Alright, so I am getting a little discouraged. I'm on my third brew, and I haven't had one good beer. My first flub was a Belgian Tripel extract kit that I made several clear errors on and I won't be making those again, okay check. Second brew, NB's Irish Draught... Brew day, fermentation, bottling went great. It had a bad acetaldehyde smell/taste that still hasn't gone away and really prevents me from enjoying one of those. My third batch is still in the fermenter, but I can smell acetadehyde on it already and I am almost dreading going through the work of another bottle day to receive a batch of beer I don't enjoy...
Not one good brew
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Bro, can you walk us through your brew day?
There are a lot of people here to help. Nt only that but you can always join a brew club in your area I'm sure that will help.
I have over 25 brews completed and I was sort of thinking that there might be something with the way I brew because all my beers inconsistent and my numbers were always off. I got my technique down pat but it took some time and a lot of searching through this site and others. I'm at the verge if joining a home brew club I'm waiting for their next meeting to attend. I'm waiting to my BK to come to a boil as I write this I'm brewing my first barleywine.
There are a lot of people here to help. Nt only that but you can always join a brew club in your area I'm sure that will help.
I have over 25 brews completed and I was sort of thinking that there might be something with the way I brew because all my beers inconsistent and my numbers were always off. I got my technique down pat but it took some time and a lot of searching through this site and others. I'm at the verge if joining a home brew club I'm waiting for their next meeting to attend. I'm waiting to my BK to come to a boil as I write this I'm brewing my first barleywine.
Plus one on that!
Assuming you have your sanitation down pat Fermentaion Temps and time are key!
The Irish draught used Wyeast Irish ale. I sanitize everything using easy clean. I always sanitize and resanitize everything before it comes in contact with the wort. I have a copper immersion cooler I use after the boil (put it in 15 minutes before flameout). I filter the wort from the kettle to the fermenter using a sanitized strainer, which helps aerate, and I also slosh the fermenter around quite a bit and stir in my yeast vigorously. This one I used a plastic fermenting bucket... Standard stuff, three piece airlock... Let it ferment and condition for 3 weeks, then bottled and let that sit for 3 weeks... Now it's wonderfully appley. I hit all my numbers, 1.044 OG, .01 FG. Fermenting temps stayed in the mid to high 60's.
As for the Amber, same procedure except I added in half of my extract in the last 15 minutes. This one is in a glass carboy (6.5). It has been almost 3 weeks. Temps have been great, and I checked the SG last week and I already hit my target FG, but because of the acetadehyde smell I left it for the yeast to hopefully clean up... I checked again today and still the same smell.
As for the Amber, same procedure except I added in half of my extract in the last 15 minutes. This one is in a glass carboy (6.5). It has been almost 3 weeks. Temps have been great, and I checked the SG last week and I already hit my target FG, but because of the acetadehyde smell I left it for the yeast to hopefully clean up... I checked again today and still the same smell.
Oh and the yeast for the amber was white labs, American ale blend...with a 1L starter made 24 hours ahead of time, chilled and decanted. Both brews had healthy fermentations for at least 3-4 days before activity dropped off.
theveganbrewer
Well-Known Member
What is the oldest beer you still get this taste from? What is the longest you've aged a beer and still get the taste?
You can remove or lessen acetadehyde through better yeast, longer aging, or eliminating bacterial infestations.
Seems like you have used yeast starters and are sanitizing, so aging would probably help the yeast to process the acetadehyde.
You can remove or lessen acetadehyde through better yeast, longer aging, or eliminating bacterial infestations.
Seems like you have used yeast starters and are sanitizing, so aging would probably help the yeast to process the acetadehyde.
When you say fermentation temperatures in the mid to high 60s, is that the room temperature or the beer temperature? Does your beer temperature vary much during fermentation? Is your beer cooling down toward the end of fermentation?
BTW, after you are finished with the easy clean, go get some star san.
BTW, after you are finished with the easy clean, go get some star san.
You mentioned sanitizing with Easy Clean. Is that a sanitizer, or a cleaner? There is a difference. I'd suggest getting some StarSan for your sanitation.
Snowhere
Well-Known Member
And how long since you brewed it?
Either way, still way to green for my taste. I am more patient then most. I rarely drink any beer under 3 to 4 months from when I brew. I mainly brew higher alcohol beers, so I go 1 to 2 months in fermentaters with another month or two in the bottle. I still have a few bottles of my 1 year old scotch ale left. Maybe thats why all my friends always want my beer...........
The key is to keep a full pipeline so you do not have pressure to drink a new beer before its time. I have 14 gallons ageing and in the drink cycle with 14 more gallons still in the fermantation chamber. I should have more but I had to take 2 months off due to knee surgery, so I am catching back up now.
scoundrel
Well-Known Member
I think the temp in the 60's may be part of it. I think you should let it go for more than 3 weeks. I let my beer go until I get no airlock activity at all and then I start taking readings for a few days. In the 60's that can be as long as 5 weeks. My guess is the yeast is doing its business slower and isn't getting enough time to clean up the by products.
One beer I have now I started in the low 60's then ramped it to 70. It crapped out at .02, then I raised the temp to 73 and it was like turning on a light switch. It kicked back in, full krausen and all after 29 days! Them yeasts are finicky creatures.
One beer I have now I started in the low 60's then ramped it to 70. It crapped out at .02, then I raised the temp to 73 and it was like turning on a light switch. It kicked back in, full krausen and all after 29 days! Them yeasts are finicky creatures.
Darwin18
Well-Known Member
When you start controlling your fermentation temperatures and making yeast starters, then you will see a major change in quality. Fermentation temperatures have the most impact on the flavor of your beer than any other brewing technique.
I have the NB Irish Draught bottled now, and I have a similar character from the yeast. It has gotten better with age (about two months now), but hasn't gone away. I've had plenty of other beers turn out great though, I just try to stick with less temperature sensitive yeast since my temperature control consists of choosing the right corner of the basement.
Ogri
Well-Known Member
Try making a batch using Safale S-04 or US-05 and see if that gets you better results
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