First off, this is my inaugural post; so let me start by introducing myself. Hi, I’m Bill. I started out brewing using the Mr. Beer kit 2-3 years ago, and while I don’t think this is a bad kit for beginners I do think that you grow out of it very quickly. I’ve made about half a dozen or so batches with that kit, most of them good (at least I was happy with them), but I’ve also had 2 batches that went bad (but in no way was this attributable to the kit).
Specifically, what went wrong with those beers is that they developed an undesired flavor that tasted like Green Apple. The first time I was making a Pale Ale, and I mistakenly thought that it was a fruity flavor imparted from the Hops that I used. The second time was with a Vanilla Porter, and by this time I realized that something wasn’t right. Some research determined that the likely culprit was a chemical called Acetaldehyde. Acetaldehyde is produced naturally by yeast during the process of fermentation as an intermediary step on its way to becoming ethanol (alcohol). It can also be produced as a by-product of acetic acid bacteria, but this will usually result in more of a vinegar flavor. Since my beer only had a slight green apple flavor, I think the most likely cause was that I might have pitched the yeast while the wort was too hot, or I didn’t let the beer completely ferment, or some combination of the two.
The lessons to learn are:
- Measure the temperature of the wort before pitching yeast; it should be less than 75ยบ F.
- Learn how to watch your beer fermenting, and to know when it is done.
- Lastly, and this is important to remember, this will NOT harm you if you drink it! I had many friends that sampled my first Pale Ale batch, and nobody got even remotely sick or suffered any ill effects.
So, now that you are armed with this knowledge, go forth. Good luck and happy home-brewing!
Tags: Undesired Flavors