Wyeast 1028 - Strong Mineral Taste

[PaulHilgeman]

I have a Centennial Pale Ale that I brewed with 1028 for a variety of reasons:

1. I am going to be doing an Old Ale soon that I think should use this yeast.

2. I have done my last 4 brews with 1056 and have successfully kept temps below 65-66 degrees, and it might just be a bit too neutral for me, at least to use on the 5th batch in a row, I was searching for something frutier. I think I should have chosen 1272 instead

So, this simple pale ale is only 3 weeks old, so I am sure that the flavors will change some as it is really green beer. I tried one last night, and the minerally flavors are really strong, it makes the beer tart and almost bitter. It really hides the malt and hop flavors of a beer that should have quite a bit of them. I chilled to 66 degrees before pitching, aerated well, whirlpooled and siphoned off the kettle trub (still had plenty in the primary) Temps stayed below 68 during fermentation.

This having been my 8th beer, I have gotten a feeling for young beer tastes, I just dont think this big flavor that I am getting is it. I would say that I almost had this flavor on my second batch of all time, but I strongly feel that what I had in that batch was some tannin extraction due to a too-hot mash-out, and squeezing the grain bag. This flavor just really hits you and is a duller sensation than tannins, but metalic and minerals is all I can think of, really coats the tongue.

OG: 1.050
FG: 1.011

4# 2-Row
2# 8L Munich Malt
3# DME

1oz Centennial at 60mins
.5oz Centennial at 20mins
.5oz Centennial at 15 mins
.5oz Centennial at 10 mins
.5oz Centennial at 5 mins
1oz Dry Hop Secondary at 65 degrees for 4 days, 34 degrees for 4 days.

Wyeast 1028 smack pack yeast, no starter, but very fresh, about 1 hour to puff up.

What are your thoughts? Will this yeast clean itself up a bit with a few weeks at 70F? Or, is this just the character of this yeast, even when fermented at 68 degrees (that was the peak, most was at 64-65)


-Paul

 

[ajf]

I had exactly the same results a couple of years ago with the same yeast. Tasted great one month later.

-a.

 

[PaulHilgeman]

Well, the good news is, that tasting was on Tuesday, I tried it again tonight. If what it did in the last 3 days, it does one more time, this beer will be perfect. I think I went a bit easy on the malt for the amt of hops I had, but that should mellow considerably.

The mineraly, metalic taste is about 10% of what it was 2 days ago. Not sure how that is really possible, but it happened, and it is really good.

-Paul

 

[PaulHilgeman]

Well,

I tried one last night. Flat out, the best beer I have ever made. It is weird how it changed so quickly, but this stuff is truly outstanding.

Just had to post this as I didnt want to give 1028 a bad name!

 

[brycelarson]

Yeah, I use 1028 on milds - they hold the mineral taste for a long time - but once it clears up they're fantastic.

 

[bobbrews]

I used 1028 in one of my first American IIPAs and I didn't like the minerally, oaky, dry taste of it. My thoughts are that you really have to nail ferm. temps. and perform a diacetyl rest for it to be decent and not detracting. I also noticed an improvement in taste after a couple weeks, but it was never ground-breaking. I prefer WLP001 or WLP090 myself.

For your goals, it seems that Wyeast 1968 would have been a better bet.