Help identifying off-flavor/ potential characteristic of the yeast?

the_goat_Birdman said:
Bubbles have picked up quite a bit. I definitely began cold-crashing too soon. Now at about 3-4 bubbles a minute. Strange that the beer stopped bubbling completely at 68 F but has picked up a lot at 75
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Good possibility that at a higher temp, it is simply off gassing
 
Minbari said:
Good possibility that at a higher temp, it is simply off gassing
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Could be

Do you have a way to take a sample without opening the fermenter?
 
I can pull from the bottom where the yeast is. I wouldn't drink the sample, though. However, it has now been 24+ hours and it is still bubbling at about 2-3 bubbles a minute. The smell coming from the airgap is less cidery then before. I will report if I pull a sample from the faucet.
 
I was just thinking you should maybe take a gravity reading, and again 2-3 days later to double check if fermentation has finished.
If you have a refractometer, you only need a couple of drops (note that refractometer readings need to be corrected in the presence of alcohol for the SG value, but can be used "as is" to compare to the value a couple of days later
 
Just a heads up for those who are interested.

Off flavors can be very hard to describe. One safe way to get solid advice is to take it to a local brewery. A lot of pros have done sensory courses and would be happy to help.

Best way to get info is to show up early(during the work day). Buy a beer and ask the bartender if there is a brewer around who would give you some advice!

I have done this many times for people. I did sensory training at school.

Just saying!
 
Bigbre04 said:
Just a heads up for those who are interested.

Off flavors can be very hard to describe. One safe way to get solid advice is to take it to a local brewery. A lot of pros have done sensory courses and would be happy to help.

Best way to get info is to show up early(during the work day). Buy a beer and ask the bartender if there is a brewer around who would give you some advice!

I have done this many times for people. I did sensory training at school.

Just saying!
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I plan on taking it to a local brew shop I work with sometimes. The crew there is always willing to try a beer (and diagnose it!)
 
Zambi said:
I was just thinking you should maybe take a gravity reading, and again 2-3 days later to double check if fermentation has finished.
If you have a refractometer, you only need a couple of drops (note that refractometer readings need to be corrected in the presence of alcohol for the SG value, but can be used "as is" to compare to the value a couple of days later
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I took a small sample and measured with my refractometer. The FG is the same as yesterday. I will take a sample again on Sunday to see if there is any change. The sample smells less cidery than previous samples. The fermenter is still bubbling about once or twice a minute.
 
Zambi said:
Cider off smell /flavour is definitely not typical for Belgium beers.
I have no experience with the yeast you are using, google says 16-23 oC (61-73 F), so a cooler spot would be better
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Ditto that here. Of the few Belgium's I've had and the even fewer I have brewed, there's always an undertone of spice in them. Spice as in nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and coriander are usually the ones I can pick out.

Star San is great stuff...big supporter here so let me ask about your transport equipment? How well are your hoses, valves and fittings getting cleaned? Anything hiding in an O ring, a valve or the threads of a fitting?

Along with what Brian, @The Brew Mentor mentioned, here's some more vegetable off flavor stuff to check out
https://beersmith.com/blog/2018/12/08/vegetal-flavors-in-beer-off-flavors-in-home-brewing/
 
Ward Chillington said:
Ditto that here. Of the few Belgium's I've had and the even fewer I have brewed, there's always an undertone of spice in them. Spice as in nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and coriander are usually the ones I can pick out.

Star San is great stuff...big supporter here so let me ask about your transport equipment? How well are your hoses, valves and fittings getting cleaned? Anything hiding in an O ring, a valve or the threads of a fitting?

Along with what Brian, @The Brew Mentor mentioned, here's some more vegetable off flavor stuff to check out
https://beersmith.com/blog/2018/12/08/vegetal-flavors-in-beer-off-flavors-in-home-brewing/
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I use a Grainfather G30 system. Using the pump, once the boil is concluded, I remove my hop basket and begin cooling with my immersion chiller. After I have chilled to about 80 degrees (groundwater temp) I remove the immersion chiller and activate the pump which pumps most of my wort into my stainless steel fermenter. This particular brew day I had cleaned the fermenter with PBW and rinsed with hot water, then used star san in a spray bottle to sanitize the inside.

Also, the pump is recirculating boiling wort to sanitize the inside.
 
Not real familiar with that unit...I was thinking more on the cold side...
 
To all, the beer has significantly improved. The smell is still cidery/appley, but the flavor is far better. The only thing left to improve is the smell, which is still pretty appley. Do you guys think if I cold crash/rack now the smell would burn off with CO2?
 
the_goat_Birdman said:
I do not touch the wort after I put it into the vessel. Only thing that touches it at that point is the yeast.
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I would just wait before making any decisions. It might be fine once you let it age some more
 
the_goat_Birdman said:
To all, the beer has significantly improved. The smell is still cidery/appley, but the flavor is far better. The only thing left to improve is the smell, which is still pretty appley. Do you guys think if I cold crash/rack now the smell would burn off with CO2.
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Another week is not going to hurt anything and it might clean up some more. I would wait
 
the_goat_Birdman said:
I do not touch the wort after I put it into the vessel. Only thing that touches it at that point is the yeast.
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Maybe I'm not being clear. After you have cooled down the wort so you can get it into the fermenter, that is the "cold side" of the brewing process.

To do that, you are transferring it via hoses and such into the fermenter. Are the hoses clean? Are any of the valves any hoses connect to getting the Star San treatment including up in the barb?

Maybe I missed it but is this batch still in the fermenter?
 
Ward Chillington said:
Maybe I'm not being clear. After you have cooled down the wort so you can get it into the fermenter, that is the "cold side" of the brewing process.

To do that, you are transferring it via hoses and such into the fermenter. Are the hoses clean? Are any of the valves any hoses connect to getting the Star San treatment including up in the barb?

Maybe I missed it but is this batch still in the fermenter?
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The only hoses I use to transfer into fermenter are the pumps that come with the Grainfather system. To sanitize, I run boiling wort through the pump for 15 minutes.

Also, yes this batch is still in primary.
 
I honestly don't think it is infected. If you have off flavors it is from process issues. Issues that will get corrected. :)
 
Minbari said:
I honestly don't think it is infected. If you have off flavors it is from process issues. Issues that will get corrected. :)
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Me either. It already tastes better and the smell has improved. Leaving it for the full week like you all suggested.

P.S. I saw a post a while ago for a dude who built his own electric brewery, wired it, etc. I wanted to look through it again. Anyone know the one I am talking about?
 
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