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Yeast flavor or bacteria ?

M. Minor

Apprentice
Joined
Feb 9, 2011
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Location
Conn.
Hello,
I am trying to determine the cause of the ( sour ? ) after taste I have in a brown ale that I now have bottled. I'm thinking that it might be the 68 - 70 deg. Fermentation temp. . Threefold is a very simple extract recipe , no additions . It fermented for 10 days then was bottled.
I sanitized everything so I'm hoping that it isn't bacterial but I am not sure.
 
Sour usually means wild yeast or bacteria.  It is not 68-70f fermentation.  That is normal for typical yeast strains used in a brown ale. 

One simple test is to measure the gravity.  if it is really low and goes down it is a wild yeast.

Sanitized does not mean it can't be infected.  If you leave you brew pot uncovered when you chill it, wild yeast and bacteria surf in on dust particles and your tasty wort is a fine pad to crash. 

Be a fanatic about keeping everything sanitized and everything that contacts the wort is sanitized including your hands.  Cover everything, especially when the wort is chilling.  Cover your fermenter when xfering wort into it.  Sanitize the yeast package too.  I keep a spray bottle of StarSan and zap everything.
 
Not the temps.
Most likely is a Bacteria issue you could have gotten when racking or bottling.
Bacteria and wild yeast will continue to eat the sugars brewers yeast can not.
If it's still drinkable then tell folks you made a sour.
pawn it off on the bums that come by and drink all your homebrew up ...
I know its a bit a harder question to ask but what is the sour flavor your tasting
what notes are you getting
 
Well I guess I'll have to try again, the sour taste seems to be dissipating or maybe I'm just getting used to it. But it is still too much just not crazy 'bout it at all.
Hopefully the batch of American Wheat, that I have fermenting now will be better. Thanks for the help!
 
10 days of fermentation and then bottling is too short for me.  The longer that entire batch can stay in tact and "age" in a batch, the better beer you will have.  I hear lots of war stories about green beer having a sour note that goes away with aging.  The porter I am fermenting right now had a tang of sourness when I took a hydro sample at 10 days.  At 14 I took another and it was notably decreased in just those few days.  For my money, 3 weeks on primary and a solid 30 day bottle conditioning session makes for a big change in those notes.
 
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