Honey off flavour

[Mark Weusten]

I just bottled a cream ale styled beer that used san fran lager yeast. It has the same honey off flavour, almost a glucose taste that my last failed pils had. They both had a very slow ferment. The cream ale was down from 1.050 to 1.040 after 2 weeks at 14c so I raised up to 18c for another 2 weeks and it got down to 1.012. I had a vial of WLP810 and made a 3 litre starter for it. Maybe I am under pitching and the honey or "Pentainedione" is a result.

[Grant R Baker]

It sounds very similar to an old batch of Scotch Ale I did that didn't ferment out well.

I fingered old yeast and a starter that didn't really get started (didn't go all milky in the flask)... it did ferment down but it was sweet with honey like flavours too.

Lagers do take a while to get started but I would have thought your starter was big enough. Was the Starter fermented at 14C too?  I normally allow 2 to 3 days for a lager starter... again I look for it to turn milky.

[Mark Weusten]

@ Robert -I dont really have an aeration program. Chilled wort gets yeast and a stirring with the paddle. @Grant the starter was room temp which is 18c in my brew room. Appreciate your replies

[Peter Church]

http://beersmith.com/blog/2012/04/21/diacetyl-in-home-brewed-beer-t...

 

[Mark Weusten]

Thanks Peter. Wish I had read that before I bottled it. I would have never thought to pitch active yeast in finished beer to clean up off flavours.

[Peter Church]

me either but good to know