Who Put The Apple Juice In My Beer?

[MHB]

Did you use 1 packet of US-05 in a double brew?

MHB

 

[rclemmett]

You've ruled out most other things that people have suggested (splashing while bottling, fermentation temp etc) but no one has highlighted that the issue could be due to lack of oxygenation (especially if you're boiling some or all of your wort as you've indicated), could be worth splashing it around a stack as you put it in your fermenter, shaking really well or otherwise aerating well just before you pitch your yeast.

Probably not the issue as wort aeration when using dried yeast is not as important as a lot of people make out.

Active Dry Beer Yeasts are originally very high in lipids and tolerate inadequate aeration or oxygenation
http://www.hbd.org/hbd/archive/3301.html#3301-5

 

[rclemmett]

The kit was a Rocky brew slab from the LHBS. They are a local thing to Rockhampton but I am starting to wonder where they come from. Anyway I have had similar results from a coopers bitter but not as bad. The body buider consists of dextrose, maltodextrin and dry malt. Totaling 1.5 kg for 2 brews(60lt fermenter)

Good spot MHB. By underpitching there is a greater lag time before fermentation and hence more risk of an infection taking hold, and the yeast not being able to finish its job properly. Both of which could cause acetaldehyde.

 

[Darren]

My conclusion here is that the old yeast most likely wasn't up to the job, and pitching 2 packs perhaps exagerated the problem, rather than providing the correct pitching rate, as was my intention.
I've tasted many great beers made with US-05, however I have also noticed this flavour in several case-swap beers that were also made with US-05,
Hutch.

Hi Hutch,

The dried US56 has a particular flavour of its own. I think this is a by-product of the drying process rather than a flavour as a result of fermentation.

If you put two packs in your beer, you will certainly get twice the amount of that flavour.

cheers

Darren

 

[Hutch]

Hi Hutch,

The dried US56 has a particular flavour of its own. I think this is a by-product of the drying process rather than a flavour as a result of fermentation.

If you put two packs in your beer, you will certainly get twice the amount of that flavour.

cheers

Darren

Yeah, I agree. I had used US-05 before, without such an obvious acetaldehyde character, though it was never as clean (or more to the point devoid of "yeasty flavour") as say using the equivalent WYeast 1056.

AS I said - once bitten, twice shy. I won't even consider using dried yeasts any more, as I KNOW I'll get a better result with a liquid (aside from the obvious variety of liquids available), and I don't want to risk ruining another batch by turning it into apple-juice.

 

[Beerbuoy]

I used 2 packets of US-05 in a double brew so that shouldn't be a problem. The yeasts where within the use by date but I do suspect the LHBS has a slow turnover of his yeasts.

To my knowledge Rockhampton has very much a basic K&K brewing attitude. It impossible to buy anything like grain locally as no one uses it. Why buy all that fancy stuff when you get all you need from BigW, thats the impression I get of the Rocky home brew scene.

I give the wort a good hard mix to airate before pitching and also poor the water in such a way as give it plenty of airation.

Keep em coming, must be running out of theorys by now but I'm learning.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Beerbuoy]

I just had a thought!! (kind of hurt). The more I drink of this brew I find it is a slightly metalic apple flavour. Could the taste be caused by minerals in the water??

Last year the coal mines west of Rocky got flooded pretty bad. Since then one or some of the mines have been pumping out their pits into the rivers up stream of our water supply. The official word is whilst the water is within drinking standard it does have an elevated level of minerals and salt. To the point where some people are complaining their gardens are dying.

I have just started using filtered water but this one was from tap water. Is it possible this could be the problem??

Cheers

Ian