The banana boat came to the brew house.

Banjo-guy · Post by **Banjo-guy** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 6:53 pm

I brewed Northern Brewer's Brunch Stout and and used Safale S-04 at 66 to 69 degrees. I thought I was controlling fermentation temperature but it smells and tastes like I just invited Carmen Miranda over for a concert! I'm in a banana grove.

If you ever want to know what the banana ester smells like use 04 in the high 60s. Its too bad because its ruining what seems like a great beer.

RickBeer · Post by **RickBeer** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 8:09 pm

Unfortunate, but it's a temp issue. Below 65 no issue.

Banjo-guy · Post by **Banjo-guy** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 8:31 pm

Lesson learned!

Post by **Beer-lord** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 8:46 pm

I wouldn't pitch it and try letting stay in primary a bit longer or move to secondary. Some of those esters may very well go away. Then, after they're bottled for a month or so, you might see even more go away.
I think it's too early to tell. While it likely many never completely go away, it may weaken enough to actually add to the taste.

berryman · Post by **berryman** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 8:59 pm

Banjo-guy, a lot of that banana might condition out of that beer if you let it go for a while, just thinking. I use a lot of 04 yeast and usually ferment in the mid 60's and don't get banana. one of the beers I'm doing now I'm hoping for some banana, a Hef. But not using 04, using a hef yeast and letting the temp. rise to where ever......

Banjo-guy · Post by **Banjo-guy** » Tue Jul 21, 2015 9:15 pm

This beer really took off. I had one 1/2 of the batch in my fermentation fridge with a temperature probe taped the side of the fermenter. It probably spiked higher because it was really cooking.
It smelled much like a banana that I was really surprised.

I split this 5 gallon batch in half and fermented the other 1/2 in a water bath with frozen water bottles. That batch doesn't have the banana smell. It will be interesting to compare the two beers.
That batch isn't carbed yet. I forgot to open the valve on that gas line .

I'm going to let these sit for a month or more before I drink them but I'll try a sample in 7 days when its carbed.

berryman · Post by **berryman** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 6:41 pm

I looked up Northern Brewer's Brunch Stout and that sounds really good. I like Breakfast beers and have brewed a few and this one sounds real good. I see how you wouldn't want banana in this beer, but I bet most of it will condition out with a little time. With 60 IBU's, a good malt and some coffee, you won't taste the banana anyways

ScrewyBrewer · Post by **ScrewyBrewer** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 9:25 pm

I like bananas with Cheerios or plain sometimes and I've given up on US 04 for 2015. I used it almost exclusively in 2014 though for stouts and an English style IPA that turned out let's say unusual. The stouts were really fine tasting though I must admit.

With a chest freezer at 20F after chilling the wort I've been putting both 6.5 gallon fermentors inside it until the wort temperature is a stable 66F. It's a PITA lifting them up and out of the freezer to pitch the yeast and then oxygenate the wort only to have to gingerly lift and put them into the freezer again.

But I have to say doing it this way is consistently producing some of the cleanest tasting beers I've ever brewed in my life. So far I've been pitching a packet of dry US 05 per five gallon batch and WLP 400 vials per five gallon batch. More than likely over the winter I'll get back to building big four liter starters and pitching them again. Anyhow it's been nice chatting with you all the weather in the brew room is perfect and I'm savoring the Hiphopapocalypse IPA before bedtime.

Banjo-guy · Post by **Banjo-guy** » Thu Jul 23, 2015 10:06 pm

berryman wrote:I looked up Northern Brewer's Brunch Stout and that sounds really good. I like Breakfast beers and have brewed a few and this one sounds real good. I see how you wouldn't want banana in this beer, but I bet most of it will condition out with a little time. With 60 IBU's, a good malt and some coffee, you won't taste the banana anyways

It looks good. I'm curious to try the one without the banana. I really have dislike for that flavor in beer. I'll have it in my yogurt or cereal though ( to paraphrase Screwy).

mashani · Post by **mashani** » Fri Jul 24, 2015 11:50 pm

You might be a banana super taster, or maybe the pack was bad/old/stored poorly (before you got it) so it was "underpitched" as well as warm - because I've used S-04 at 66-68 without any issues like that. I use other yeasts at even higher temperatures when I want to taste the banana.