pleopold2001

Okay, Northwest Pale Ale, 3 weeks in LBK, followed directions on can. Followed standard sanitizing procedures, but I did have a couple homebrews that eve, so my attention to detail might have been slightly compromised. Nothing major that I can remember. So I think that this batch has: A. been Infected. B. floating yeast rafts. C. been agitated while moving around, knocking off some of the dry krausen ring which is now floating on top. Tastes like flat beer. Nothing nasty. The alcohol taste seems up from what I am used to, but this is the highest ABV batch I have brewed. I decided to cold crash. There is no filmy substance, just these floaties. Any thoughts.

Thank you all for the feedback! I'm hoping the banana tones mellow out as that was not the intent of this batch. Beats the cidery/champagne crap I was dealing with at first.

I brewed up a Patriot Lager, with Pale LME, 1.5oz Liberty Hops, and standard yeast. I boiled 1.5oz of Liberty Hops in the LME for about 30 minutes before adding the HME off boil. Three weeks in LBK, temps in 68-72 range. Distinct banana flavor/aroma at bottling. I was somewhat concerned that this might be an infection, but the beer otherwise appeared like the others at bottling and seemed safe. I had left the lid off of the LBK for an hour or so before pitching while waiting for wort to cool. Is it possible I got some stray yeasties in there, which produced this flavor?

For me, the biggest problem was high temps. I got an aquarium thermometer. Problem solved. Haven't had that problem since.

I broke down and bought some aquarium thermometers. The batch I brewed last night (Patriot, Pale LME, 1.5 Oz Cascade) was baking at about 78 degrees. Perhaps temp has been my problem all along. The batch I brewed on the 20th, standard CAL, was still at 72 degrees but I'm guessing it was much warmer a week ago. Apparently room temp is not a very effective measure. Like the original poster, I could also describe my brew as tasting like wine, but to me I would describe it more like cider.

I've had the same problems so far. Each time I bottle (after three weeks in the LBK) the beer still tastes a bit cidery. I don't think that I am doing anything drastically wrong or off script. I have a thermometer located outside my lbks, which usually reads 68-69 degrees. I would assume that the temp is higher inside the LBK but I don't think it would be so high as to negatively impact fermentation. My hope is that time is my friend in the bottle.