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Author Topic: Too much alcohol taste...  (Read 2858 times)

Offline edvinjonsson

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Too much alcohol taste...
« on: February 29, 2012, 05:15:02 pm »
I made an APA about 3 weeks ago, which I was expecting to be at 1.058, but my efficiency was way higher than expected and it came out at 1.068. The final gravity was 1.014 so the ABV is about 7.2%. I kegged it a week ago and tasted it today and it had a very strong alcohol flavor :o. Do you think there was any issue with the fermentation or just too much alcohol for the style?
« Last Edit: February 29, 2012, 05:19:04 pm by edvinjonsson »

Offline gymrat

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Re: Too much alcohol taste...
« Reply #1 on: February 29, 2012, 05:20:19 pm »
What was your pitching temperature and how warm did it ferment? I did a 9% one recently with no percievable alcohol taste.
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Offline edvinjonsson

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Re: Too much alcohol taste...
« Reply #2 on: February 29, 2012, 05:26:23 pm »
I pitched when the wort was at about 70 degrees, and fermented it between 65-70. The yeast was US-05.

Offline tschmidlin

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Re: Too much alcohol taste...
« Reply #3 on: February 29, 2012, 05:36:05 pm »
I think that's too warm for US-05.  If you pitched at 70 and the ambient was 65-70, the beer was probably 72 at a minimum.  I wouldn't pitch US05 any warmer than 65, and 62 is better in my opinion.

The higher alcohol might age out with some, but age on an APA is not the best thing in the world.  If it is drinkable I would just have at it, and ferment the next batch cooler.
Tom Schmidlin

Offline bluesman

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Re: Too much alcohol taste...
« Reply #4 on: February 29, 2012, 05:50:49 pm »
Yeast will typically warm up the beer during fermentation depending on ambient conditions. Pitching at 70F is high, and the beer may have warmed up during fermentation. Fusel alcohols are typically produced during warmer fermentations, which in most cases is around 75F and higher. If your beer warmed up near that temp during fermentation then it's likely that you have some higher alcohols in your beer. These alcohols can be hot and spicy in flavor and they are also attributed to headaches.

As Tom indicated, try pitching cooler around 62-64F with US05 on the next batch. Also try controlling the fermentation by keeping it within a +/-3 degree window.
Ron Price

Offline edvinjonsson

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Re: Too much alcohol taste...
« Reply #5 on: February 29, 2012, 06:03:56 pm »
Yeah I thought it had something to do with the fermentation. Would dry-hopping in the keg for a week or so hide some of it ? :-\

Offline tubercle

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Re: Too much alcohol taste...
« Reply #6 on: February 29, 2012, 06:11:32 pm »
What bluesman said about fusels.

Don't pitch warm and then cool down. Pitch cool and let it warm up.

There is no rush to pitch. I always wait at least 12 hours to pitch because of my warm well water I can't reasonablly get the wort below 70. Over night in the converted freezer gets it down to 60 or so then I pitch.
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Offline Hokerer

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Re: Too much alcohol taste...
« Reply #7 on: February 29, 2012, 06:42:45 pm »
As Tom indicated, try pitching cooler around 62-64F with US05 on the next batch. Also try controlling the fermentation by keeping it within a +/-3 degree window.

And just to make it absolutely clear, that fermentation temperature Ron is talking about is the temperature of the wort, not the temperature of the air around the fermenter.
Joe

Offline euge

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Re: Too much alcohol taste...
« Reply #8 on: February 29, 2012, 06:44:16 pm »
Never had a problem pitching cool and rising but too warm? Bad idea since the yeast go to work immediately and throw some bad stuff if it is too warm.

However, 70 degrees isn't all that bad. Not my preference and skirting the edge certainly; but I'm not sure you'd get fusel that bad if at all.

Anyway your beer is out of balance towards alcohol because of the efficiency snafu. If it ain't giving you a headache it ain't fusels IMO. Just a stronger beer than expected and it tastes like it.

Age it.
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