Wish it were that easy! Ya Right!

Ok so I'm easily amused! Im a Master Brewer! Woot!

If only it were this easy. I have been brewing beer for better part of two years and I still have a stinker every now and then. I made a Single Malt and Single Hops (SMaSH) three months ago that started out fine but after it lagered for about two months it had a terrible fusile taste that makes me want to kick the keg and start over. Why waste the kegerator space and the keg right!
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BeerSmith Recipe Printout - http://www.beersmith.com
Recipe: P.D. SMaSH II
Brewer: Preston Brown
Asst Brewer: Brown_Beer.gif
Style: Standard American Lager
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
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Batch Size: 5.00 gal     
Boil Size: 6.34 gal
Estimated OG: 1.075 SG
Estimated Color: 5.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 15.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 79.30 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amount        Item                                      Type        % or IBU     
10 lbs        Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)          Grain        83.33 %     
1.00 oz      Goldings, B.C. [5.00 %]  (60 min)        Hops        15.1 IBU     
0.50 oz      Goldings, B.C. [5.00 %]  (0 min)          Hops          -           
0.25 tsp      Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)                Misc                     
1.50 tsp      PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 min)        Misc                     
50.00 gm      Oak Chips (Secondary 7.0 days)            Misc                     
2 lbs        Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM)              Sugar        16.67 %     
8.00 gal      Houston, TX (Filtered)                    Water                     
1 Pkgs        Nottingham (Danstar #-)                  Yeast-Ale                 


Mash Schedule: (PB)  Double Infusion, Light Body
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 lb
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(PB)  Double Infusion, Light Body
Step Time    Name              Description                        Step Temp   
30 min        Protein Rest      Add 9.00 qt of water at 132.1 F    122.0 F     
60 min        Saccrification    Add 8.00 qt of water at 187.9 F    150.0 F     
10 min        Mash Out          Add 8.00 qt of water at 210.3 F    168.0 F     

Notes:
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Nailed mash temps. Added the Candi sugar at flame out. Oak chips soaked in Bourbon for 30 days (Measured dry)
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Any idea's why It went south on me? Did I push the limit on the candi sugar? Was it the bourbon?

Just when I thought I had a handle on things! Humbled again, and again, and again!

Cheers

Preston

Fusels,

First let me thank you for providing the recipe.

The most common cause of fusel alcohols is a warm ferment.  Nottingham is a great performer at cool temps, but what was your ferment temps,  was that wort temp (stickie on the side) or room temp.  Drop your ferment temps, 55-60F wort temp would be great with this beer.

Nothing wrong with your recipe,  I'd suggest corn sugar instead of the candi sugar, or even table sugar (cheaper).  I could say Lager Yeast instead of an ale yeast etc. but you already know that and made a choice.

Fred

Thanks for the reply.

Fermentation temps were as follows:
During active fermentation 68 deg F and dropped down to 64 deg F. I use my spare (Steel) bathtub which keeps a consistent 64 when filled half full of water. I put a old shirt over the carboy during fermentation. I did not use a Lager yeast because I had a pilsner going already and did not have the room. So I used the old standby (Nottingham).

I make the candi sugar out of table sugar and lemon juice on the stove prior to adding it to the wort. Your right it is cheaper $1.19 # compared to $4.60.

Warm temps. I had a breaker blow out in my kegerator/Lagerator about a month after I started Lagering it in the Keg (Sorry I forgot about that). But my digital thermometer never said it went over 75 deg F. Maybe that was to much for this beer. None of my other beers went south. Could be my digital thermometer needs calibrating. I will boil some water and see where it reads, it may be off.

Thanks for the input

Cheers
Preston

One more question

if the 68F was measured in the tub or in the room with this big of a beer I'd expect to see +8-10F so up to 76-78F which would  be a problem for the Nottingham.  Wort temp of 68F should be fine.

The 75F after fermentation was done (a month of lagering) wouldn't be a problem.

Nice records,  keep it up.

Fred