Belgian Brewers.

 

[olllllo]

http://belgianstyle.com/mmguide/brew/stuff.html

[SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]CORRIANDER
Coriander is a beauty. It is a great spice on its own, but it is usually associated with the use of Curacao orange peel in the making of wit bier. Ironically, the orange peel is not the source of the citrusy flavor of Wit, that is provided by the coriander! Coriander is a bi-product of the cilantro plant. If You've ever eaten Indian or a good grade of Mexican food you know what that is. Coriander is the seed you end up with when cilantro goes to seed. There are those who insist that this tan, pepper corn-like seed must be ground finely to be useful. I will not refute this as I am no expert, but my experience has clearly shown otherwise. I brewed a golden ale with some coriander once, crushing it with a rolling pin to break the husks and adding it into the secondary fermentation. It worked great. It can be boiled briefly, be added at knock out or even later. There are no rules, except for one-its influence will fade over time, blending with the flavors[/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]

[SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1]ORANGE PEEL
Curacao orange peel is an unusual thing. We've all bought oranges at the store. We pick over the bin and grab the ones that are most, well, orange. Sometimes we go for the part green ones,which are often tastier than their commercial navel counterparts though not as visually appealing. So you order bitter orange peel and figure "Hey, I know what I'm in for." Then they arrive, you rip open the package, gasp and scream "Those %&**@#% brew shop morons sent me mold!" [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1] Good news, you'd be wrong (probably!). I've only seen photos of Cura&#8225;ao orange peel, but they corroborate other descriptions I've heard. They are bluish-green with white under sides and horrible looking. Be thankful the photo here is not in color! [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1][SIZE=-1] This seasoning is a major component of Wit bier, contributing not the citrusy tartness, but a more herbal presence. They seem to be hard to find but probably worth it. The way I see it, nobody would put something that ugly into their beer if it wasn't a REAL good idea! [/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE][/SIZE]

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

My brewing process is very sanitary. I Starsan everything after its washed and cleaned thouroughly. My previous batch,which was my first, was decent. I unfortunately knew very little until I found this site and John Palmer's. I keep everything pretty clean while brewing. The hot-dog flavor is an aftertaste. At first you taste the orange and corriander, but after swallowing, there is this funky hot-dog aftertaste. I've read that Wits should be drank young. This stuff has been bottled for only 1 week.

 

[llazy_llama]

Give the guy some slack. It was a whopping 8 hours between the original post and your last reply. Not everyone here is as ridiculously obsessed as us and checks their threads 5 minutes after posting. He might be new and not expect answers that quick as we've all come accustomed to here. Not all forums rock as hard as HBT.

You win this round...

/angry fist shaking.

 

[RICLARK]

Thats crazy I would of never had any idea that Coriander had the citrus aroma. Im going to study some more wits before I make another one.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I would give it another 2 weeks then start drinking them. Fermentation can make some crazy flavors. I bet it cleans up its act in a few weeks.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

Yeah, I was thinking bottle condition for 4 weeks and then see what they taste like. It is definitely an odd afterflavor. BTW all my ingredients were as fresh as they could be. Everything was in vucuum sealed pkgs the spices, the grain, the oranage peel, DME coriander seeds, and candi sugar. Dates on the spices pkgs weren't expired or near expiration. So as far as feshness and quality I think it was present. Plus my LHBS is the only one in town and this is a decent sized place. He claims to go through his stuff pretty quickly because he basically has a monopoly here. I hope this aftertaste diminishes, because I'm going to drink it no matter what, and if I had a choice, I'd like to enjoy them rather than just drink them.

 

[bgough]

I dont think you're supposed to add candi sugar to a wit.

Im no expert though...

 

[sterling214]

I've seen recipies that call for it. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/celis-white-clone-77698/ The one in this thread for example.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

I've seen a few recipes with candi sugar in a Wit. It is a belgian ale after all. I think it added a bit of dryness to the beer which is good, just that damn aftertaste, but I doubt it has anything to do with the candi sugar. I'm obsessing over it, at any rate, I am optomistic.

 

[RCCOLA]

Try clicking on this link and see if any of these off-flavors more accurately describe what you have going on.I know sometimes you need a "hint" to accurately describe a flavor characteristic.
Acetaldehyde. The aroma with the symptoms and causes when homebrewing beer and alcohol.

 

[Schlenkerla]

What about the hops. What type, how fresh?

Chances are that it will mellow with time or you will really get an aqcuired taste for weinerbrau.

I'd let it sit for awhile.

 

[Schlenkerla]

The OP should peruse this website. See if he can identify the off flavor as something other than hot dog.

How to Brew - By John Palmer - Common Off-Flavors

 

[Fat Guy Brewing]

Hey, beer and hot dogs all in one, I would be set for baseball season. I hope someone posts a nacho and peanut aftertaste thread, although not in the same beer. Please...I do have standards.

 

[olllllo]

The OP should peruse this website. See if he can identify the off flavor as something other than hot dog.

How to Brew - By John Palmer - Common Off-Flavors

Uhhh yea. HAM for example!


Ham = the non cylindrical pork product.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

It's been in the bottles now for 16 days, much better, hot-dog taste has definitely morphed into more of a spicyness. A few more days and this stuff is gonna be bomb! I sampled one today, great carbonation-just right. Thick, silky, white head with great retention and beautiful lacing the color is a gorgeous golden almost like a light honey. One more week, yes this will be fantastic!!!

Wait it out huh? I guess this was the brew to make me a true beleiver!

MMMMMMMMM-MMMMM! YUMMY!

 

[Saccharomyces]

Missed this thread until now...

Hot dog flavor = wrong type of coriander for a Wit, I think.

The coriander you should use comes from Asian markets, is shaped like footballs, is typically from India, and it smells INTENSELY of grapefruit. The stuff typically sold in megamarts as "coriander" in the US is a different beast, typically from Mexico, it is round in shape and darker than the Indian coriander. It smells and tastes like... grassy hotdogs to me.

My first Wit I didn't know better, it improved with age but it took 6-8 weeks before the beer tasted remotely like a Wit to me. The recipe in my dropdown (which came out of the previously quoted Celis white clone thread after many hours of research) was wonderful after only two weeks.

And yes it is fine to use candi sugar in a Wit but I use regular table sugar or corn sugar because it's cheaper.

 

[olllllo]

Hmm I must be chopped liver or ham or tiny hot dogs.

 

[Schnitzengiggle]

The corriander I used was from Brewer's Best if that makes any difference. They sell spices intended for brewing, so unless the corriander they sell is thewrong type I'll make certain not to use it again. Thanks for the troubleshoot, that would make perfect sense.