First Time I Got Burned Because I Didn't Make A Starter

BoomerBrian · Apr 30, 2018

Brewed a Kolsch a few weeks ago. Didn't have time to make a starter so I pitched the White Labs Kolsch yeast directly at 60 degrees. It took forever to take off. Fast forward a few weeks and it tastes like shit!! Has a burnt rubber flavor to it.

Reading around on Reddit others have had the same problem with this yeast fermenting at 60 and no starter.

Lesson learned with this yeast. Either make a starter or pitch at a warmer temp and dial the temp down once there is activity. I will be opting for the starter.

thunderwagn · May 1, 2018

Did you de-chlor your water by chance?

J A · May 1, 2018

Is it possible you skunked the hell out of the hops? I had a batch of Cream Ale that I split into 2 carboys and the one that was closest to the window and got more light definitely had skunkier hops. If it's bad enough, the mercaptan that light-struck hops produce is very much burnt rubber.

Nosybear · May 1, 2018

BoomerBrian said:
Brewed a Kolsch a few weeks ago. Didn't have time to make a starter so I pitched the White Labs Kolsch yeast directly at 60 degrees. It took forever to take off. Fast forward a few weeks and it tastes like shit!! Has a burnt rubber flavor to it.

Reading around on Reddit others have had the same problem with this yeast fermenting at 60 and no starter.

Lesson learned with this yeast. Either make a starter or pitch at a warmer temp and dial the temp down once there is activity. I will be opting for the starter.

Could just be sulfur - some German yeasts throw a good bit of it and burnt rubber sounds more like yeast's sulfur. The stressed fermentation supports that. Skunking smells, well, like a skunk. JA has another plausible solution, old or lightstruck hops. If it's sulfur, it'll eventually dissipate. If it's skunked, it's a dumper.

BoomerBrian · May 1, 2018

thunderwagn said:
Did you de-chlor your water by chance?

I use distilled water and build it up with salts.

BoomerBrian · May 1, 2018

J A said:
Is it possible you skunked the hell out of the hops? I had a batch of Cream Ale that I split into 2 carboys and the one that was closest to the window and got more light definitely had skunkier hops. If it's bad enough, the mercaptan that light-struck hops produce is very much burnt rubber.

Hops came straight out of the sealed bag from the manufacturer. I fermented in a white bucket. I do have a light in the fridge when it needs warming but it is pointed away from the bucket.

BoomerBrian · May 1, 2018

Nosybear said:
Could just be sulfur - some German yeasts throw a good bit of it and burnt rubber sounds more like yeast's sulfur. The stressed fermentation supports that. Skunking smells, well, like a skunk. JA has another plausible solution, old or lightstruck hops. If it's sulfur, it'll eventually dissipate. If it's skunked, it's a dumper.

I'm going to let it set for a few weeks and see how it goes before dumping.