smells of vinegar

[chemist308]

I just cracked both of my primary fermenters--batches started on May 27 (English Ale) and June 2 (Stout). Both batches suffered temperature variations late in the fermentation--airlocks went back down and stayed. Left that way for 3 weeks. Both batches now smell vinegary. However the english ale does not taste of it.

Should I flush it or bottle it?

 

[c.n.budz]

Never flush... Bottle it, it's probably fine.

 

[Saccharomyces]

Some yeasts have a very sharp smell in the primary which can seem like vinegar. It's probably fine. You'd have to try really hard to make pure vinegar out of wort.

- Eric

 

[chemist308]

Thanks anyway. Sorry to waste the post. I got some of the bottles full with the english ale and decided that I couldn't stand that odor anymore, much less let alone sitting with a glass of it taking it in. The english ale's gone. The stout I'll clean out out tomorrow.

Is this something indicating that I need to be more careful of sanitation or do you think the temperature contro,l or lack thereof, did me in?

 

[Ooompa Loompa]

NOOOOO!!!! You should have kept on bottling despite the smell. Conditioning does amazing things to beer. In a month or two the smell may have completely changed or gone away and you may have been left with a wonderful beer. Don't toss the stout. Bottle it and let it age for 2 months, then try it. If it still tastes bad give it another 4 months, then try it again, if it still tastes bad give it another 6 months. If it still tastes bad at that time then I think I'll agree that you should toss it. Worst case scenario you're out 50 bottle caps, some priming sugar, a little sanitizer and some of your time. Best case scenario you end up with some great beer to drink.

 

[brrman]

man... a sad day. ALWAYS age beer to give it a fighting chance to correct odd flavors or smells...

 

[brewjunky]

I had the same thing happen to me to a steam beer I had made. I had transfered to the secondary and used knox gelatin. After that when I went to rack beer to the keg it really smelt like vinegar.

I was told it could be a lactic infection.

 

[paul_h]

Yeah, you never throw a brew.
And this is me saying that and I've had a few bad brews.
I still age them for a month in bottles before throwing them out, just to make sure they're unsalvageble.
I bottled a brew I did a month ago, and it was so foul after a month aging I almost ditched them. A week later they've improved, if it was an infection it would've got worse, so I'm saving them for another month.