Strange smell from Cascade Spicy Ghost fermenting

timmy · Post by **timmy** » Wednesday Jan 17, 2007 6:52 am

Morning all,

I've got a batch of this stuff on the go (to which I added some LDME and Dex) and am using the kit yeast (whatever that is).
I've been doing SG tests because I'm not seeing any airlock activity or virtually any krausen. The SG is dropping as expected, but the smell coming off the brew is what's worrying me. Normally my brews (they have all been Coopers kits previously) have a nice beery smell about them, but this one just smells like bread proving.
I'm pretty sure my stuff was sanitised properly before I started, so I don't think it's an infection. Any ideas?

Cheers,

Tim

gregb · Post by **gregb** » Wednesday Jan 17, 2007 7:43 am

My advice: Relax, don't worry, have a homebrew.

Cheers,
Greg

timmy · Post by **timmy** » Wednesday Jan 17, 2007 8:22 am

Not too worried. I haven't got high hopes for this one anyway. Perhaps the worms in my compost bin will get a beery suprise in the next couple of weeks....

Pale_Ale · Post by **Pale_Ale** » Wednesday Jan 17, 2007 9:00 am

My bet is on the air leaking out somewhere else.

rwh · Post by **rwh** » Wednesday Jan 17, 2007 9:11 am

Yeah, you have a gas leak. Forget about it, just bottle it when your SG is stable. It'll be fine. If the smell made you want to vomit, THEN I'd worry. But smelling like bread yeast... that could easily just be the different strain of yeast that Cascade are using.

l'orange · Post by **l'orange** » Wednesday Jan 17, 2007 10:49 am

yeah, the yeast in the cascade tins is terrible!

it's a lager/ale hybrid as i remember... so the high temps could be doing something, doesnt matter though as it will just taste fine!

gavind · Post by **gavind** » Wednesday Jan 17, 2007 11:23 am

i've done the cascade lager a couple of times and i remember some different smells also. i think the yeast they supply is a 'boheimian' lager/ale blend.

both have come out pretty good.

timmy · Post by **timmy** » Wednesday Jan 17, 2007 11:30 am

Thanks for the encouragement guys....

Any idea on the optimum time to leave before tasting?

gavind · Post by **gavind** » Wednesday Jan 17, 2007 11:33 am

i always TRY to leave it for at least 3 months, but if its something new i've brewed i can normally only wait a month or so till i try at least one bottle.

Noodles · Post by **Noodles** » Wednesday Jan 17, 2007 12:09 pm

I've brewed the Spicy Ghost and it certainly improves with time in the bottle. It definitely smells different during the ferment compared to a Coopers kit. From memory I just brewed it with a brew enhancer and some ldm, it turned out ok but I won't be brewing it again.

timmy · Post by **timmy** » Friday Jan 19, 2007 1:32 pm

Update on this one:

The funny smell has gone and it now smells normal. I think fermentation has finished. Doesn't taste too bad either, judging by the hydro sample.

I was tempted to use some K97 on this one but didn't want to waste it (the yeast, that is....).

rodman · Post by **rodman** » Saturday Jan 20, 2007 8:21 am

Timmy,
Cascade sells the Spicy Ghost as a summer/wheat style brew, so it's probably using a wheaty-flavour yeast.
Here's a couple of recipes from the website (when it was available):

Summer Blonde Style
1 can Spicy Ghost Draught
0.7 kg liquid wheat malt extract
0.5 kg light liquid malt extract
0.3 kg dextrose
0.3 kg maltodextrin (corn syrup)
10 gram Cascade hop pellets
10 gram Saaz hop pellets
use a wheat beer yeast (e.g.Safbrew T58)

Refreshing Chilled Summer Beer
1 can Spicy Ghost Draught
0.7 kg light liquid malt extract
0.5 kg dextrose
0.3 kg maltodextrin (corn syrup)
15 gram Cascade hop pellets (or a more bitter hop), added before fermentation (boil the pellets in 200-400 mL of water or 10% malt extract solution for 15-20 minutes, strain into the fermenter, press the liquid out of the hops)
10 gram Saaz hop pellets

Hope this helps define your brew.
Rodman.