So, I started adding a little s05 to some of my beers to insure carbonation when bottle conditioning. Brewed a Black IPA/Cascadian Dark, whatever you want to call it. Tasted great before bottling, had a really heathly fermentation with plenty of yeast, no trace of off flavors (definitely no diacetyl). After a couple weeks I cracked one open - huge diacetyl flavor ???
I am guessing the added bottle conditioning yeast is the culprit, although I am not sure why because I have done this before with no diacetyl off flavors - but now I would like to try and get rid of it. Any suggestions? Should I put the bottles in a warm place to try and reactive yeast for cleanup?
OK, you said they’re bottle-conditioned, so yes, try to warm them up and see if they yeast will clean up after themselves. That’s probably your best case scenario.
Hard to jump to the conclusion that it’s infected. Pedio is what typically makes diacetyl. If you had an infection, you might see addition confiming signs: haze, higher carbonation, sourness, etc. If that happened, you’re pretty well hosed.
How is the diacetyl presenting itself? Aroma, flavor, etc? What does it taste like? (In other words, are you sure it’s diacetyl and not caramel?)
Definitely presenting itself in aroma and flavor, has that butter/butterscotch flavor - definitely not caramel. So far there hasnt been any sourness or funkyness to the aroma or flavor, and carbonation is very nice, not over carbonated. Also has a nice head that retains…I guess I will try warming them up to see what happens. I appreciate the help
Was there excessive oxidation during transfer from bottling bucket? Because if so that could be the issue.
According to Fix
[quote] Indeed, a widely observed but little discussed phenomenon occurs when diacetyl appears spontaneously in a beer that seemed to have normal flavors. Strong evidence indicates that this can occur when marginally dysfunctional yeast have been used in the main fermentation – they tend not to metabolize all the acetolactic acid in the wort. The acetolactic acid spills over into the finished beer and later is oxidized to diacetyl.
[/quote]
I had this happen with a helles I bottle-conditioned recently. It did go away after a few weeks, and I kept it warm-conditioned until it did. I had no signs of diacetyl at the end of fermentation or at any time prior to bottle conditioning. There was a huge buttered popcorn aroma though, when I opened one after one week. Fortunately it went away as it seemed like the bottle yeast cleaned it up.
US-05 does give diacetyl with bottle conditioning now and then. As said before: put your beers away warm and it will go away. Sometimes in a couple of days, sometimes in a week or two.
Great news. Glad it wasn’t something worse. Be sure to chill them all down after the diacetyl is gone. You don’t want to abuse the beer more than is necessary.
Great thread, yall. I’m gonna have to give this a shot. I opened my tester bottle a week after bottling and had the same issue as the OP. Gonna try to raise the temp in my apt and see if the diacetyl aroma/flavor dissipates.
