Solvent Flavor Question

[polamalu43]

So I just tasted both of my beers and took their gravities after exactly seven days of fermentation. To my dismay, both have a bit of a chemical-y, solvent-y character. Both are obviously extremely young.

(1) Abbey Single - I used Wyeast 1214 and underpitched (one smackpack that didn't swell that much). Fermentation took little while to start. Fermented very cool (63-66).

(2) Belgian IPA - I used Wyeast 3787 and pitched two smack packs that swelled well. Blew through two airlock. Fermented at roughly the same temperatures. Somewhat less solvent-y character, but it's a much hoppier beer.

In both cases, I want to say that fermentation temperature has, if anything, dropped a little bit (maybe 2-4 degrees) as the week has gone on. I've read that 3787 can stall out when that happens, and when I popped the lid to dry hop today, it was still covered in krausen and stuck at 1.020.

Any thoughts on the cause of the solvent-y character? I know it's probably way to early to tell, especially considering that these things fermented on the colder side of things.

 

[polamalu43]

Random thought regarding my own question: any chance that the fermenting these things on the lower end of the fermentation range produced these flavors?

 

[drummstikk]

Hi Polamalu,
Any chance you're tasting acetaldehyde? You'll get higher alcohols with higher ferment temperatures and higher gravities, but it doesn't sound like this is the problem. Acetaldehyde smells and tastes a little like green apples. Higher alcohols just taste bitter without any of the fruit component of acetaldehyde.
If the flavor clears up in a week, it was acetaldehyde.

 

[samc]

I know it's probably way to early to tell

Wait 2 more weeks and then see if you still have the same questions.

 

[Yooper]

Wait 2 more weeks and then see if you still have the same questions.

Well, he posted the question back in March, so I would bet the beer is long gone by now!