What happened to my brew?

[Choppr]

I just opened the first bottle of my second batch... it has been in the bottle for about 2.5 weeks. It was a Fat Tire clone from Rebel Brewer. It smells a lot like banana when first poured. It taste ok save for a 'bite' for lack of a better term. The longer it sits on the tongue, the more bite it has... kinda like if you let Listerine sit in your mouth (though the flavor is totally different). Any ideas on what I did to make that happen? It sat in the secondary for probably around 8 weeks (trying to let it clarify).

As an aside...
My first batch was a nut brown kit that I got from Brewers Apprentice (NJ). It was pretty tasty but bitter like I boiled the grain at either too high a temp or for too long.

Thanks for any and all help!
RDWHAHB

 

[mc_eric]

My best guess is that it fermented too warm. In the future, look up the yeast strain you're using and try to keep it at the low end of the recommended temp range.

 

[Choppr]

I kept it somewhere between 67 and 70...

 

[tasq]

I kept it somewhere between 67 and 70...

Ambient? Then too warm most likely.

 

[OHIOSTEVE]

like I boiled the grain at either too high a temp or for too long.

did you mean to post that you boiled the grains?

 

[jfr1111]

If the beer went to 70 ambiant, it could have reached 75 wich is too high for the vast majority of yeast strains. Ester production (banana) along with fusel alcohols (alcohol bite, hotness) are textbook signs of hot fermentation temperatures.

 

[Choppr]

The temp readings mentioned were from the fermometer stuck to the middle of the carboy... It was my understanding that was the actual temp of the wort.

@OhioSteve - I didn't really mean boil... steep would have been a more accurate choice of words.

 

[Homercidal]

What yeast did you use? How much? Sounds like the right type of yeast fermented too warm, or underpitched. Some yeasts produce a much more pronounced banana ester, especially at above 70 degrees.

 

[johnnyt471]

seems like you should keep it in the bottle longer

 

[Nurmey]

Did you use bottled water or tap?