Wild Yeast Ethyl Acetate

716Brewer

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So in late September I threw a handful of raspberries from my garden into a mason jar of unhopped starter wort with an airlock on top. Fast forward a month and it smelled pretty good and had what was either the start of a weird pellicle or mold. At the time I had no vodka on hand to add to the starter so I repitched the yeast from the bottom of the jar into a flask with more unhopped starter wort and enough vodka to make it 5% ABV. After 48 hours on a stir plate and another 24 to let everything settle out it reeks like nail polish remover. I know this can be caused by to much oxygen and wild yeast are prone to this esterification but do you think in a normal wort scenario it would do the same thing? I might just brew a 1 gallon batch this weekend and pitch it anyways.
 
So in late September I threw a handful of raspberries from my garden into a mason jar of unhopped starter wort with an airlock on top. Fast forward a month and it smelled pretty good and had what was either the start of a weird pellicle or mold. At the time I had no vodka on hand to add to the starter so I repitched the yeast from the bottom of the jar into a flask with more unhopped starter wort and enough vodka to make it 5% ABV. After 48 hours on a stir plate and another 24 to let everything settle out it reeks like nail polish remover. I know this can be caused by to much oxygen and wild yeast are prone to this esterification but do you think in a normal wort scenario it would do the same thing? I might just brew a 1 gallon batch this weekend and pitch it anyways.
I would pitch also and move forward keeping oxygen to a minimum. Michael Tonsmeire suggests keeping and using for blending. It may even turn out just fine. You've got nothing to lose.
 
I would pitch also and move forward keeping oxygen to a minimum. Michael Tonsmeire suggests keeping and using for blending. It may even turn out just fine. You've got nothing to lose.
Good idea about keeping for blending I hadn't thought of that!
 
I've had some wild fermentation that went that way. Not much you can do to make that flavor/aroma more palatable. Seems to be associated with higher-temp fermentation.The same wild yeast fermented at low temperatures can be very interesting, though.
 
Seems to be associated with higher-temp fermentation.The same wild yeast fermented at low temperatures can be very interesting, though.
Thanks for the advice. I will try a lower fermentation temp.
 

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