Ocassional clove taste

[cshamilton]

I've got a batch of American Wheat beer (Jamil's recipe in BCS) fermented with Wyeast Kölsch yeast. It's at about 3.5 weeks in the bottle so still young and maybe just green. Anyway out of 6 bottles, two had a definite clove taste to them - the other four didn't. It was good, but wondering if there was maybe some contamination causing the clove flavor? I soak the bottles in StarSan, for a minute before shaking and draining them.

Fermentation temps were good 60-62 F during primary for 3.5 weeks

Bottle conditioned at 66-72 F for 3+ weeks.

Any thoughts? Infection? Green? The clove taste isn't bad, but I'd like to know more since I haven't picked that up from the Kölsch yeast before.

 

[H22W]

Clove is a function of many wheat style yeast strains especially in the American styles.

Many wheat yeast strains make more clove at the cooler temperatures towards 60-F and more banana towards 70-F.

 

[ncbrewer]

This thread: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/simple-hefeweizen-186432/ has some good info about fermenting, flavors, and other aspects of wheat beer that might help.

 

[cshamilton]

If I was using a Hefeweizen yeast, I would totally expect the clove taste - but I've never had it with Kolsch, also why only some bottles?

 

[Yooper]

If I was using a Hefeweizen yeast, I would totally expect the clove taste - but I've never had it with Kolsch, also why only some bottles?

Why only some bottles? I don't know. That doesn't make any sense to me. Stressed yeast and/or chlorophenols can cause a "clove" taste, as can infection. But that would be batch-wide, and not just a couple of bottles. I have no clues here!