Yeast and Bottle conditioning (at possibly high temps)

[Avocado_Power]

Hi all, please advise on the following scenario:

I brewed 5 gallons of a honey wheat ale that has an ABV of around 5%. Many of my previous batches of this kind have been excellent, but not this one. I left for 6 weeks of travel and left several bottles of my latest batch BOTTLE CONDITIONING at 85 degrees (ish) for most of those days. Upon my return to the tropics where I live, I put a bottle in the fridge for a few days, and then cracked it open. (I used a dry yeast (Munich) from Danstar.) Here is the diagnosis:

Tasting notes: Not very good. Over-conditioned (I think). Harsh yeast taste for the style, and warming alcoholic edge. When pouring into glass, it foams up VERY excessively. Beer flavor is sweet, though that is part of the style, and it is not too sweet. Beer would be decent if not so boozy.

Any thoughts? Is the bottle conditioning what screwed it up, and if so, was it the high temperatures, amount of time, or both? If not that, am I missing something else? Thanks!

 

[lilbova3]

Hi all, please advise on the following scenario:

I brewed 5 gallons of a honey wheat ale that has an ABV of around 5%. Many of my previous batches of this kind have been excellent, but not this one. I left for 6 weeks of travel and left several bottles of my latest batch BOTTLE CONDITIONING at 85 degrees (ish) for most of those days. Upon my return to the tropics where I live, I put a bottle in the fridge for a few days, and then cracked it open. (I used a dry yeast (Munich) from Danstar.) Here is the diagnosis:

Tasting notes: Not very good. Over-conditioned (I think). Harsh yeast taste for the style, and warming alcoholic edge. When pouring into glass, it foams up VERY excessively. Beer flavor is sweet, though that is part of the style, and it is not too sweet. Beer would be decent if not so boozy.

Any thoughts? Is the bottle conditioning what screwed it up, and if so, was it the high temperatures, amount of time, or both? If not that, am I missing something else? Thanks!

Without seeing your technique it's hard to pin point it exactly but from what you described I would guess.

1. Did beer reach its final gravity before bottling? If not, too much sugar could have been available and it could have overcarbed. That would also be the reason why it might taste sweet.
2. What temp did you ferment at? That could be the reason for the booziness. Higher fermentation temps can give the off flavor.
3. Does the bottle foam immediately after opening? If so, this could also mean there is an infection.

 

[Avocado_Power]

Without seeing your technique it's hard to pin point it exactly but from what you described I would guess.

1. Did beer reach its final gravity before bottling? If not, too much sugar could have been available and it could have overcarbed. That would also be the reason why it might taste sweet.
2. What temp did you ferment at? That could be the reason for the booziness. Higher fermentation temps can give the off flavor.
3. Does the bottle foam immediately after opening? If so, this could also mean there is an infection.

I used a 3-vessel system with stainless steel false bottom. I am not sure if it reached the gravity that it was supposed to, but according to Beersmith it likely did not.

1. My measured OG was 1.050 (estimated to be 1.057) and my FG was 1.018 (estimated to be 1.015).
2. My temp was around 67 degrees F in the chest freezer.
3. Interesting on the foaming. I've had others that gush out and leave you just a fraction of your beer remaining, but not this one. For this beer, the liquid stayed in the bottle once opened (a significant audible hiss though), but when poured into a glass, even very slowly, it would mostly turn into foam. I've never seen anything like it.

 

[lilbova3]

I used a 3-vessel system with stainless steel false bottom. I am not sure if it reached the gravity that it was supposed to, but according to Beersmith it likely did not.



1. My measured OG was 1.050 (estimated to be 1.057) and my FG was 1.018 (estimated to be 1.015).

2. My temp was around 67 degrees F in the chest freezer.

3. Interesting on the foaming. I've had others that gush out and leave you just a fraction of your beer remaining, but not this one. For this beer, the liquid stayed in the bottle once opened (a significant audible hiss though), but when poured into a glass, even very slowly, it would mostly turn into foam. I've never seen anything like it.

That's only 63% attenuation for the yeast which is a little low. Under attenuation can cause overcarbing or bursting bottles.

Or you simply could have used too much priming sugar. But with that little attenuation you may have racked too early or not pitched enough yeast.

 

[lilbova3]

You may have mashed too high too and left too many unfermentable sugars to leave the high FG. But I don't think that would lead to gushing bottles.