Nube flavor question

[Graham.C]

So I am new to the beer game, only done a half dozen brews since February. I know its a pain in the ass to describe flavors over the internet, but my last two brews have had some faults that I can't put my finger on. I was hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction. I have searching the tubes, but I still cant figure it out. The first brews I did turned out wonderful, but since April, everything has turned out mediocre. The taste is almost entirely on the finish, it could be ester-y, but certainly not in a good way. It doesn't taste bannan-y or creamed corn-ish, so I'm having trouble placing it. I would call it flabby, unbalanced with too much sugar in wine terms, yet the last brew had a huge amount of hops in it. To me its ALMOST that classic homebrew twang you get from that first time student apartment kit beer, only with the rest of the flavors in line and tasty. Two separate recipes have turned out this way, although the second was much better, and the only thing I can think of is how fast I am (not) chilling my wart. I just let it cool on my vestibule. It might also be my lack of climate control in my fermentation area, but I have never seen my carboys over 22C (72F, I know that is a little warm). I am thinking that my earlier attempts were in the winter and allowed me to cool the wart quickly, and ferment at <20C, but now that its summer it takes much longer to reach a suitable temperature to pitch at, plus it is difficult to stay cool.
Any thoughts, or anyone near the marsh want to try some and help me out?

My recipes are partial grain (I hope to move to all grain in the fall, but am having trouble figuring out where I am going to store everything to do it). I will post the last one I did, once I find my notes.

Thanks,
Graham

EDIT: I hope this is the right place to ask this. My apologies if its not.

[Graham.C]

Yoppers Hoppy brown
6# light LME
1.5# 40L Crystal
1.5# Uk Pale
1 # Cara munich
0.5# 120L Crystal
0.5# Biscuit
1/8# Chocolate
1oz Magnum 60min
1oz Cascade 10min
1oz Amarillo 10min
1oz Amarillo 0min
2oz Amarillo dry

[mr x]

I think you are on the right track with the fermentation temps. How long is your cooling time? I rarely brew in the hot summer months, and if I do, it's with an appropriate yeast, like 3711.

[jeffsmith]

I would agree on the fermentation temps as well. Different yeasts are going to have somewhat different requirements for temperatures. Like X mentioned 3711 is great during the summer months whereas 1007 is one of my favourites to use (for ales at least) in the coldest times of the year. What type of yeast did you use for this batch?

One other thing to consider about temperature is that the temp in the middle of the liquid in a carboy is quite possibly 4 to 5 ºF above the ambient room temperature. Fermentation gives off a decent amount of heat.

When you mention the twang you're getting being like a brew kit, I would almost consider oxidization as well. There's quite a few places this can come into play, depending on your process.

[LiverDance]

The guys are right, fermentation is probabaly the best place to start. What yeast did you use and how much? Also do you use municipal water or well water?

[akr71]

If you want cheap fermentation temperature control, go for a swamp cooler. Get a big plastic tub, put your fermenter in it, fill it with water. Then you can put an old t-shirt over it - the water will wick up the shirt - as it evaporates, it will take heat out of the fermenter. You can add a fan and frozen water bottles if you need to as well.

Old extract might be contributing a touch to that 'twang' too.

[Graham.C]

I think for both of those I used Wyeast 1056, two smack packs worth. I wanted a clean crisp finish and was told 1056 was the way to go. I didn't do a starter, because... I guess because I was lazy. I don't think oxidation is an issue with my process, but I could be wrong. I also would be very surprised if it was a sterilization issue. I am careful when I rack, and the one batch I racked strait from the primary to the keg. Both I let age, the second one is now around two and a half months since the brew date, and I only have a few bottle of the first left. I don't really force carbonate, rather I let the carbonation naturally build over a couple weeks. I didn't notice any change with aging. I buy almost exclusively from nobel grape in Halifax, sometimes from the Quinpool location, sometimes Bayers lake. Either way, my worries about old extract are one of the many reasons I want to switch to all-grain. Plus, it sucks having to go to Halifax every time I want to brew, then keeping everything happy till it gets home and in the wort. (Although it does promote me collecting some good brews from the private stores and seeing what the H&T has on tap )

I think temperature is the only thing left that I haven't ruled out. I will definitely be building an immersion chiller, but a bucket of water sitting around my apartment doesn't sound like the best solution (Even if it is in a closet or in my enclosed vestibule/landing). I guess maybe its time for me to build some sort of insulated box and stick to brewing in the cooler months. I just love the craft and I feel like doing is the best way to learn and I have so much to learn.

That leads me to ask, how long do you guys keep beer in CO2 forced corny kegs for? I figured the shelf life of beer in a keg was only a couple of months, but if you are holding off from brewing until the cooler months you must have beer in your kegs for more then a few months at a time. I know some styles are better then others, but on average how long should do keep an ale in your keg?

[LiverDance]

Well it sounds like you've got all your bases covered so maybe the temp thing is the culprit? You could google how to brew by john palmer, on his online book it has a section on off flavors so that may give you more insight on trying to describe the taste. To answer the second part of your post, I have a belgian strong ale in a keg that is over 3 years old and still great and have kept a blackberry wheat in a keg for over a year and it's very good as well.

[jeffsmith]

It definitely sounds like temperature is the issue. 72ºF is right at the top end for 1056, so that's quite likely where your funky flavours are coming from. It definitely produces cleaner flavours on the lower end of it's temp scale (low to mid 60's).

[jeffsmith]

Also, don't feel you have to hang up your brew hat for the hot months! I'd suggest just trying to find a style that flourishes with the warmer temps. Most of Wyeast's Belgian strains like higher temps and strains like 1332 (Northwest Ale) does really well between 70 and 75.

If we can manage to get a "Marsh People" beer gathering together this fall I'll give you a jar of harvested 1332 from my beer/yeast fridge so you can give it a try to see if you like it. It'll require a starter to beef it up a bit, but it'll let you get a taste for the yeast without forking over the cash for a smack pack.

[mr x]

I agree with everything above. I also have some 3 year old beers, and I may go for 5+. But the mid-level APA/IPA's are better fresher (and stored cold). A monstrous IIPA will do much better.