Youngs APA Smells & Tastes Horrid!

[tommywalls]

Hi,
I started to brew the Youngs APA kit 3 weeks ago, everything fairly uneventful, initial ferment was vigorous and krausen remained for over 2 weeks. The krausen has now dropped and I am ready to dry hop, however the beer smells and tastes rank! The aroma is something like pear drops, quite sweet and unpleasant and the taste is very bitter and quite acidic almost like a rough cider. My question is should I carry on and dry hop regardless hoping for a miracle when I bottle condition or should I cut my losses and bin it? I have made many brews both kit and extract but have never had one like this!

[Pinto]

Sounds like a drain job to me m8 -possible infection ?

[tommywalls]

I'm fairly sure that it is but was hoping for a miracle, I did read on another forum of someone who had exactly the same symptons with the Youngs IPA kit who was adamant there couldn't have been an infection, but anythings possible. He also reckoned he got a refund out of Youngs!
I also realise this post is in the wrong thread-anyway to move it?

[leon103]

I would carry on. I have had many brews taste and smell funny only for them to turn out ok.

[Wonkydonkey]

In your descriptions..... Pear drops, sweet, bitter, acidic,

It could be many things, but the 1st that springs to mind, is young beer, well apart from the acid rough cider bit.

My advice is to stick with it to see if it improves. You will not lose much waiting, but you could lose a whole brew, by chucking it.
If you did the latter, you would not gain any experience and could chuck a brew later because of this exsperiance. Which may or may not turn out ok.

I had a brew which I thought got infected, as it has a bit of a sour taste. Which I noticed from tasting it out of the FV anyhow I stuck with it, and yes it was infected (it was dust entering the FV, my own fault) but the info I got from this by tasting it along the way was invaluable.
btw, pear drops is an ester that is from stressed yeast, which could be from to high fremeinting temp. Or it could just be that type of yeast that chucks it out anyway, as it does in trapeast beers.
The bitterness does mellow after/over time,
It's the acidic that is got me thinking, some peeps get this (taste this) when it's really somthing else.... Green apples ??.....I need to look it up,
Back in a bit.

I'm back, it could be acetaldehyde ( can't spell this time of night) as long as it does not taste vinegary.

Anyhow let's use know how it goes and what you do, even if you just bottle a few. Then you can try it later and see if your thoughts were right or wrong.

Anyway hope this helps.
Wonky..

[tommywalls]

Thanks for that, think I will bottle maybe half and see what happens, will update later

[tommywalls]

Couldn't resist a look at this at the weekend and can confirm it is absolutely vile. No carbonation since bottling and a flavour akin to nail varnish with a dash of vinegar.
Definitely an infection of some sort and so only good as drain cleaner I'm afraid. Fingers crossed for my extract American Pale ale that is in the FV and 7 days in smells good!