Yeasty aftertaste

[cryssunshine]

Hi all- I'm a newbie to home brewing. I just started in August 2013.

My question is about a yeasty aftertaste in most of what I've made thus far. I made a plum country wine (which popped all the corks because I'm assuming it started fermenting again after I back sweetened since it was very carbonated), country wine made out of juicy juice (I know- sad, but it was my first one haha), an apple pie cyser that we enjoyed on Halloween (this did not have a yeasty aftertaste) and a blueberry mead (still in the carboy).
I used bakers yeast on both of the country wines so I expecting them to taste bready. I used red star pasteur champagne yeast in the cyser and mead.

My question is about the mead...
I started it in the beginning of august, healthy fermentation, 1st racking at the end of August, I'm pretty sure I did a 2nd racking and even added more honey to back sweeten it, but I didn't write that on the calendar so I'm unsure (I know keep a journal) and I racked it tonight 11/05.
It looks clear (no signs of obvious sediment when I hold it up to the light) although because of the color from the blueberries it is dark so I would not be ale to read a newspaper through it as I have read to be used as a test. I just did the #rd racking on it and tried it. The beginning notes are wonderful blueberry/honey/ alcohol flavors, but it ends with a yeasty aftertaste.
Is there anything I can do for this? Will it mellow out on its own?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Sounds like it really didn't have time to clear if it was just a month ago. It's likely clearer than what it was when you started but I'm willing to bet there's a lot of yeast left in suspension.

 

[Yooper]

If you just started winemaking in August, you shouldn't have anything bottled yet. In other words, it's yeasty and popping corks because it's too early.

In addition to hydrometer readings showing that fermentation is complete, it's important to rack the wine into a new sanitized vessel whenever there are lees 1/4" thick or more, or if there are any lees at all in a new carboy after 60 days. Once the wine is clear (read-a-newspaper-through-it clear), and not dropping any lees after 60 days, then it can be stabilized. After stabilizing, it can be sweetened, and then in a few days it can be bottled.

In the case of a dark mead, clarity can be judged just by taking a small sample and holding it up to the light. Even a dark dark wine or mead can be noted to be clear or not. It should be brilliantly clear before bottling.

One thing that can cause yeasty flavors (besides just being young) is a poor yeast strain (bread yeast) or stressed yeast. Using a good quality wine yeast strain and fermenting at a proper temperature will fix that for next time if that's part of the problem here.

 

[cryssunshine]

If you just started winemaking in August, you shouldn't have anything bottled yet. In other words, it's yeasty and popping corks because it's too early.

In addition to hydrometer readings showing that fermentation is complete, it's important to rack the wine into a new sanitized vessel whenever there are lees 1/4" thick or more, or if there are any lees at all in a new carboy after 60 days. Once the wine is clear (read-a-newspaper-through-it clear), and not dropping any lees after 60 days, then it can be stabilized. After stabilizing, it can be sweetened, and then in a few days it can be bottled.

In the case of a dark mead, clarity can be judged just by taking a small sample and holding it up to the light. Even a dark dark wine or mead can be noted to be clear or not. It should be brilliantly clear before bottling.

One thing that can cause yeasty flavors (besides just being young) is a poor yeast strain (bread yeast) or stressed yeast. Using a good quality wine yeast strain and fermenting at a proper temperature will fix that for next time if that's part of the problem here.

I have not bottled the mead yet. I also did not have a hydrometer at the time when I started the mead (I do have one now). I racked the mead everytime I saw a build up of lees on the bottom and once again last night when there weren't any lees on the bottom. How do I go about stabilizing it and when? The yeast I used in the mead was Red Star Pasteur Champagne Yeast- that is what was recommend to me at the brew shop. What stresses a yeast?

 

[cryssunshine]

I am still not clear as to why it would have a yeasty aftertaste?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Lack of nutrients will stress a yeast. I'm thinking it must be some form of stress since I've used that strain before without yeast flavors. However I ended up making a ton of fussels.

 

[cryssunshine]

Is there anything I can do now?

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Age it out, see if its gone when its crystal clear (and as yooper said, even the darkest meads can be clear)

 

[Yooper]

I have not bottled the mead yet. I also did not have a hydrometer at the time when I started the mead (I do have one now). I racked the mead everytime I saw a build up of lees on the bottom and once again last night when there weren't any lees on the bottom. How do I go about stabilizing it and when? The yeast I used in the mead was Red Star Pasteur Champagne Yeast- that is what was recommend to me at the brew shop. What stresses a yeast?

You don't need to rack just for the sake of racking. If there are NO lees on the bottom, there is no point in racking the mead. Only rack when there are lees present after at least 60 days, or if the lees are 1/4" thick.

Champagne yeast is a very neutral yeast strain, so the mead shouldn't have a yeasty taste at all when it's finished. It could be simply that it's young, and not clear yet and so there are lots of yeast still in suspension, and time will fix that completely.

Now that you racked last night, make sure it's topped up and airlocked and check it in 45-60 days for lees. If there are no lees present, check it for clarity, and then you can stabilize it if it's clear and not dropping lees.

 

[cryssunshine]

You don't need to rack just for the sake of racking. If there are NO lees on the bottom, there is no point in racking the mead. Only rack when there are lees present after at least 60 days, or if the lees are 1/4" thick.

Champagne yeast is a very neutral yeast strain, so the mead shouldn't have a yeasty taste at all when it's finished. It could be simply that it's young, and not clear yet and so there are lots of yeast still in suspension, and time will fix that completely.

Now that you racked last night, make sure it's topped up and airlocked and check it in 45-60 days for lees. If there are no lees present, check it for clarity, and then you can stabilize it if it's clear and not dropping lees.

I went ahead and racked it last night because I didn't write down when or if I did a 2nd racking.
It wasn't topped off previously- would that cause a yeasty taste? After reading a thread last night I did top it off though with a honey water mix.
How do I stabilize it when the time comes?
THAK YOU! This is what I needed!

 

[Yooper]

I went ahead and racked it last night because I didn't write down when or if I did a 2nd racking.
It wasn't topped off previously- would that cause a yeasty taste? After reading a thread last night I did top it off though with a honey water mix.
How do I stabilize it when the time comes?
THAK YOU! This is what I needed!

What's an issue with topping up with honey/water mix is that it starts fermentation again. That means, you're starting back at day 0. The yeast will restart, and ferment out the new addition. When that's done, the yeast will drop out ("flocculate") and it'll be time to rack. If you top up again with more fermentables, fermentation will start again. And so on.

Once you have a few batches, you can top up with a similar finished mead. But since you don't have that ready, you can try racking to a smaller vessel, top up with a white wine or water (as long as it's not too much), or use some sanitized marbles to take up headspace. Sometimes I just make a slightly larger batch to make up for racking losses, but most of the time I build that into the recipe, and shoot for something like 14% at the beginning, knowing I"ll be adding a bit of water for topping up and wanting a finished 12.5% ABV mead. I hope that makes sense!

For now, let it sit for 45-60 days and then rack if you have lees. Top up, and wait another 45-60 days. Once you no longer are dropping ANY lees, you can prepare to bottle.

If you're planning on sweetening the finished mead, at that point you can rack onto a stabilizing solution of 1/2 teaspoon of sorbate and 1 crushed campden tablet per gallon, mixed up in some hot water (about 1/4 cup). Rack the mead into that solution and wait at least 3 days. Sweeten to taste, and then wait another 3 days to make sure fermentation doesn't restart, and then you can bottle.

If you're not sweetening, you can skip the sorbate and the waiting and just bottle it then.