Undrinkable beer autopsy

[badmajon]

I've been brewing for almost a year, I've done 11 five gallon batches, and I've only had one other undrinkable one.

This was my recipe (variation on Bee Cave Haus PA)

8 lbs 2 row
4 lbs vienna (should have been 2#, but I made a mistake)
1 lb rye
.5 lbs 10L

1 oz cascade (60)
1/2 oz saaz (20)
1 tsp Irish Moss (15)
1/2 oz saaz (10)

Wyeast British Ale

So I brewed it up, got horrible efficiency (but that's okay, since I was 2 lbs over in grain) and ended up with 1.062 OG. I threw in the yeast, it went absolutely ape-s*it and foamed all over the place for 2 days, and now here I am at 1 week in and I decided to do a taste/gravity test and it tastes like absolute garbage with a FG of 1.013. I mashed at 153. It just has this hot, hooch flavor to it and just generally nasty (not suprising since it's 6.7% abv).

I'm not really even sure what I did wrong. It just tastes weird. There's a bunch of factors that can cause bad flavors, and when I'm sure fermentation has stopped I'll taste again... there is a small chance when it clears out more and settles down it'll mellow out a bit.

My question to anyone reading this would be do you see anything wrong with the grain bill or choice of ingredients that would give this an unpleasant taste?

Does anyone see a problem?

 

[Yooper]

Recipe looks ok, although saaz is an unusual hop choice for that beer.

What was the fermentation temperature? And did you use tap water?

 

[flabyboy]

Fermentation temp? I've heard rye can ferment pretty hard. Why not just let it sit in the primary for 4-5 weeks and check it then? Off flavors may be gone

 

[beninan]

...and now here I am at 1 week in... Does anyone see a problem?

Too early?

 

[pkeeler]

Sounds like the fermentation temp was too high, given time, the yeast should eat those fusels. Did you make a starter? If not, that is a lot of reproduction for the yeast to undergo, which will create a lot of strange chemicals. But they will probably clean most of them up with time.

 

[badmajon]

I made a starter (1 liter). I suspect it may have fermented too high, due to the crazy activity but it was no higher than 71f air temperature in my house and usually kept between 65-68 but the yeast is rated to 72. I used tap water, but I have always done so and never had a problem with it. I think I'll just rack to secondary in a week or so, and leave it in the fridge for awhile... if the weird flavors aren't gone.

 

[waldoar15]

I'd just wait and see. A fast, vigorous fermentation can cause the yeast to throw a lot of off flavors. Maybe more so with an English strain.

 

[riromero]

My worst batch was a bitter using WLP026 "Premium Special Bitter". It tasted like rubbing alcohol going into the bottle. I waited for six weeks and it was the best I've ever made. If it has a hot, harsh alcohol taste, you might be looking at a very tasty batch in a couple of months.

 

[OldManHouston]

I suspect it may have fermented too high, due to the crazy activity but it was no higher than 71f air temperature in my house and usually kept between 65-68 but the yeast is rated to 72.

I would guess fermentation temperature was too high. If 72F is the upper recommended limit for the yeast and your ambient air temp was 71F, it could have been up to 80F in the middle of your fermenter. Yeast produces heat during the most active stages of fermentation which can make the inside of your fermenter a few degrees warmer (I have heard up to 10 degrees but I assume more like 5) than even the fermometer reads on the outside of your fermenter.

In my own experience, correct yeast pitching rates and fermentation temperatures have greatly improved my beers. Sounds like your pitch rate was good.

 

[woodstone]

Fermentation temp? I've heard rye can ferment pretty hard. Why not just let it sit in the primary for 4-5 weeks and check it then? Off flavors may be gone

My worst batch was a bitter using WLP026 "Premium Special Bitter". It tasted like rubbing alcohol going into the bottle. I waited for six weeks and it was the best I've ever made. If it has a hot, harsh alcohol taste, you might be looking at a very tasty batch in a couple of months.

Sounds like a plan to me.

 

[OldManHouston]

As a follow up, I had an Scottish 80/- ale that fermented around 72F using wyeast irish ale yeast and it had some disappointing fusels to it. It wasn't so bad and people still liked it so we drank it anyway. I stashed a few bottles of it away and just had a couple (has been 4 months since brewing this beer now) and the fusels were totally gone at this point. The beer wasn't so bad before, but after these fusels were gone, it was incredible.

 

[bendavanza]

71F air temp with vigorous fermentation can be several degrees above 71. Let it sit for a few more weeks.

 

[viking73]

Looks similar to my first rye brew, just leave it alone and give the yeast time. Mine also fermented hot(72+), and it got good reviews from my LHBS.

 

[rcbishop]

A few other people have mentioned this already, but my guess is that the beer is probably just not done yet. I've had quite a few brews (not even high gravity ones) that tasted / smelled awful at the 7 day point, but turned out great.

*edit* The one I'm drinking right now, for instance!