Truman42
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31/7/11
- Messages
- 3,973
- Reaction score
- 608
Gday brewers,
I have had a couple of brews now that were fine when they were young and as they have aged (4-5 months) they have developed what I think is a acetaldehyde. The first was an amber ale which tasted fine for the first few months and now that it's about 4-5 months old I can taste a cidery green apple taste to it.
Then tonight I opened a porter which was fine at first with no off flavours at all. When I opened the bottle it gushed and it too had a really bad green apple taste that I had to tip it down the sink as it was Undrinkable.
About a year ago my BIL told me that a Raison D'être clone I had given him and that had been left in his cupboard had exploded. Normally I drink a batch within 3 months so haven't really noticed this before. But lately I've been brewing a lot so have had a lot of beers aging in milk crates in my hallway cupboard and some of them have been there 5 months or so.
From what I've read about acetaldehyde it's created by fermentation and often through not pitching enough yeast. I always do nice big starters and the beer has no green apple taste at all when it's young.
I bulk prime and seem to have no problems with overcarbonation with the young beers so I'm guessing this is an infection issue. But how is it that this beer can be fine for 3-4 months then after that start to develop an infection and end up over carbonated and cause a green apple taste?
Wouldn't an infection be obvious even in a beer that's 1-3 months old as well? And if this is an infection why am I continually getting this happen to all of my beers once they age? I sanitize and clean really well to the point of going overboard sometimes. Everything cold side and on bottling day gets starsanned and I have never had this problem with my kegged beer even when I've had a keg sit for 4 + months in the fridge.
I have had a couple of brews now that were fine when they were young and as they have aged (4-5 months) they have developed what I think is a acetaldehyde. The first was an amber ale which tasted fine for the first few months and now that it's about 4-5 months old I can taste a cidery green apple taste to it.
Then tonight I opened a porter which was fine at first with no off flavours at all. When I opened the bottle it gushed and it too had a really bad green apple taste that I had to tip it down the sink as it was Undrinkable.
About a year ago my BIL told me that a Raison D'être clone I had given him and that had been left in his cupboard had exploded. Normally I drink a batch within 3 months so haven't really noticed this before. But lately I've been brewing a lot so have had a lot of beers aging in milk crates in my hallway cupboard and some of them have been there 5 months or so.
From what I've read about acetaldehyde it's created by fermentation and often through not pitching enough yeast. I always do nice big starters and the beer has no green apple taste at all when it's young.
I bulk prime and seem to have no problems with overcarbonation with the young beers so I'm guessing this is an infection issue. But how is it that this beer can be fine for 3-4 months then after that start to develop an infection and end up over carbonated and cause a green apple taste?
Wouldn't an infection be obvious even in a beer that's 1-3 months old as well? And if this is an infection why am I continually getting this happen to all of my beers once they age? I sanitize and clean really well to the point of going overboard sometimes. Everything cold side and on bottling day gets starsanned and I have never had this problem with my kegged beer even when I've had a keg sit for 4 + months in the fridge.