Please Help With A Green Thumb!

[amcd72]

I have been brewing for a few years now. Im an extract with specialty grains kind of brewer and have been semi-satisfied with my beers thus far. :unsure:
Decided to try and step it up a notch and join a brewing club this year. The learning curve has been fantastic.

Although I have gained a lot of knowledge in a short amount of time this year, I havent seen a big leap in the quality of my beers. Hence my pleading message.
My quest is to get rid of a dreaded green flavour in my beers. I think youd call it green apples but Im not sure. It seems to be in every beer I make, no matter what style.

Heres what I have been able to improve on just this year:
Ive acquired a fridge to maintain consistent temps
I began yeast rehydration where I used to pitch the packet dry (I know there are two schools here)
Joined the club and learned a lot
Bought a copper coil to improve chill-down time

With all these improvements, I still manage to produce this flavour in all my brews. I consider myself to be very thorough with sanitation but would love to know where Im going wrong.
My next attempt will be to move to all-grain using the brew in a bag method but if I cant get it right with extract, Im thinking this wont help much.

Any thoughts?

 

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Hi AndyMac,

Found this thread, might help. Not had this problem myself, but i never complete fermentation earlier than 14days usually 21 or more days. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/green-apple-flavor-77162/

Good luck

Jay

 

[amcd72]

Hi AndyMac,

Found this thread, might help. Not had this problem myself, but i never complete fermentation earlier than 14days usually 21 or more days. http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/green-apple-flavor-77162/

Good luck

Jay

I'm the same - I'll leave it for 2-3 weeks. Is this more of a problem for a ferment that doesn't reach a decent FG? My last one got down to a respectable 0010. Or is this a case of stressed yeast?

 

[fcmcg]

I'm the same - I'll leave it for 2-3 weeks. Is this more of a problem for a ferment that doesn't reach a decent FG? My last one got down to a respectable 0010. Or is this a case of stressed yeast?

Andy,
Has anyone at the brew club given you some feedback regarding what they percieve the flavour is ? Do you have some BJCP qualified members you could ask ?
Are you still doing extract brewing ? Maybe that's where some of your percieved flavours are coming from ?
Green apple flavour is usually associated with acetaldehyde.Acetaldehyde is produced during fermentation. It is very common in a young beer. It is more evident in the aroma and flavor when either cane or corn sugars are used. Normally the acetaldehyde will dissipate over time as the sugar is further fermented. Sometimes it is caused by bacteria due to poor sanitation procedures.
I definatley don't think that its streesed yeast , unless of course your continually underpitching yeast ?
Maybe a new fermenter is in order ? Maybe give that a try too ??
Cheers
Ferg

 

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Andymac

May be a stress problem. Do you aerate the wort before pitching? Fresh well stored yeast etc?
Seems odd that it be every brew, so might be worth looking at the process.

Best

Jay

 

[kelbygreen]

May I ask how long are they in the bottle and/or keg and also what yeast are you using. Do some beers have more of this taste and if so whats the recipe's?.

The green flavour is mainly to do with the time in the bottle young beer is refered to green beer, if you can leave a few bottles and try every few weeks or every month. Its best to leave bottles for a month before trying but its always hard and I never could. With kegs it is the same but larger amounts of beer mature faster so with a keg it will not take as long to mature. Also a good idea once ideal carbonation is reached (try a bottle to find out) then put all bottles in the fridge to mature and leave at least a week again something I could never do but if you can then its a good idea put most bottles in there for a week or so but leave a few out put one of the bottles in that have been left out the night before and try them side by side.

 

[Ironsides]

Here, check this out http://www.picobrewery.com/askarchive/acetaldehyde.html

 

[Dazza88]

I'm no expert but am half way through my "go to Dan Murphy's, pick a few different cool beers selection" (Leffe Brune - fricken awesome stuff) from earlier today so i will add my 2 cents (oh and this assumes you bottle, not keg):

I reckon you should check if the taste is reduced in longer aged bottles (as per kelby above). Lately, all my BIAB AG brews taste awesome at bottling stage (fermenter samples - give primary ferment time after fg to clean up and then cc'd) then not as good at "just fully carbonated" stage. They take a while to condition in the bottle. My hobgoblin clone is just starting to taste reasonable in the bottle after one month. I wonder if the process of bottle carbonation requires a secondary "clean up" by the yeast?

When i crack open beers that are a few months in the bottle, they are consistently better than earlier sampled brews (except that one dark ale racked onto cherries a while back - alcoholic vinegar - infection). This includes kits, partials and ag beers (Big W 19L BIAB).

I find that storing bottles in boxes and placing at the backs of cupboards in hard to reach places is a good idea if you want to age your brew (at least a portion of it).

And regarding Ironside's link, i found a suggestion that at bottling, place the caps on the filled bottles but don't seal the caps for a while to allow a co2 buildup that will push any oxygen out of the bottle. As i took my bottles to the capper after doing this the other night i could here gas popping up the caps on the bottle (late at night and quiet); i guess co2 escaping from the bottle, this may help oxidation issue partially along with the other suggestions.

Brewing is easy to learn, hard to master. I'm still learning. I occasionally come across old threads when searching and see the experienced brewers (if you trawl the site enough you know who) working through the issues when they were at the earlier stages of their brewer addictions.

Get someone at your brew club who makes awesome tasting beer to listen/observe your beer making process - maybe they can offer a suggestion or two.