Wet Dog smell?

[aric6785]

Hey all... Pretty new to home brewing. I’ve brewed about 10 batches. 2 extract and 8 all grain... I put a Blue moonish clone in the keg last week for a party tomorrow. Set it at 12 PSI... I went to taste it today and noticed the smell was almost like a wet dog type smell... However, the taste was pretty spot on... I did do a secondary, which I’m probably going to stop doing, and added hops and orange peel... and it smelled great going in the keg... I use PBW and StarSan to clean and sanitize with... Could this be oxidation? I did notice some bubbling in the siphoning process, but didn’t think it would go bad this quick.

 

[GnenieGone]

That is fascinating. We have 4 dogs so wet dog smell taste is kinda given. If you do fruits, do secondary. Did you add Potassium Sorbate to put yeast to sleep? Maybe just give it a week or so. If it taste good, probably best sign. You really got to agitate it for oxygenation....dont think that's your issue.

 

[aric6785]

No, didn’t add anything to it like that. I’ve only pulled about two 8 ounce glasses from it, you know, just to sample it before I take it to the party. I read on a different forum that it might just take a few pours, might be from the sitting StarSan that was in the dip tube... I don’t know, but it taste like a blue moon. I thought it smelled like a wet dog, then I let my wife smell it and she said the same thing.

 

[TechFanMD]

Might just be the trub from the bottom of the keg. I’d be pulling more than two 8oz glasses before moving it to a party so you can get as much of the settled yeast etc out before stirring it up.

I don’t understand @PianoMan suggestion about sorbate - hardly any brewers do that (common in wine and cider). I do think it could be from oxidation, and I’m not one to push crazy oxygen preventing tactics nor do I usually go there....but with this beer (light flavors with nothing to hide behind) and your issues with getting air in.....it could well be oxidation.

 

[deadwolfbones]

I got wet dog from a pilsner I made recently. It went away after a few pints pulled/a few weeks in the keg.

 

[aric6785]

I’ll keep you guys updated tomorrow, after we have had some glasses, and let you know the results.

 

[aric6785]

Wet Dog smell went away after 3-4 pours. Rest of the beer smelt just like a Blue Moon! = Success!

 

[MrFancyPlants]

I get a wet dog smell on the first pour from a keg sometimes. Should I purge the line each time I pour a first beer of the day?