Tricks to getting rid of that yeast flavor?

[LloydRenee]

I am already planning to use a second fermentor but was curious what else could be done to reduce the dead yeast flavor (that in itself may do the trick)? I have had two bottled batches an English Brown and a Imperial Blonde. The Imperial was awesome but the English Brown was bleh. Folks drank it because it was there but I barely touched it because it had that horrid after taste. My other buddy who brews has the same problem. They have made 4 or 5 batches of different styles and they all taste the same as my first batch. That nasty old beer after taste. Dead Yeast I assume. I am just curious as to any affordable tricks that might be out there to help with this as I am a new Brewer with a plastic home kit from my local HB shop. I want a beer that tastes like beer.

 

[BendBrewer]

Leave it in the bucket for a month. Use clean yeast strains. US - 05 is a great one.

 

[birvine]

Let us know your procedure and maybe we can pick out some issues where you can improve.

B

 

[eastoak]

are you controlling your fermentation temps? i doubt your yeast is dying and giving off flavors unless something is really off in your process.

 

[Gunfighter04]

sorry for the obvious question, but are you stopping he pour from your bottles before the yeast? i.e. leaving the stuff that settles at the bottom of the bottle?

 

[bowiefan]

Are we talking stale sourdough bread taste mixed with rancid meat, or over the top yeastiness like a subway shop in the morning when they are baking the bread, or a chewing on an old cardboard box from your grandmothers basement type of taste? Or just a old skunked beer taste. Those different off flavors all have different causes.
If your yeast truly died and started to breakdown you get the stale sour with a touch of rotten creaping in at latter stages.
Over the top yeastiness can come from bottling too soon, too warm fermentation or even too warm conditioning and not chilling long enough to let the yeast settle. Also pouring the dreggs into your glass.
Cardboard taste is from oxodized beer.
Skunkyness is from exposure to sunlight/UV light at ANY point once fermentation has started.
A hint of clove is from fermenting too warm.

If you havn't done so yet, read the section on "troubleshooting Off Flavors" at howtobrew.com

 

[william_shakes_beer]

how long do you primary? do you secondary? how long do you bottle condition? I primary 1 month, bottle condition 1 month and always have a tight yeast pack in the bottle. Drain every drop and never get yeast dreggs in the bottom of the glass.

 

[jaycount]

Details! Was the EB a kit? What ingredients, what yeast, what temps did you ferment at? What method do you use to clean and sanitize? What cleaners and sanitizers do you use?

Like bowiefan pointed out, more specifics about the off flavors help too.

The doctors can't diagnose without the details

 

[LloydRenee]

Let us know your procedure and maybe we can pick out some issues where you can improve.

B

I follow the procedure laid out in the pamphlet that comes with the Brewer's Best kit. Skipping the obvious. I complete my boil, pour it into the Ferment bucket through a filter. Cap it loosly and set in a shock sink with ice water to bring it down temp wise (about 2 hours) then I add the rest of the needed water (about 2.5 gals of Bottled Spring or drinking water). Then I toss the dry yeast that coems with the kit on top. I have been told not to stir it just let it sit. Put the cap on seal tight and snap on the air lock. From there it goes into a closet which is dark with a black out sheet on it for just incase. The temp is controlled at about 72 to 76. I typically waited 2 weeks before moving it to the priming bucket but now I am going to do a 1 week secondary fermentation. After the initial two weeks we move it to the priming bucket with the priming sugar and bottle it with Brown 12 oz glass bottles (Typically recycled). They then go into a cabinet in my kitchen and are covered and locked in (save for nabbing a bottle every week to see the progression in taste. After 3 weeks we pop em in the fridge and its go time then? Thats teh standard procedure but the last batch I made the imperial blonde was great and didnt have to go that long. Its the way my buddy is too but he has ot had the success of my imperial blonde. I hope theis helps a bit in helping me?

Oh as for sanitizer I use C-Brite. I habd wash all teh equipment when I finish and then again before I start. The bottles I soke in C-Bright and wash in the dishwasher at sanatize mode. I then do a sanatize right before I bottle and steam dry.

 

[LloydRenee]

Leave it in the bucket for a month. Use clean yeast strains. US - 05 is a great one.

A month as opposed to 2 weeks? Should I not be using the Yeast that comes in the kits?

 

[LloydRenee]

sorry for the obvious question, but are you stopping he pour from your bottles before the yeast? i.e. leaving the stuff that settles at the bottom of the bottle?

Yes I am, the flavor is throughout the entire beer even after leaving a half cm of liquid in the bottom.

 

[LloydRenee]

If you havn't done so yet, read the section on "troubleshooting Off Flavors" at howtobrew.com

I would say that its almost like the really old skunky flavor but we are overly protective of our lighting aspect. It goe sin dark places and is covered with black out sheets.

I had not read the section yet and will do so today

 

[MazdaMatt]

72 to 76 is probably the issue. Try 66-70 next time. Also, it isn't 100% clear in your posts - are you drinking from the bottle or a glass?

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

72 to 76 is probably the issue. Try 66-70 next time. Also, it isn't 100% clear in your posts - are you drinking from the bottle or a glass?

I agree. 72-76 is way to warm except for some Belgian strains. You'll start to get some funny flavors fermenting most ales over 72*. Try pitching your yeast at the low end of the temp range and holding temp for the first few days of fermentation, then slowly letting it rise to the middle of the temp range as it finishes up, leaving it on he yeast for a minimum of three weeks before bottling. This should serve to eliminate some of those not so tasty flavors yeast produce at warmer temps.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

Definitely too warm for English strains.

 

[unionrdr]

I follow the procedure laid out in the pamphlet that comes with the Brewer's Best kit. Skipping the obvious. I complete my boil, pour it into the Ferment bucket through a filter. Cap it loosly and set in a shock sink with ice water to bring it down temp wise (about 2 hours) then I add the rest of the needed water (about 2.5 gals of Bottled Spring or drinking water). Then I toss the dry yeast that coems with the kit on top. I have been told not to stir it just let it sit. Put the cap on seal tight and snap on the air lock. From there it goes into a closet which is dark with a black out sheet on it for just incase. The temp is controlled at about 72 to 76. I typically waited 2 weeks before moving it to the priming bucket but now I am going to do a 1 week secondary fermentation. After the initial two weeks we move it to the priming bucket with the priming sugar and bottle it with Brown 12 oz glass bottles (Typically recycled). They then go into a cabinet in my kitchen and are covered and locked in (save for nabbing a bottle every week to see the progression in taste. After 3 weeks we pop em in the fridge and its go time then? Thats teh standard procedure but the last batch I made the imperial blonde was great and didnt have to go that long. Its the way my buddy is too but he has ot had the success of my imperial blonde. I hope theis helps a bit in helping me?

Oh as for sanitizer I use C-Brite. I habd wash all teh equipment when I finish and then again before I start. The bottles I soke in C-Bright and wash in the dishwasher at sanatize mode. I then do a sanatize right before I bottle and steam dry.

They're right,get the temps down to 66-70F for the average ale yeast. & imo,don't filter into primary,but straining is ok. And leave it in primary longer to let the yeast clean up after themselves,& settle out more. No need to secondary unless you're adding something you don't want the yeast mixing with.
I'd also make sure to rinse with hot water after c-brite. But I use five star PBW to clean,star-san to sanitize. Both are no rinse,& better to use imo. And I give the wort a light stir to mix in the yeast,dry or starter. I think it's good for the dry yeast to hydrate it a little by stiring lightly.

 

[gregiscool]

i had the same issue, first 3 batches all tastes the same even though they were different styles. My solution was to switch to dry yeast and control the temp better. Do not order liquid yeast through the mail, it takes days to get to u and warms up more then it should, Also i started using a swamp cooler, filled it with water, put my carboy in and had 10 frozen water bottles, id put 2-3 in at a time every few hours. now my beer tastes good with no yeast flavor.

 

[LloydRenee]

72 to 76 is probably the issue. Try 66-70 next time. Also, it isn't 100% clear in your posts - are you drinking from the bottle or a glass?

Both actually. They are bottled but the flavor doesnt really vary directly from the bottle or glass.

 

[LloydRenee]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. I now need to figure out how to drop my tempertaure or raise it in my garage fridge. My wife would kill me if I leave the house going at 66 lol. I have a fridge in my Garage that I plan to do my lager in. I will have to see if I can use that. What other affordable methods are there to drop the temp?

 

[Slurm]

I have a couple suggestions:

#1 Temperature control during fermentation. Get the temperature down into the 60s and hold it as steady as possible. A couple degrees can really change a beers taste.

#2 Longer primary fermentation, no secondary. A month in the fermenter will allow the yeast to finish working, clean up after themselves, and drop to the bottom -leaving cleaner flavors, and clearer beer.

 

[bowiefan]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. I now need to figure out how to drop my tempertaure or raise it in my garage fridge. My wife would kill me if I leave the house going at 66 lol. I have a fridge in my Garage that I plan to do my lager in. I will have to see if I can use that. What other affordable methods are there to drop the temp?

Sounds like a swamp cooler would be your friend.

 

[MaltMonster]

Everyone has covered everything pretty well already...the only thing I will add is that I recently did an English Brown Ale mini-mash kit from AHS and although it said it would be ready after 2 weeks of bottle conditioning, it really wasn't any good until 5 weeks.

 

[redcoat_or_rebel]

Everyone has covered everything pretty well already...the only thing I will add is that I recently did an English Brown Ale mini-mash kit from AHS and although it said it would be ready after 2 weeks of bottle conditioning, it really wasn't any good until 5 weeks.

+1.
the most affordable method is just waiting. i don't temp controll my fermentation at all but i primary for a month and bottle for at least three weeks. long turn around time but i 've found that's when my brew's seem to turn a corner and taste great and clear up.

time heals all wounds.

 

[houndsbreath]

Do you aerate prior to pitching? You may be getting poor yeast growth and bottled too soon. Shake that fermenter up next time before you pitch.

 

[MazdaMatt]

Thanks everyone for the help and advice. I now need to figure out how to drop my tempertaure or raise it in my garage fridge. My wife would kill me if I leave the house going at 66 lol. I have a fridge in my Garage that I plan to do my lager in. I will have to see if I can use that. What other affordable methods are there to drop the temp?

Look for the thread "Epiphany: Redneck fermentation chamber".

Also, don't drink bottle-carbonated beer from the bottle. Every time you tip down the yeast gets picked up off the bottom. Pour your beers in one smooth pour with no chug-chug-chugging and leave the last little bit. That will help.

 

[Yooper]

I have a couple suggestions:

#1 Temperature control during fermentation. Get the temperature down into the 60s and hold it as steady as possible. A couple degrees can really change a beers taste.

I think it's been covered, but I want to say that two hours to cool is too long! You can gently stir the ice bath, and the wort (with a sanitized spoon), to speed up cooling. If you're boiling 2 gallons of wort, you should be able to cool that in an ice bath in 20 minutes or so. Once it's below 80 degrees, pour into your fermenter and top up with 50-60 degree water. That should get you right to pitching temperature. This is crucial!

The yeast in the kit is probably ok- I assume a dry yeast like nottingham. But if it's a cheaper non-quality yeast like Munton's or Cooper's, toss it and buy a package of S04 or S05.

Keep the fermenter under 70 degrees if at all possible. If you can get a stick-on thermometer on the fermenter (they're cheap), you can monitor the temperature. In the summer, I stick my fermenter right in a cooler with a water bath and throw in a frozen water bottle into the water to maintain a beer temperature in the mid-60s.

Those yucky flavors you're describing are almost surely related to yeast health and fermentation. Just pitching the yeast when the wort is cooler (and cooling faster) and keeping it cool will make a HUGE difference!

 

[Yooper]

+1.


time heals all wounds.

That's not been my experience, at least with too-warm ferments! I can taste some off-flavors (mostly esters and phenols) that come from improper fermentation temperatures. However, sometimes it's not that bad. I have to say though that I've had some pretty "off" tasting beers from friends without temperature control, and time doesn't fix it. Time certainly helps, but it's easier to prevent it in the first place.

 

[unionrdr]

I've been using the Cooper's ale yeast that comes with the OS cans I use as a base. I've noticed that since the gold sachet is only 7g,pitching it dry isn't the best thing to do. Re-hydrating is a bit better,but still borderline under-pitching. Making a small starter for at least 3hrs is the best thing to do with it. The latest brew I made with it is now in my gallery.
But a blow off is a must do in this instance!

 

[LloydRenee]

I've been using the Cooper's ale yeast that comes with the OS cans I use as a base. I've noticed that since the gold sachet is only 7g,pitching it dry isn't the best thing to do. Re-hydrating is a bit better,but still borderline under-pitching. Making a small starter for at least 3hrs is the best thing to do with it. The latest brew I made with it is now in my gallery.
But a blow off is a must do in this instance!

Excuse my ignorance but what is a blow off?

 

[LloydRenee]

I keep seeing a reference to swamp cooler. Is this a brand or something? I will have to google it. I am going to look into the s04 and so5 yeast

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Excuse my ignorance but what is a blow off?

It's a tube attached to the bung in the carboy where you put an airlock. You run the tube down to a bucket of sanitized water below the fermentor to catch 'blow off' from your krausen.
A swamp cooler is basically a bath of water you put your fermentor in to better control temps.

 

[LloydRenee]

TY Nord and everyone. There is just so much information it will take a whiel for me to process lol.

 

[unionrdr]

I made a blow off out of the old Cooper's "S" type airlock (cut the straight part that fits in the grommet off),& the right length of 3/8" tubing. I pushed the cut off mounting tube into the clear tubing,then into the airlock grommet. Then the other end into one of those 1/2 gallon plastic vodka jugs 1/3 full of water.
It's perfect to keep the krausen contained for the 1st 3-5 days of initial fermentation.:rockin:

 

[phishfood]

A swamp cooler is a barrel that you place the fermentor in. Then fill it with water, maybe 1/3 of the way up the fermentor. An old T shirt or a towel wrapped around the fermentor hanging down into the water, and a fan blowing on the t shirt/towel to evaporate the water and chill the fermentor down to below the room temperature.