Cream Ale with Apple off flavor

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by DavidlovesCBC, Jul 11, 2016.

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  1. DavidlovesCBC

    DavidlovesCBC Initiate (0) Jan 25, 2014 Florida

    Brewed a cream ale with us-05 at the higher range, 73 degrees, for 5 weeks. Holy acetaldahyde. Anything I can do to scrub some of this out? Figured it was enough time in the fermenter at 5 weeks to clean it's self
     
    #1 DavidlovesCBC, Jul 11, 2016
  2. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    If you haven't bottled yet, I'd leave it on the yeast a while longer. If you already bottled, I'd give it some more time at room temp and hope the remaining yeast can clean it up.
     
    #2 VikeMan, Jul 11, 2016
  3. DavidlovesCBC

    DavidlovesCBC Initiate (0) Jan 25, 2014 Florida

    I kegged it. Would it be crazy to pitch yeast into the keg?
     
    #3 DavidlovesCBC, Jul 11, 2016
  4. DavidlovesCBC

    DavidlovesCBC Initiate (0) Jan 25, 2014 Florida

    Maybe a little lager yeast while in cold storage?
     
    #4 DavidlovesCBC, Jul 11, 2016
  5. dmtaylor

    dmtaylor Savant (1,149) Dec 30, 2003 Wisconsin

    Acetaldehyde boils at 70 F, so if you fermented warm, I doubt it's acetaldehyde (green apple), but rather is an ester (red apple). The only thing that will clean that up is a lot of age. Six months or thereabouts. Otherwise, drink it appley or blend it with something else.
     
    #5 dmtaylor, Jul 11, 2016
    GreenKrusty101 likes this.
  6. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    IIRC, that's about right for acetaldehyde's boiling point. But what's its boiling point when dissolved in water? I'm not so sure you can assume it will boil away. And to simply evaporate, it would need to make contact with air.

    Also, acetaldehyde can be made from the oxidation of ethanol, so it's possible to make it in the bottle/keg, where there's no way for it to escape regardless of its boiling point.

    But that may be academic. OP: Does the beer taste like green apple or like ripe red apple?

    I wouldn't call it crazy, but maybe not necessary.

    Any yeast, even a lager yeast strain, will be sluggish at cold storage temps.
     
    #6 VikeMan, Jul 11, 2016
    PapaGoose03 likes this.
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