I pitched WLP530 Abbey Ale at 65F and kept it at around 65-68F for 7 days and now I am letting it ramp up a little to mid 70’s. It is currently at 72.84F measured from the inside of the tank inside a fermentation chamber. Also, I infused with pure O2 for 2 minutes prior to pitching.
I took an SG reading and it is now at 1.014 from 1.057 (5.3-5.4%ABV). (I am still to do a D-45 addition to take that SG some points where my ABV will finish up at 6.8%)
Anyway…
I tried the sample and it has the color, I sense a little fruitiness and the taste had a spicy-sweet front palate and a slightly sour after taste.
I’ve never used WLP530 before… is this normal?
I know I have to wait because it is still too green… I guess I kind of need someone to get my mind away from the worst case scenario.
Beer that is still fermenting has a fair amount of yeast in suspension. This can come across as slightly sour or bitter. When the beer finishes and drops out I’ll bet you notice the flavors clean up and that sour yeasty character should disappear. An infection isn’t impossible but I think it’s more likely you’re tasting young, yeasty beer.
Jon has a great point. I was initially going to say “no, it shouldn’t taste sour”, but if there is still yeast in suspension, yes, yeast itself has a certain sourness to it. Might taste just fine after fermentation is complete. Give it some more time and you’ll most likely be awarded. Have you noticed any unusual looking pellicle on the top? If it was infected it would often have an ugly dusty looking skin on top that does not look like regular yeast. If it’s the usual creamy brown with bubbles, then it’s probably just fine. Patience.
Agreed with the two pro’s above, but bear in mind that this yeast is considered to be a medium to high flocculating yeast…so, I would add that sugar addition fairly soon while you still have some active yeast to ferment it out.
I say this to newer Brewers: “The meal is almost over and it is time to serve the dessert, before too many of the guests fall asleep”. YMMV, of course and best of luck with your batch.
I don’t get “sour” from a yeasty sample, though everyone’s perceptions can be different. I get bitter and… yeasty. I suppose it may be slightly sour but I’ve tasted it enough that I simply recognize the flavor as yeast.
Regardless, if it’s sourness from an infection it will increase. Give it time, and you’ll know.
Its a verbage thing for sure. Plus we aren’t tasting it, so its really anyone’s guess. But if the yeast is in suspension still, and the airlock is bubbling, then I doubt its acidity causing the “sourness”. If a bug had produced enough acid to be obviously sour, there are only so many sac strains that will continue chugging along.
Think it’s more a perception and terminology thing. Certain yeast strains, I would describe as ‘tangy’ or ‘metallic’ rather than either sour or bitter, even though I could see people describing that same taste as either or both.
Probably sour wasn’t the best choice of words(I am ESL)… it was more a little tangy (potato…po-ta-to) I guess.
I took another sample and let it rest for several minutes. Once all floating matter moved to the bottom of the glass the taste was more of a green beer and not so much tangy.
I added the D-45 and almost right away I can see the airlock going again. That was fast!
If the tangy character goes away when the yeast and sediment settle out, then I say no. Like I mentioned earlier once the beer clears out I think you’ll be fine.
Let the beer finish fermenting your final sugar addition and give it some time to clean up properly after itself. Reserve any judgements for your final gravity reading sample. If it is infected it should show its ugly head even more pronounced after the fermentation is complete and the yeast have dropped out of suspension. My guess is that your beer is just fine. Just give it some time before taking another sample and packaging.
