1st Half Fine. 2nd Half Not So Much...

[Coach_R]

G'day gents,

Have been brewing for a month or so... only kits and kilos so far. I recently bottled a coopers aussie pale into coopers plastic bottles. the beer was brewed using the kit yeast, brew enhancer 2 and brewed at or around 20C and checked with hydrometer for 3 days before bottling, (so no probs there). So..the dilemma i'm having is that the 1st half of the beer poured out tastes great, though when i go back to the fridge to finish the 2nd half of the bottle i am finding a thick yeasty head and if i pour this into my pint glass it alsmost resembles apple juice (and off banana smell and taste) am i looking at sime sort of bottle infection? just don't understand why this is only happening on the 2nd half (bottom) of thw bottle after around 10 minutes??

any help would be much appreciated for a new brewer cheers..

 

[user 11560]

How long have you left the bottles to condition? I've had similar issues with brews that I was simply too eager to crack open and there has been a little too much yeastiness for my liking, mostly on the second pour as you say. I would suggest leaving them to sit for a little while longer to make sure the yeast really settles out and forms a tight layer on the bottom of the bottle, then you should be able to pour all the way to the last drop with minimal yeast into the glass.

Also if, as you seem to imply, you're waiting after pouring one half to pour the second half (if it's just you drinking them?) the CO2 bubbles coming out of solution might stir up some yeast. Try pouring two glasses at once and see how the second one tastes.

If the first half tastes fine then you can be near certain there's no infection.

 

[manticle]

My guess is any ester production is being accentuated by the yeast sediment. There are ways you can reduce sediment.

Firstly what was the yeast and how much did you use (in how many litres)?

Secondly, next time try leaving the brew for a few more days after it's finished. Then try one or a combination of the following:

1. Fine with gelatin. Boil some water, allow to cool to around 70-80 deg, pour in 1 tsp gelatin, dissolve, allow to cool to below 50, add to finished brew, leave at least 24 hours before bottling.
2. Transfer finished brew to a second fermenter via a tube or racking cane. Leave behind the last litre.
3. Place the finished brew inside a fridge at 2 degrees for at least 48 hours (go a week or more if you can).

How long has it been bottled? Esters tend to dissipate with time.

 

[Gavo]

Manticle has you pretty well covered here.

There is nothing wrong with your beer, you are just getting the stirred up sediment in the second pour. You can try pouring more gently and putting the bottle down in the fridge gently after you first pour to minimise stirring up the yeast. You can also make sure the bottles are left in the fridge for at least 48 hours before opening as this helps the yeast to settle and compact just a little more.

Cheers and welcome to AHB, settle in there is much to learn here.

Gavo.

 

[Renegade]

My guess is any ester production is being accentuated by the yeast sediment.

In only the second half of the bottle ? That response doesn't sound kosher.

1. Fine with gelatin.

Probably something for winter brews (unless he has a dedicated fridge for his fermenter). And honestly, while a crude cowknuckle fining is good, for room-temp brews I have found it to only add a small aspect of extra clarity. For a new brewer, it's an introduction of an extra step that might be argued as unnecessary.

Coach_R - The dead simple answer, I think, is to leave the bottles for a few more weeks to condition, and after that, put a few bottles in the fridge for two days, standing upright, before drinking.

Or.... if the first pour is always great... get a bigger glass ! :icon_cheers: . It might be as simple as you being a bit rough-handed with your first pour. Unlike most commercial beers that are filtered, homebrew will always have shit at the bottom of the bottle that is easily stirred up (note for you, down the track: some specialty yeasts compact better than others)

While a few beers are known for their suspended yeast characteristics (weizens for example), most of the time you do want it to drop out so you can pour a clear beer.

Not that there's anything wrong with cloudy beers, so long as they arent throwing off undesirable flavours. There's probably nothing redeeming in a kit yeast, so I would say your biggest focus is to have it spend more time in the bottle, more time in the fridge before drinking, and a gentle hand on that top-up pour.

 

[manticle]

In only the second half of the bottle ? That response doesn't sound kosher.

What I'm suggesting is that apple and banana flavours are present in the beer in small amounts. Take a mouthful of the yeast that produced those flavours and you'll get a concentrated dose. As I said - my guess only but I reckon what the OP is tasting is yeast - banana and apple included.

Probably something for winter brews (unless he has a dedicated fridge for his fermenter). And honestly, while a crude cowknuckle fining is good, for room-temp brews I have found it to only add a small aspect of extra clarity. For a new brewer, it's an introduction of an extra step that might be argued as unnecessary.

Everybody's mileage can vary obviously. When I first used gelatin I found it made a huge difference to the amount and compact nature of the sediment in my bottles. At that point I used no other clarification or fining methods. OP will only know if it works for them by giving it a go.

I now use all methods outlined above and find I get very little issues with sediment at all.

 

[Coach_R]

Cheers for all the great info all...

the yeast i used was just what was under the lid of the goop can, it was a 23 litre brew and its been sitting only three weeks i'd say at the moment. so just freaked a bit because this hadn't happened in my previuos brews. i'll have to give pouring the whole lot out into 2 glasses a go and see what happens there.. i'd say that will solve the problem for now and ill leave the rest for a few weeks and that will fix everything.

cheers again

 

[Gavo]

That all sounds fine Coach, One thing you get used to with HB and that is how to work with the sediment in the bottle. I usually only get a slightly hazier pour in the second glass.

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[bum]

I've made this tin once before and found two varying flavours between the top and the bottom of the bottle. I was advised to decant into a jug with a single, gentle pour. My problem was a little different to yours though (top half was sweet and the bottom half was all the bitterness) but it might be worth a shot.

 

[shawnheiderich]

If there is a lot of fizz (high carbonation) the sediment can be lifted up and mixed in to the rest of the beer, is the beer slightly overcarbed? I have had this problem in the past where the first half pours clear, and great with a little excited head, and the second glass pours cloudy with the result of yeasty flavours?

Shawn

 

[Coach_R]

Shawn.. its not overly carbed but that is what i thought may be happening, the yeast getting stirred up by the fizz. also i bottled around 6 into 375 glass stubbies (old crownies) and put one in the fridge today, just opened and poured into pint glass and it is perfect. No off flavours no massive amounts of yeast, so im guessing that the fizz is definately the problem with the 2nd half. i will try pouring a longie into 2 glasses tomorrow and see how that goes..

 

[Coach_R]

So tried another of these brews tonight.. i dunno if it is just the extra couple of days but everything is now a ok pretty tastey i think this will definately be a good one in a few weeks time cheers for the help :icon_cheers: