Dieter G03 - Ester Beer

[BrewBuilder19]

Hi All,

I am in the middle of brewing a Kolsch and used Imperial's G03 Dieter Strain. I pitched a 1.5L starter at 60 degrees in 5G batch after aerating for a solid 90 seconds with pure O2. Once airlock activity slowed (around 4 days) I let the temp rise to about 68 which took a couple days. After 2 weeks I began slowly lowering temp to 34 degrees - and let it lager for roughly 3 weeks.

I took a gravity sample at 14 days and also when bottling which was around day 30. I kept picking up some really up front banana/bubble gum esters. I usually try a bottle about a week into bottling because im impatient. I continue to pick up a lot of esters - like a fresh hefe would.


This is my first time brewing a Kolsch or doing any lagering - albeit only for 2 weeks). The beer is really clear as I fined with gelatin - but I think I missed the clean tasting Kolsch profile. Any advice on what could have went wrong. I know fermenting too hot will throw esters - just trying to troubleshoot.


THANKS YALL

 

[Beerd Bro]

Im not familiar with that particular yeast, but considering you used a starter and aerated well, your fermentation was probably fantastic.

Maybe try doing the same thing with K-97 yeast? Thats what I used for my "dry hopped" Kolsch, no lagering, no starter, and it was great! I also made a really good cream ale with Mangrove Jacks California lager as well, would work with a Kolsch.

 

[BrewBuilder19]

Im not familiar with that particular yeast, but considering you used a starter and aerated well, your fermentation was probably fantastic.

Maybe try doing the same thing with K-97 yeast? Thats what I used for my "dry hopped" Kolsch, no lagering, no starter, and it was great! I also made a really good cream ale with Mangrove Jacks California lager as well, would work with a Kolsch.

Thanks for the tip. Yes Im a beginner but usually get fantastic ferments. Im concerned I raised the temp too high too soon - after 4 days up to 68.

 

[jdauria]

Have only used Deiter once since it's hard to find locally and the Kolsch I made had none of those esters, in fact it's known to be a low ester producer. So you only lagered for two weeks, was that on the yeast or did you transfer off the yeast? You mentioned a sample at 14 days so that should have been plenty of time on the yeast, but I would have lagered for at least a month. The yeast is a beast, when I used it the beer was fully fermented in 4 days, so you raising it to 68 should not have been an issue. Give the bottles several more weeks, store them cold if you can, and try some again...what's the saying, time heals all wounds, so maybe it will help the beer.

 

[Beerd Bro]

Im a beginner myself and until recently had no form of temp control. I have also never used a starter (yeast nutrient in the boil works great)

Do you have a temperature strip on your fermenter? What I think happened is you had such a robust fermentation that the internal temp was probably 10+ degrees higher. Meaning that yeast was probably in the 70s.

I didnt use a starter, but I double pitched once and had to throw a wet towel and fan on my fermenter to keep it in the high 60s.

 

[BrewBuilder19]

Have only used Deiter once since it's hard to find locally and the Kolsch I made had none of those esters, in fact it's known to be a low ester producer. So you only lagered for two weeks, was that on the yeast or did you transfer off the yeast? You mentioned a sample at 14 days so that should have been plenty of time on the yeast, but I would have lagered for at least a month. The yeast is a beast, when I used it the beer was fully fermented in 4 days, so you raising it to 68 should not have been an issue. Give the bottles several more weeks, store them cold if you can, and try some again...what's the saying, time heals all wounds, so maybe it will help the beer.

here is the timeline: 2 week primary - 3 weeks at 34 (took about a weeks time to gently lower temps down) - rack off the yeast and bottle

I tried the sample about a week into bottling - so ill let it condition for a little while longer. Maybe what im tasting is just green beer

 

[BrewBuilder19]

Im a beginner myself and until recently had no form of temp control. I have also never used a starter (yeast nutrient in the boil works great)

Do you have a temperature strip on your fermenter? What I think happened is you had such a robust fermentation that the internal temp was probably 10+ degrees higher. Meaning that yeast was probably in the 70s.

I didnt use a starter, but I double pitched once and had to throw a wet towel and fan on my fermenter to keep it in the high 60s.

my fermentor has a temp strip. I use a chest freezer and a small space heater with an ink bird controller. Ive ripped through ferments with notty yeast before and esters aren't usually a problem for me - just think its strange because this yeast is supposed to be known to result in a clean and esters free beer

 

[Beerd Bro]

I think it's green beer, because you held this beers hand through fermentation like a champ, follow up in a few weeks and lemme know if it got better.

 

[BrewBuilder19]

I think it's green beer, because you held this beers hand through fermentation like a champ, follow up in a few weeks and lemme know if it got better.

Thanks Brother. banana/bubblegum esters aren't the worst things I've had happen to a beer - but I really put in the extra effort to get this Kolsch super clean. Ill let you know how it turns out.

 

[BrewBuilder19]

Hi All,

Just a follow up. I just tried one after 3 weeks of bottle conditioning and its almost a completely different beer. Super clean and crisp and no real off flavors/rsters. Moral of the story is..... RDWHAHB.

 

[jrgtr42]

I used the Dieter on a Schwarzbier and it came out great. I didn't catch any of those esters, possibly because |I tend to ferment cool anyway - low 60s generally, but also because of the heavier, darker malt bill on the beer.
That said, the Dieter chewed through pretty quickly, even at those cooler temps, and got out of the way.

 

[BrewBuilder19]

Thanks JR - Schwarzbier is one of my favorite styles. It was just green when I wrote my OP. Fermentation was vigorous all the way down to 1.010.

Maybe ill brew a Schwarzbier next haha!

 

[Beerd Bro]

Sweet!!!!

I have a lager that i froze on accident, thawed, started a d rest late and it tasted bad, curious if time will save itile yours.

Cheers!!!!

 

[BrewBuilder19]

Sweet!!!!

I have a lager that i froze on accident, thawed, started a d rest late and it tasted bad, curious if time will save itile yours.

Cheers!!!!

My GF spilled about a gallon of beer on my basement floor bottling one day. the basement still smells like it and time did not heal those wounds hahaha

 

[Beerd Bro]

You mean "ex" GF?