Slight alcoholic aroma

[Pataka]

Hi all

It's been a while since I posted here. I've been plodding along solidly with the odd all-grain batch as and when I begin to run out. For the first time in a little while, I've been counting my bottles, because I've had so many batches in bottles at the same time.

I've been noticing a repeat pattern, and it's one I wanted some advice on. My beers seem to be taking on a bit of an 'alcoholic' aroma to them. By that, I mean they have a very faint hint of what smells a bit like whisky at times. It's not there all the time, and with all the styles I've had it in so far, the remaining aroma has been strong enough to overpower it most of the time. But when you first open a bottle, you can smell it. You can't taste it. It's purely an aroma thing. It tends to come out more as the beer warms.

I first noticed it on a Coopers Dark Ale extract kit I bought at a pinch when I realised I was heading into Christmas with nothing to drink, but I've also detected hints of it in my all grain Sierra Nevada Pale Ale clone. Both are reasonably flavoursome beers, so do a good job of hiding the smell, but it's there under the right circumstances.

It was my brother who first pointed it out, so it's not just me going nuts.

In both cases, I used a yeast starter, and a temperature controlled (Inkbird) fridge fermenter set at around 18 degrees. The Dark Ale used the Coopers kit yeast, while the Sierra Nevada clone used US-05.

Most of what I've read suggests this is either too high a fermentation temp, not enough yeast, or not enough aging. The first two are unlikely, as they were both 23L batches made with a starter, but the third makes sense. The only question would be, why the change from my earlier AG batches that tasted flawless after 3 weeks in the bottle?

Any thoughts?

 

[bronzdragon]

No idea as to the cause, as there are so many variables. But I will say that these types of flavors tend to mature out of the beer as it sits. This is common in high alcohol beers, which have a "hot" taste to them when they are fresh, and then over time it goes away. The "whiskey" or "whisky" (depending on what type you prefer) flavor is often times associated with oakiness, or caramalization flavors. These could be attributed to extracts in some cases. Either way, I'm fairly certain that the flavor will age out.
/cheers

 

[Rob2010SS]

Is it possible that you over pitched? I don't have any personal experience with this, but according to John Palmer, too much yeast can cause fusel alcohols - http://howtobrew.com/book/section-4/is-my-beer-ruined/common-off-flavors Not sure on your starter size...

If you didn't ferment too warm then maybe it just needs to mellow out a bit

 

[JONNYROTTEN]

My wife says that when I walk by sometimes

I've had beers that have a hot taste and rubbing alcohol smell to them. Fermented under temp control and under 1.070. Have never figured out why.

 

[Pataka]

Over pitching is a possibility but I wouldn't have thought too likely, as the starter was less than 500 ml. I'll know if that's the cause with my next batch because I pitched straight from the dry yeast sachet.

I left a few of the dark ales at my parents place (I brewed them before Christmas) and tasted one on the weekend. The smell has all but gone, so definitely seems to age out. I guess the bonus is at least it improves over time. Just as well none of the beers were heavy in aroma hops, otherwise aging would probably affect that.

I do wonder if it's perhaps to do with the malt. Both beers that did this were quite dark in colour. Again, my next is a much more pale style so that will be good to compare. It's probably another week from bottling, but right now smells so citrusy it's hard to imagine any whisky smells penetrating through!