Champagne Taste In Tooheys Special Brew

[steve78]

Hey guys,
Has anyone brewed with the Tooheys Special Brew (the blue can) and used US05 yeast?

I recently bottled a batch, and it tastes like its got champagne in it. I had a stuck ferment at 17 degrees C, so I raised the temp to about 22-23C, and it fermented out, but now tastes like a champagne, not good at all...

I'm sure its the yeast, but after brewing heaps with US05, albeit never over 20C, I've never experienced this taste before. Has anyone had a similar experience here?

Cheers,

Steve

 

[Pennywise]

Steve, could be a couple of different things, what else did you put in the brew? How far into ferment did it stall and what did it stall at? I can assure you that this is not a characteristic of this yeast. Check out the link below, any help to you?


http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

I got a slight "champagney" aftertaste from a Morgans Blue Mountain Lager I did with US05. I it down to higher temps and perhaps an older tin but after more thought I put it down to oxygen being introduced when being kegged.

I didnt think too much of it as it wasn't very strong, but noticeable when you took your first sip. It might have been "kit twang" from an older can.

 

[steve78]

I got a slight "champagney" aftertaste from a Morgans Blue Mountain Lager I did with US05. I it down to higher temps and perhaps an older tin but after more thought I put it down to oxygen being introduced when being kegged.

I didnt think too much of it as it wasn't very strong, but noticeable when you took your first sip. It might have been "kit twang" from an older can.

Thanks guys,

I fermented it at about 18C, it stuck at about 17C after about 8 days, It stalled at about 1020, or thereabouts, I then raised it to about 22-23C for about 4-5 days then bottled.

Ingredients was the can, plus 1kg dextrose, plus 150g carapils steeped. No extra hops, just US-05 rehydrated.

I tasted the same taste in the fermented wort right before bottling, so I dunno whether it'll dissipate unfortunately...

I've never had any issues with US-05....

 

[unrealeous]

What's the carbonation level like - if its too high - then this will also give it a bit of a champagney taste...

 

[steve78]

What's the carbonation level like - if its too high - then this will also give it a bit of a champagney taste...

yeah the carb level was a bit high. The champagne taste is really full on, it tastes like beer and champagne together. Its only 2 weeks old in the bottle, but that shouldn't matter too much I would think...

 

[Pennywise]

Give it a few more weeks at least, green beer that has a lot of simple sugars in it has a bit of cider/apple flavour (well, to me anyway). I have a mate down the road who brews as well, but he's more just k&k, and every beer of his I've tried is like you describe (although maybe not so full on) untill it's a couple of months old. If it is just a green beer thing then it will dissipate

 

[bum]

It stalled at about 1020, or thereabouts, I then raised it to about 22-23C for about 4-5 days then bottled.

What did it get down to and how can you be sure that was your real FG in that time?

I'd be thinking a combination of underattenuation, green beer and twang.

Also if your beer is overcarbed at 2 weeks (in winter) with a possible underattenuation issue keep an eye on any change in the carb level. I'd be storing them out of harms way until I was sure they weren't going to carb up any more.

 

[steve78]

What did it get down to and how can you be sure that was your real FG in that time?

I'd be thinking a combination of underattenuation, green beer and twang.

Also if your beer is overcarbed at 2 weeks (in winter) with a possible underattenuation issue keep an eye on any change in the carb level. I'd be storing them out of harms way until I was sure they weren't going to carb up any more.

Thanks guys for all your posts. I'll let it sit for a few more weeks. My FG was about 1009, checked with the hydrometer before bottling. The twang phenomenon sounds like it could be, I have had a can do unexplainable things it shouldn't before, but it could just be green as well.

I'm an all-grain brewer nowadays but every now and then I'll chuck a kit on, so could just be twang.

I'll keep an eye on teh carb levels and if they are consistently too high in a few bottles, I may decarb them a bit with a quick twist.

Thanks again guys
Steve

 

[bum]

You can probably disregard my attenuation comments if it got down to 1009. It seems to me like that happened pretty quick!

Sounds like some time will sort it out but, as mentioned above, the highish carb will accentuate whatever it is. Good luck with it.

 

[Kevman]

I also had the champagney/cidery taste appear in a Coopers Pale Ale kit I did. It was quite OK to drink initially but after 4 months in the bottle it had a very strong cidery taste. Its like it got worse as it aged.

 

[sinkas]

Brings new meaning to Champagne taste on a beer budget...