I have whipped up about five batches of homebrew so far and it has been a very pleasant experience so far. Anyways for my last batch I tried a Fat Tire clone from Midwest. I ordered what I thought was the Wyeast activator 3944. Anyways I totaly spaced it and didn't realize that what I had gotten was the propagator. I pitched it without thinking and didn't realize till examining the pack a little more closely that it was in fact the propagator. I was leaving for a two week vacation a few days afterward and just figured I would let it do its thing while I was gone and see what I get. Anyways, it appears to fermented as I saw a krausen ring when I opened it up the other day and the fg had dropped to near what the instructions called for. My only problem is that it has a very strong and distinct banana smell. Should I bottle this and hope that this mellows out over time, or should I just ditch what I have, learn from my mistake and start over.
Noob Question, Bananas?
- Thread starter mikezdman
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it'll be just fine. those are just esters you smell, probably created from the strained yeast or high fermentation temps. they'll mellow in time, probably very quickly.
don't ever dump a batch unless tasting it makes you want to puke.
don't ever dump a batch unless tasting it makes you want to puke.
DeathBrewer said:
I think I'll use this when I decide to change the quote in my sigline
+1Revvy said:I think I'll use this when I decide to change the quote in my sigline
NEVER EVER EVER EVER NEVER E.V.E.R. Dump a batch... Like Mr. Death Says.
Trencher
Well-Known Member
You under-pitched dramatically and stressed the yeast very badly. Don't worry, if you don't like banana beer just bottle it and let it sit for a while. I had the same thing happen a while back from my fermentation temps being too high and the flavor mellowed with time. Of course it wasn't the beer I wanted to brew, but it was still good.
Think Belgian!
Think Belgian!
Update, it has been in bottles since around the 20th of March. I have opened a bottle periodically to test out the flavor. It still has a banana flavor to it, but it has mellowed out a little bit since the first tasting. It is still pretty undrinkable. I will give it a couple more months before tasting again, but then it is going down the drain.
![Craft A Brew - Safale S-04 Dry Yeast - Fermentis - English Ale Dry Yeast - For English and American Ales and Hard Apple Ciders - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [1 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41fVGNh6JfL._SL500_.jpg)
TheFlatline
Well-Known Member
I wonder if letting it sit in the primary for another week or three would have helped clean that up.
It was in the primary for at least a month if not more, so I'm not sure if leaving it in any longer would have helped. I can drink about a half of a beer and then it has to go down the drain because it just is unbearable.
haha...i would be excited if it smelt like bannanas cuz its my favorie fruit 
...just let it sit a couple days...it will mellow out eventuallty
...just let it sit a couple days...it will mellow out eventuallty
TheFlatline
Well-Known Member
Well not so much then heh.
I didn't realize it was that out of control.
From my reading, I guess the propagator pack has about one quarter of the yeast cells that the activator pack does. It requires a starter I guess, so you ended up underpitching by at least 75% or more. From what I read the yeast went insane reproducing, which ended up producing the banana flavor. I dunno if there's much that can be done if it's been 2 months or so, but I'm hardly a sage in this area.
I'd give it to girls who hate beer but love the girly drinks. Just get a wedge of coconut & pineapple stuck onto a paper umbrella and you can serve it to them
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