"Yeasty" flavour... just patience and....?

[deeve007]

Hey brewers!

So my recent red IPA that I was happy with, someone trying it mentioned they found it a little bit "yeasty"... not something I noticed particularly, but then maybe I'm not 100% sure what this taste is.

But, googling for how to reduce this, mostly I see "patience" being the operative word - more time in the fermenter, more time in the bottle, before drinking. Is there anything else that would help as well? Does beer gelatin help with this, if added once gravity has stabalised in the fermenter?

Anything else?

 

[seatazzz]

Need some more information. Did they try it from the fermenter, or after packaging? If still in the fermenter, yes more time is needed. Gelatin will help the yeast drop out, but make sure fermentation is complete. If it was after packaging, did you test the gravity to make sure it was done? Also, if the person tasting isn't familiar with homebrew, even the most finished beer can taste 'yeasty' to someone who has never had homebrew before. What they are perceiving as yeasty could just be the nice fresh taste that well-made homebrew can have.

 

[dmtaylor]

Patience and gelatin will help. And consideration of whether it really is yeasty or whether someone is just overly sensitive, doesn't like beer, or is not effectively describing exactly what they taste. All possibilities.

 

[Miraculix]

Cold crash, gelatin, patience. Once it's settled out, problem is solved.

 

[RM-MN]

Hey brewers!

So my recent red IPA that I was happy with, someone trying it mentioned they found it a little bit "yeasty"... not something I noticed particularly, but then maybe I'm not 100% sure what this taste is.

But, googling for how to reduce this, mostly I see "patience" being the operative word - more time in the fermenter, more time in the bottle, before drinking. Is there anything else that would help as well? Does beer gelatin help with this, if added once gravity has stabalised in the fermenter?

Anything else?

Did they drink it from the bottle? That alone can make the beer yeasty as tilting the bottle can stir up sediment. If it was poured into a glass for drinking, was it poured properly, leaving the yeast and sediment behind? Are they using the right terminology to describe what they are noticing? In other words, what is their experience level?

 

[deeve007]

It was from the bottle, testing FG fermenting was done (I wouldn't have bottled otherwise). Other questions salient points which I have considered but still wanted to check what I can do to avoid as much risk as possible, so maybe using beer gelatine once gravity has stabilized and before bottling would be one thing.

 

[Day-Day]

If you're asking for this current batch, if it's bottled, the only thing you can do is give it time. If you're asking for future brews, in my personal experience I've been able to greatly reduce and practically eliminate all undesired flavors/off flavors utilizing good technique/s. Learning water chemistry, using proper pitch rates, controlling fermentation temperatures, and just general restraint and patience in my brewing have GREATLY improved my beer. If there's an undesirable flavor in your beer that you can pinpoint, odds are you can eliminate it with good technique. With that being said, flavor is subjective and that particular "yeasty" flavor may not be from poor technique at all, but rather someone's taste/opinion of said beer. My main point is that off flavors that need to be aged out can usually be eliminated upfront, if you know what they are and how they got there... until you are sure of what you're tasting and how it came to be, it's all just subjective... IMHO.

 

[deeve007]

I didn't even notice it so much myself, and others tasting it hadn't mentioned it either... so this person could either be not used to home beers, it could just be that I rushed to bottle and then drink after bottling, or it could be something in my brewing process otherwise. So I'll certainly be aiming to improve everything as I always am on my learning curve, but just seeking out any obvious stuff to do/watch for.

Oh, also, I think he may have got one of the beers I had carbonation issues with due to a cap issue (other thread), which if so he was drinking basically a flat beer, so that would also play with the flavour aspect too obviously...

 

[Day-Day]

If it is in fact actual yeast/yeasty flavors, longer primary, cold crashing (if that's an option), more flocculant yeast, are options. I don't mind the cloudiness/yeastiness in my beers, I never use gelatin or anything like that, although I do use whirlfoc tablets sometimes. Some styles call for that "yeasty" quality so I wouldn't call it a flaw or anything unless you are adamant about excessively clear beer (I'm not). I don't buy into the idea of people not being used to home brew... I get it and all, but me personally I strive to make professional quality beer... and those who don't drink home brew... they drink professional/commercial beer, so they know what good beer tastes like (presumably). I wouldn't brush it off as just a home brew quality, I would try to improve it if it's something you and your friends don't like in the beer.

 

[deeve007]

You make a salient point with the final bit, but then again I've never seen yeast in the bottom of a commercial beer, but have done so in some excellent home brewed beers.

And let's add in the difference between the equipment one may have, certain equipment will make certain things much easier to achieve. Anyway, I will always be aiming to improve things each and every brew...

 

[Bilsch]

With time and patience, no other additives needed.

 

[Day-Day]

You make a salient point with the final bit, but then again I've never seen yeast in the bottom of a commercial beer, but have done so in some excellent home brewed beers.

And let's add in the difference between the equipment one may have, certain equipment will make certain things much easier to achieve. Anyway, I will always be aiming to improve things each and every brew...

There's definitely yeast and sediment in the bottom of commercial beers, go get a six pack of bottles of Two Hearted and you'll see what I'm talking about...just look at the bottom of the bottle... I regularly harvest yeast from Two Hearted bottles and cans. Many other commercial beers have plenty of yeast and sediment in them it's not uncommon at all.

Equipment makes things easier there's not doubt about that, and I'm a huge proponent of investing in equipment but I don't have anything really fancy. My stir plate, refractometer, and ph meter are the fanciest pieces of equipment I own.

I'm Still brewing with an orange cooler mash tun, copper wort chiller, and glass carboy, even use a swamp cooler, but it gets the job done.

No fancy pumps, filters, conicals, HERMS, counterflows, etc. etc. here... although I do dream... haha !!!

 

[Jag75]

How long was it in your fermenter and what kind of fermenter are you using?

 

[Miraculix]

You said he drank from the bottle, that's obviously the problem. Drinking from the bottle will agitate all flocculated yeast after the first sip, no wonder it tastes yeasty. Never drink bottle conditioned beer from the bottle.

 

[deeve007]

You said he drank from the bottle, that's obviously the problem. Drinking from the bottle will agitate all flocculated yeast after the first sip, no wonder it tastes yeasty. Never drink bottle conditioned beer from the bottle.

Nope, I mis-communicated that part, he didn't drink from the bottle.

All good folks, time & patience the most likely issue if any, easily solved. Cheers.