California Steam Beer Query

[NewBrewer99]

Hello Everyone

New to brewing.

Brewed my third batch - California Steam beer.

Receipe is as follwos:
Fermentables:

3 kg Pilsner
1 kg Vienna
0.38 kg Belgian Buscuit
0.15 kg. Cara Clair Malt
0.2 Kg. Cara Gold Malt

90 Mins Boil

10 Grams - Northern Brewer Hops (90 Mins - Start of boil)
8 Grams - Perle Hops (60 Mins)
8 Grams - Northern Brewer Hops (30 Mins)
10 Grams - Northern Brewer Hops (15 mins)
16 Grams - Perle Hops (10 mins)

Fermenting at 16 degree celcius.


30 hrs after fermentation has started got a foamy krausen with a strong raw mango odor.

2 and half days into fermentation - Raw mango order subsiding.


Is this a characteristic smell for such a beer style and recipe or something has gone wrong.

Would appreciate some feedback if anyone has brewed this style with a similar recipe.

Cheers!!

 

[jdauria]

Not sure what raw mango smells like, but a tropical fruit odor in a Common does not seem normal. The Northern Brewer hops are woodsy and minty, the Perle can be spicy and floral (and not a hop normally used in a Common). Maybe the combination of the hops, the sweet wort plus the CO2 off gassing is giving you the aroma you smell. What yeast did you use?

Just let it go and see what you get at the end...it will still be beer.

 

[mongoose33]

What yeast did you use? What temp are you fermenting it?

Five gallon batch?

 

[NewBrewer99]

Not sure what raw mango smells like, but a tropical fruit odor in a Common does not seem normal. The Northern Brewer hops are woodsy and minty, the Perle can be spicy and floral (and not a hop normally used in a Common). Maybe the combination of the hops, the sweet wort plus the CO2 off gassing is giving you the aroma you smell. What yeast did you use?

Just let it go and see what you get at the end...it will still be beer.

Raw mango odor is tangy like tamrind but fruity and floral tanginess to it.

Checked on the fermentation and that tanginess has subsided quite a lot and now is just in the backgroud. Getting the typical sweet smells now.

The yeast pack (silver metal foil pack expiring next month) was just labelled California Steam, got it online from a homebrew supplier.

As you said the best option is to let go and hoping to end up with some delicious t5ast5ing beer.

Thanks!!

 

[balrog]

Many ale yeasts have, to me, a fruit-like odor, combined with hops can be all kinds of strange things.

 

[NewBrewer99]

What yeast did you use? What temp are you fermenting it?

Five gallon batch?

The yeast pack just had a printed label that says "Steam Beer Yeast". Packed in a silver metallic foil pack.

Fermenting at 16 degree celcius (60.8 F)

 

[NewBrewer99]

Raw mango odor is tangy like tamrind but fruity and floral tanginess to it.

Checked on the fermentation and that tanginess has subsided quite a lot and now is just in the backgroud. Getting the typical sweet smells now.

The yeast pack (silver metal foil pack expiring next month) was just labelled California Steam, got it online from a homebrew supplier.

As you said the best option is to let go and hoping to end up with some delicious t5ast5ing beer.

Thanks!!

Correction:
Yeast pack label says "Steam Beer Yeast"

 

[mongoose33]

There often can be strange-smelling odors emanating from fermenting beer. I learned that for the most part, they don't matter.

A typical steam beer uses a California Lager or SanFrancisco Lager yeast fermented not at a more normal lager temp like 10 degrees celsius, but rather about 18 or 19 degrees C.

Steam beers are also known as California Common beers. Unusual recipe you're using--was that part of the directions or did you make it on your own?

Mine is a little simpler, with 8# 2-row, 1.5# Munich, and 1# Crystal 60L. I use only Northern Brewer hops for bittering and flavor, and my boil is only 60 minutes.

The reason I asked about the size of the batch is, to me, you're a little light on the hops. I do 28gr at 60, 20 and 10 minutes.

 

[NewBrewer99]

There often can be strange-smelling odors emanating from fermenting beer. I learned that for the most part, they don't matter.

A typical steam beer uses a California Lager or SanFrancisco Lager yeast fermented not at a more normal lager temp like 10 degrees celsius, but rather about 18 or 19 degrees C.

Steam beers are also known as California Common beers. Unusual recipe you're using--was that part of the directions or did you make it on your own?

Mine is a little simpler, with 8# 2-row, 1.5# Munich, and 1# Crystal 60L. I use only Northern Brewer hops for bittering and flavor, and my boil is only 60 minutes.

The reason I asked about the size of the batch is, to me, you're a little light on the hops. I do 28gr at 60, 20 and 10 minutes.

Oh forgot to mention the batch size.

Its about 4.2 gallons - 16 litres or so

I got a recipe online and substituted malt according to availibilty. It had mentioned perle hops at the end of boil. I added some perle hops 30 mins into the boil which the recipe did not call for.

The original recipe is as follows:
Fermentables:
8.00lbs. Weyermann Pilsner
2.50lbs. Weyermann Vienna
1.00lbs. Briess Victory
0.63lbs. Weyermann CaraAmber
0.38lbs. Muessdoeffer Caramel Pils

Hops:
0.50ozs. Northern Brewer (Pellet) 8.5%AA [90]
0.33ozs. Northern Brewer (Pellet) 8.5%AA [30]
1.04ozs. Northern Brewer (Pellet) 8.5%AA [15]
0.63ozS. Perle (Pellet) 6.6%AA [EOB]


Should have gone for a simpler version I guess

Anyways, I hope it turns out ok

Cheers!!

 

[NewBrewer99]

Many ale yeasts have, to me, a fruit-like odor, combined with hops can be all kinds of strange things.

Yes.... its smelling sweet now ..... almost 3 days of fermentation.