I used 10# (55%) of SGP in a 10 gallon blonde ale recipe after taking a recommendation and not doing my research. It smelled like bandaids from the milling through boil and now I taste it 4 days into fermentation (apparently something SGP is known for in higher quantities). My plan was to do a Belgian blonde and there is no way that is happening. All the hops were noble and subdued floral to herbal. WLP550 yeast fermented at 67 with some esters present for sure 1.046 OG. I don't want to toss the batch so here are my thoughts but I'm open to suggestions for sure. I may toast some cherry chips and leave it alone for a year. I could try to mix French oak and cherry?!? I could blend it with a new 5 gallon batch of something to cut the taste but I don't want to end up wasting more beer if it doesn't turn out.... Add some actual scotch? Thoughts? Add a fruit puree? Name it "funky" and give it to hipsters?
Simpsons Golden Promise Breaker
- Thread starter bzevotek
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TheBluePhantom
Brewing for sport
Palmer says:
"Medicinal
These flavors are often described as mediciney, Band-Aid? like, or can be spicy like cloves. The cause are various phenols which are initially produced by the yeast. Chlorophenols result from the reaction of chlorine-based sanitizers (bleach) with phenol compounds and have very low taste thresholds. Rinsing with boiled water after sanitizing is the best way to prevent these flavors."
Which would point to chlorine in the water. But you said you smelled it in the milling. Maybe something was wrong with the malt. I would wait it out a month or so to see where it goes before risking more money on it. You can always unload it on the friend who will drink anything....
On a side note, my first all grain was a batch which used 11.75 lbs of golden promise in 5 gallons. Assuming I did everything wrong (first year brewing) it came out great. Not sure if it is supposed to be just Simpsons or all GP that has that problem
"Medicinal
These flavors are often described as mediciney, Band-Aid? like, or can be spicy like cloves. The cause are various phenols which are initially produced by the yeast. Chlorophenols result from the reaction of chlorine-based sanitizers (bleach) with phenol compounds and have very low taste thresholds. Rinsing with boiled water after sanitizing is the best way to prevent these flavors."
Which would point to chlorine in the water. But you said you smelled it in the milling. Maybe something was wrong with the malt. I would wait it out a month or so to see where it goes before risking more money on it. You can always unload it on the friend who will drink anything....
On a side note, my first all grain was a batch which used 11.75 lbs of golden promise in 5 gallons. Assuming I did everything wrong (first year brewing) it came out great. Not sure if it is supposed to be just Simpsons or all GP that has that problem
I agree with @TheBluePhantom . Bandaid is normally associated with chlorine/chlorimates in the water. Did you mill it, or did you get it milled? If the grain smelled bad (either when you got it or when you were milling it,) something is obviously wrong with the grain, which begs the question, why did you still use it? If you were milling it, did you mill into a bucket cleaned with bleach? I've got an entire bag (55#) of Simpson's Golden Promise, and I absolutely love it for just about anything but German style lagers. I also agree you should let it rest/condition for a while to see if maybe it ages out. It would be a shame to dump that much beer (or give it away.) Ed
I use Golden Promise in large quantities in my NEIPAs. They've been fantastic and I've gotten rave reviews from my friends who regularly go to the east coast just to pick up trillium, treehouse, etc.
I don't think this was a problem with the malt.
I don't think this was a problem with the malt.
cyberbackpacker
Well-Known Member
I buy SGP buy the sack (probably 8-10 bags a year) and have never had this experience.
Peat smoked malt would smell smokey. As in burnt. It is also very strong. I used .1 pound in a Brown ale with one pound of Oak Smoked Wheat malt. (5 gallons) That one was very smokey. I don't think you would have a beer anywhere near drinkable if you used 10 pounds of it. I couldn't see even using one pound in a 5 gallon batch. IMO the problem lies elsewhere.
MaryB
Well-Known Member
My house ale uses 16 pounds GP in an 11 gallon batch and I have never had a medicinal flavor. Never heard that GP causes that either.
So after all of the responses and looking through my notes on the other times I've used SGP I have come to the conclusion that I didn't actually have SGP or that it was bad. So, I bought a Malt Vinegar Mother and I'm going to see how it turns out as a Malt Vinegar to cook with, give as gifts, clean with, and anything else I can do to use it up in the next 2 decades. Thanks guys and cheers to better brew days!
