Acetaldehyde?

Yeast & Fermentation
1

I brewed an IPA 12/23 and pitched it with 400ml of 1272 slurry that was about 4 months old. On brewersfriend calculator if I estimated the slurry density at 3m cells/ml it appeared to be adequate at 2m per it was an underpitch. I knew it was risky but didn’t want to wait and make a starter.

I aerated the heck out of it and fermentation started off within 24 hours ran it’s course as expected wtih that yeast. I kegged it 1/11 after dryhopping with 3oz of my IPA blend for 5 days and put it in the fridge on gas. t did not have anywhere near the aroma I usually get with this IPA. Admittedly I usually drop the DH in the keg and leave it but still…

SO…now…almost 2 weeks later…almost no carbonation, no hops aroma just kind of a cidery aroma, tangy sour cider taste and maybe a little bandaid…I can’t imagine it got oxidized. It wasn’t in the bucket long enough. I’m always careful racking and it was put on gas immediately.

The cider taste/aroma I guess could be acetaldehyde right? Overstressed yeast? Would probably be imprudent to use that yeast again huh? I have about 600ml of it saved. Was hoping to brew another IPA Wednesday since I didn’t get to it this weekend.

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Yeah I agree, it sounds like you’ve identified a problem with this batch…it may or may not have been the yeast but why risk it ?

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The yeast may be salvageable if you build up a starter. I guess it all depends on if you have an alternative planned.

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I would not save the yeast, nor the bucket it was fermented in… A fresh start is needed sometimes… I do like to keep it simple… Sneezles61

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Thanks for the replies boys! I feel like my mojo has been off of late so I’m not taking any chances. I went out and bought a new smackpack and the starter is already bubbling away.

@sneezles61 The bucket? Really? Hadn’t thought about that…Not sure I can ID it among the stack of em to be honest. I plan to ferment the next few batches in carboys anyway. I’ll just PBW the heck outta my buckets one day soon.

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I don’t want you to have anymore foul product… I’m thinking about you brother! Sneezles61

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