First lager - fruity

[Crackin]

Very clever Sheen.

[Crackin]

Still looking for thoughts on this. Can anyone comment on this flavor? I am letting it go another month. All four of my lagers have it, so it is either green beer, or infection. I repitched for all four, and the first beer was made with a starter.

Thanks,
Doug

[LocalBrewer]

I just kegged my Eisbock (Second Lager) and had pretty much the same effect not to strong fruitiness but it was there. Did Steve's 50 out of BCS and Jamil says to lager near freezing temps. So it is lagering at 32 degrees. Have 3 more weeks to go on a month lager....

[Crackin]

What yeast did you use for your Eisbock? What temp did you ferment at?

Doug

[DannyW]

Still looking for thoughts on this. Can anyone comment on this flavor? I am letting it go another month. All four of my lagers have it, so it is either green beer, or infection. I repitched for all four, and the first beer was made with a starter.

Thanks,
Doug

I have a Ofest on tap now that I made with JZ's recipe using the same Bavarian lager yeast you used. I have not noticed anything like skittles fruitiness in it at all. It's more like deep toast or bread crusts with some caramel and might be overbittered a bit. I aerated by pumping the wort into the bucket with the hose pinched, pitched into a bucket at around 48F, let it rise to 50F and kept it there for 4 weeks. I tasted no diacetyl at that point so did no D-rest. Then it went into a keg in the fridge at 40F for a couple more weeks, then through a plate filter into another keg for carbonation and then into my glass.

I had a pretty big pitch - this was half a yeast cake from a prior batch of munich helles.

In general what would cause extreme fruitness anyway? Stressed yeast from underpitch or under oxygenation maybe? Warm ferment possibly but would that be coupled with fusels? Maybe not until you get extremely hot. I've heard that one of the dry lager yeasts gets Jolly Rancher fruity when fermented at 50F - that one has to ferment at 60 or so. you aren't using that yeast though, so now I'm back to not much of an idea...

[LocalBrewer]

What yeast did you use for your Eisbock? What temp did you ferment at?

Doug

I used WLP830 - German Lager and fermented at 52 degrees. I pitched at 60 degrees with a 1800ml starter with 3 viles.

[Crackin]

The only think I can guess is that I did not aerate enough. I usually just open the tap on the boil kettle and let it gravity drain (no hose) into the fermenter bucket. This usually involves a lot of splashing and lots of foam, and works well at least for ales. I will be tasting again mid-february, so I hope this has been cleaned up by then. I can tell the beers, themselves are going to be really delicious! Will report back after tasting.

Doug

[Crackin]

Still there. In the Boston Lager, it tastes kinda like it belongs, but in the Oktoberfest, German Pils, and Helles, it is clearly out of place. It is not an infection, as it has diminshed and I have brewed 2 ales after these on the same equipment that did not have a problem. This leaves me with the culprits: 1) Funky pilsner malt (Franco Belges) 2) Funky yeast (first time using 2206) or 3) Procedural problem.

I am leaning toward a procedural problem, but can only guess that maybe I did not give them enough oxygen (for a lager yeast).

Thoughts?