fusel alcohol taste

[mtsoxfan]

So I finally had some Porter I brewed July 5 and it has a slight alcohol taste. I realized early on, that in the first week of fermentation, the temp reached 76* for a couple days. I got it down after a day or two, but only to 70*. I used Notty, and 76 is on the high end, as usually it should be mid-low 60's.
I know I need to condition to get rid of it, but my question is, should it be warm conditioned, cold, or it doesn't matter?

Also, I harvested the yeast, and just pitched Tuesday. Are there any concerns about reusing this yeast now? Too late for the beer it is in, but will toss out when it's done if need be...

[MadBrewer]

If the fusels are mild, I think they will condition out and mellow some. You may or may not rid all of them with conditioning. Once carbonated, I usually favor cold conditioning. Warm conditioning speeds the staling factors in the beer. Cold conditioning will help drop out some things that could help improve the flavor and life of the beer.

As far as the yeast I think it will be ok. Think of a starter, we let them bad boys go at room temp most of the time right? Lager starters especially, they are well above their preferred temp zone when making a starter and then we pitch that yeast and most often use it again and again.

[D_Rabbit]

Porters tend to be forgiving with off flavors by conditioning. Definitely warm condition for a while longer. I like to let my porters sit for a month or 2 past the carbing phase. May want to let it sit in the carboy for a little longer also to let the yeasts clean up as much as possible. Maybe use a secondary for that. Transfer in a week or so and let sit for another 2-3 weeks. Bottle or keg and let sit for month or so. Should be ready about the time the seasons are changing. RDWHAHB

[mtsoxfan]

I fermented 3 weeks, transfered to keg with 2 ozs. corn sugar to help with the carb. Set at room temp for 3 more weeks and just put in fridge a couple days ago. I know I let my stouts room temp condition at least 6 months, so, although my porters have been ready in the timeframe of 3+3, I will pull this and let it condition a bit more...
It is only a mild fusel flavor, but compared to the porter it replaced, same recipe etc. it was a big enough difference...

[Beer-lord]

My experience is that true fusels will never come out no matter how long you leave them........I've gone 8 months and they were still in 2 bottles I've kept. But, with fusels, and I've done more reading than I'd like to admit, the degree makes all the difference. It's one thing to feel the heat but if you feel and taste it, it's worse.
But, its worth a try to let them go where they may and in a Porter, you may luck out.
I've got some trouble in my coconut IPA I'll be posting about soon.

[mtsoxfan]

I'm hoping for the best. I don't get a real "burn", just an alcohol aroma and a mild flavor. I checked it for a third time, 2 oz. sample before I took it off the gas and started conditioning again. It's more aroma than flavor, but it still has a mild alcohol flavor...And there really isn't anything in the porter it can be hide behind, unlike a stout.

Well, that throws a wrench in my rotation... Looks like I may have a porter and toasted oatmeal chocolate stout on at the same time. That'll force me to buy a pale or IPA to balance out the pipeline...

[duff]

I had a couple of batches that had more fusels than intended and while they never fully dissappeared aging did seem to help. Another thing that I noticed was drinking the beer at room temperature instead of slightly chilled allowed the flavor of the beer cover the fusels a bit more.

[gwcr]

Aging has definitely helped reduce the fusels in my last APA batch. I warm conditioned for 1 month in a keg after 3.5 weeks fermenting. It has now been in the kegerator almost 3 weeks cold conditioning at about 34 degrees and is fully carbed. While there is a little heat there that probably won't ever completely go away, I barely notice it anymore. Will see if anyone else even picks up on it this weekend when I have a few friends over. Hopefully the conditioning works out for you like it did for me. I went from "crap, I may have to dump this one" to "This is pretty dang good" in 2 months. Sometimes i still feel like a newb...

[Beer-lord]

I feel like a newb too when I asked questions I already know the answer to.
I think I am too sensitive to fusels and that's why I pick up on them quickly.While I agree aging helps some fusels, I don't think they ever go away completely and depending on the beer, some are covered up better than others.
My concerns with IPA's that may be bothered with fusels is letting them age too long causes the hops to dissipate and the true beer is never enjoyed. Everyone's taste is different and some of my friends never even noticed it in my beers last summer but I sure did!