Hi all
I have a 42L batch which currentlyhas a strong acetaldehyde taste - without prompting my wife asked why the beer smelled of apples. Some background before the questions...
The brew is a pale ale, 1.052OG, mostly pale ale malt with a little caramalt plus handfuls of crystal and torrified wheat.
Mash was at 68 degrees for an hour; infusion of just under 3L/kg, then sparged.
Fermentation went well at a regulated 20 degrees, seemed over after 3 days, but left for a total of 7 days following pitching.
Crash cooled in the conical and left for two weeks to clear (which it didn't)
Didn't bother dumping any yeast off the bottom, but opinion seems to be that that is OK.
Have conditioned it in bottles for four weeks at room temp and while the taste has improved, it is still marked. It has also not cleared much at all.
Questions:
1. would dropping the temperature a couple of degrees during fermentation to 18 or so reduce the amount of acetaldehyde I get?
2. I have an open top to the conical. I let the krauzen fall and then clingfilm it to stop fruitflies, etc getting in. There is a co2 blanket during fermentation, but is it absorbed by the beer once it becomes less lively? Is it likely that I am getting oxidation going on?
I have a 42L batch which currentlyhas a strong acetaldehyde taste - without prompting my wife asked why the beer smelled of apples. Some background before the questions...
The brew is a pale ale, 1.052OG, mostly pale ale malt with a little caramalt plus handfuls of crystal and torrified wheat.
Mash was at 68 degrees for an hour; infusion of just under 3L/kg, then sparged.
Fermentation went well at a regulated 20 degrees, seemed over after 3 days, but left for a total of 7 days following pitching.
Crash cooled in the conical and left for two weeks to clear (which it didn't)
Didn't bother dumping any yeast off the bottom, but opinion seems to be that that is OK.
Have conditioned it in bottles for four weeks at room temp and while the taste has improved, it is still marked. It has also not cleared much at all.
Questions:
1. would dropping the temperature a couple of degrees during fermentation to 18 or so reduce the amount of acetaldehyde I get?
2. I have an open top to the conical. I let the krauzen fall and then clingfilm it to stop fruitflies, etc getting in. There is a co2 blanket during fermentation, but is it absorbed by the beer once it becomes less lively? Is it likely that I am getting oxidation going on?
