Acetaldehyde in beer before bottling

[Philmac]

I have an issue with a saison i have brewed (8th July)- it has a sickly apple flavour to it. I have read that it is acetaldehyde.

I still have it in the primary fermenter.
It was mashed at 63 degrees.

The gravity has hit its target-

Target O.G.- 1.065
Actual G- 1.052
Target F.G.- 1.012
Actual F.G- 1.010

The yeast is Wyeast 3724 Belgian Saison yeast.
Is this a common problem and have i done the right thing leaving it in the fermenter?
I have read that i should leave it and hope that it is a metabolite of the process that will be reduced?
Is it possible that it is an infection? I have reviewed my sanitation practices as a caution.
I have a plate cooler- i think i sanitise it adequately but i have read a bit about them. I've struggled to get it working properly anyway!
I think the apple flavour has decreased since the last tasting, but it still certainly undrinkable...!

Thanks

 

[Dutto]

Don't worry for now!

If you started it on 8th July it has only had 18 days so any "off tastes" may only be transitory and in this heat I'll bet many of us are having a few problems.

An apple taste is very seldom an infection and with an FG of 1.010 it will probably clear up after five or six weeks of carbonating and conditioning as the yeast does its stuff.

Be patient and if it's still there after six weeks in the bottle I will be surprised! :thumb:

 

[Philmac]

Nice one- cheers for the reply. I chucked away a previous brew as it had a similar flavour.. Rookie error! I reviewed my sanitation as i thought it was an infection and for this brew i was really thorough.

Usually i would bottle my beers after 2 weeks or so- it's worth leaving it with the yeast in the fermenter for a good while, around 5 weeks or so? then a good long bottle condition for a good while?

 

[Clint]

Leave it in the fv...until it's finished...however long that may be..check with hydrometer.
When it's finished I leave it another week or so then cold crash for a few days or longer depending on my time...then transfer to bottling bucket for bottling.

 

[Philmac]

Cheers Clint- when you say until it is finished, can i check what you mean. The gravity has got to its final gravity level so in that way it is finished.. So you reckon another week or so then bottle?
Cheers :)

 

[Clint]

I leave mine at least two weeks...no fussing or fiddling....then if it looks done. IE no bubbling or lid pressure,I check the fg. If it's something like it needs to be I check the next day to see if it's moved any. If I get 3 days the same it's usually done. Some do take an age though to hit expected fg. I've only had this with kits though...the Young's aipa is one..done it twice and on both occasions it took around 4 weeks to get down to 1006.

 

[welly3]

I have an issue with a saison i have brewed (8th July)- it has a sickly apple flavour to it. I have read that it is acetaldehyde.

I still have it in the primary fermenter.
It was mashed at 63 degrees.

The gravity has hit its target-

Target O.G.- 1.065
Actual G- 1.052
Target F.G.- 1.012
Actual F.G- 1.010

The yeast is Wyeast 3724 Belgian Saison yeast.
Is this a common problem and have i done the right thing leaving it in the fermenter?
I have read that i should leave it and hope that it is a metabolite of the process that will be reduced?
Is it possible that it is an infection? I have reviewed my sanitation practices as a caution.
I have a plate cooler- i think i sanitise it adequately but i have read a bit about them. I've struggled to get it working properly anyway!
I think the apple flavour has decreased since the last tasting, but it still certainly undrinkable...!

Thanks

Seems to me like that would end up being a rather sweet saison at 1.010. Aren't most saisons much closer to 1.000? I've got a saison brewing (using Belle Saison yeast) that I'm hoping to get down to around 1.005 at most but hopefully lower.

 

[Philmac]

The target on the recipe was 1.012- hopefully that's not going to be really sweet..!

https://beerandbrewing.com/belgian-saison-in-the-style-of-saison-dupont-recipe/

How would you bring the gravity down- more grain in the mash?
Looking forward to it cooling down enough to get back on the ales...

 

[Oneiroi]

I've always been a bit curious about acetaldehyde as it was a suspect in a couple of early brews. When you say 'sickly' apple flavour, does that means its a sweet/cloying apple flavour?

 

[Philmac]

Sickly sweet green apple- like jolly ranchers/ some other sweet version of apple flavour almost.

 

[Dutto]

Have a read of this ...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetaldehyde

IF is acetaldehyde that you're tasting then the reassuring bit is under "Sources of Exposure - Plastics" which states:

"The level at which an average consumer could detect acetaldehyde is still considerably lower than any toxicity."

:thumb:

 

[Philmac]

That weird flavour has not gone away yet- just tried it now and it’s still quite strong- is there anything else that it could be? An infection maybe?...

 

[Dutto]

That weird flavour has not gone away yet- just tried it now and it’s still quite strong- is there anything else that it could be? An infection maybe?...

The OP stated "I have an issue with a saison i have brewed (8th July)...."

Please take a look at the photograph below and note the dates ...

The brews on the shelves and the Oatmeal Stout in the Wilco Keg have now been conditioning for over five months and they are coming to perfection!

Last Thursday (five days ago) I suggested ...

"Be patient and if it's still there after six weeks in the bottle I will be surprised!" :thumb:

SIX WEEKS, not five days!