Mud beer - Cold Crash question

[ChicoBrewer]

My Citra SMaSH just ran dry in the kegerator so I put the next keg in (my Ash fall IPA recipe in my sig). The IPA really didn't have any identifiable problems during the brew day. I hit my mash temps/volumes/SG's etc. It was in the fermenter from August 3 - August 24 at 68F and I dry hopped it at the same temp for three days. August 28 I added 6oz of Briess pale DME (in sterile solution) for keg conditioning. I left it in the fermentation chamber at 68F until September 10 (14days) then I turned freezer down to 34F to cold crash it. That was Monday (two days).

Today the keg in my kegerator was empty so I pulled the Ash Fall IPA out and tapped it. The beer comes out really muddy looking and has a nutty somewhat peanut buttery taste. not unpleasant but not what I expected.

I put the keg back in the freezer to continue cold storage.

So my question is - do you think the muddy look is due to not letting it sit cold long enough? What would cause the peanut butter flavor? I have tasted it before in commercial beers. I'm not able to pinpoint whether this is a recipe problem or I just didn't let it sit cold long enough or maybe some of both . . .
It looks like the beer is clarifying on the top of the glass. I poured two glasses and dumped the first one. No head either

 

[Head First]

You didn't mention gravity readings, they would help tell the story.

 

[ChicoBrewer]

OG - 1.057
FG - 1.010

Thanks!

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

sounds like you pulled it out of fermentation too soon, and the taste could be acetaldehyde

 

[thunderwagn]

Your fg doesn't look high imo. My guess is possible oxidation and too cool of temps for carbonation to happen enough before you chilled. Proper carb can greatly affect how you pick up flavor in beer. I'd give it more gas and force carb and sample after you have some good carbonation. Might totally change the flavors for you.

 

[GFHomebrew]

This your first pour? If so just some settled crap. Let it condition another week with decent carvonation pour and try again.

 

[J A]

Diacetyl. Peanut butter wouldn't be my first choice of descriptor, but flavor that's heavy, oily, buttery, butterscotch in the right combination of nutty malts could give that impression. Assuming that there is at least a reasonable amount of carbonation, losing head completely gives it away every time.

 

[ChicoBrewer]

I think it's trub on the bottom of the keg. It settles to the bottom of the glass after a while. This is my second attempt at keg conditioning. I'm going to let it sit for a week then try pouring it until it's clear. The reason I started keg conditioning is because I can only fit one keg in my kegerator so I was adapting my cycle so I dont need to carbonate with the co2 tank. Maybe I'll go back to force Carbonating.

 

[Texas Ale Works]

I do a combo of keg condition and carbing myself, when you prime in the keg there is a lot more sediment.

My first (oversized) pour after letting it sit on the gas is done with gas turned off and real slow.....I pour until the beer looks bright

 

[Nosybear]

Diacetyl. Peanut butter wouldn't be my first choice of descriptor, but flavor that's heavy, oily, buttery, butterscotch in the right combination of nutty malts could give that impression. Assuming that there is at least a reasonable amount of carbonation, losing head completely gives it away every time.

Second. And it would also be caused by pulling out of primary/secondary too soon, perhaps by cold-crashing. It could also be an umami flavor from abused yeast. The haze, that should have settled but it could just be keg-bottom junk. Another cause of the peanut butter flavor could be suspended yeast. This is a "click and clack" moment, trying to diagnose an off-flavor based on descriptions. Too many things could cause your problem.

 

[J A]

Keg conditioning is creating more yeast in the bottom of the keg and you're getting a lot of the trub in your glass. I suspect that the beer will clear up and some of the flavor will clear up with it. The diacetyl won't go away. Slightly cloying buttery notes may remain and head retention will probably be an issue. . If you have kegs and CO2, just force carb and be done with it. No reason to introduce potential further problems when you can have clean, clear beer quicker.

 

[Nosybear]

Just an aside on diacetyl and head retention: I had a Pilsner Urquell as part of our BJCP training last night. Definite diacetyl (a slight, pleasant buttery note and a bit of slickness in the mouthfeel) but no problems at all with head retention. If you have other problems leading to the diacetyl, JA is correct, head retention will suffer. The more I think about the "peanut butter" descriptor, the more I'm leaning toward suspended yeast - it has a somewhat peanut-buttery umami flavor to it and can be very unpleasant. If you can pinch your nose together and still taste the flaw, it's umami and it should settle out.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

yes now that I think about it if you just started kegging it's just yeast and sediment, we've all had that and why I cut my dip tubes 1 inch from the bottom to allow that to not happen, the flavor will be better after it clears if this is the case

 

[GFHomebrew]

I must say great beer mug! Thats Mickey Mouse eh?

 

[ChicoBrewer]

I must say great beer mug! Thats Mickey Mouse eh?

Nice catch! Bought it at Disney Land LOL.

 

[ChicoBrewer]

Thank you for all the replies. It turns out that the "Mud" was just yeast sediment. It took about 7 pours before it started coming out clear. I guess I was over thinking (again). Peanut butter taste goes away with the mud too.

I'm really up in the air right now about the keg conditioning versus force caribing On the one hand it enables me to have a keg on tap and another in the fermentation freezer along with another batch that is fermenting but it also causes a lot of sediment in the keg. I think it is easier to hit the carb numbers better than force carbing which is a bit of witchcraft. but. . .Waiting two weeks between kegs of beer is just too much for my psyche.

BTW - the beer is jus OK not fabulous but I attribute that to the brewer.

 

[Hawkbox]

I don't keg condition anything.

 

[Aub]

Thank you for all the replies. It turns out that the "Mud" was just yeast sediment. It took about 7 pours before it started coming out clear. I guess I was over thinking (again). Peanut butter taste goes away with the mud too.

I'm really up in the air right now about the keg conditioning versus force caribing On the one hand it enables me to have a keg on tap and another in the fermentation freezer along with another batch that is fermenting but it also causes a lot of sediment in the keg. I think it is easier to hit the carb numbers better than force carbing which is a bit of witchcraft. but. . .Waiting two weeks between kegs of beer is just too much for my psyche.

BTW - the beer is jus OK not fabulous but I attribute that to the brewer.

I cold crash in the fermenter or should I say cool crash at about 10c and fine with gelatin then keg 48 hours later on about 12 psi and after about 10 days it's carbed and end up with an almost crystal clear beer with only a tiny bit of sediment, the first pour is drinkable and the second crystal clear.

 

[thunderwagn]

Thank you for all the replies. It turns out that the "Mud" was just yeast sediment. It took about 7 pours before it started coming out clear. I guess I was over thinking (again). Peanut butter taste goes away with the mud too.

I'm really up in the air right now about the keg conditioning versus force caribing On the one hand it enables me to have a keg on tap and another in the fermentation freezer along with another batch that is fermenting but it also causes a lot of sediment in the keg. I think it is easier to hit the carb numbers better than force carbing which is a bit of witchcraft. but. . .Waiting two weeks between kegs of beer is just too much for my psyche.

BTW - the beer is jus OK not fabulous but I attribute that to the brewer.

I force carb as most do, but there's nothing wrong with working with what you have and making it work for you. I cold crash with gelatine in my kegs and all the first pours are dumpers. There are ways around that also. Cut your pick up tube, or you can buy a device that floats in your keg and picks up beer from the top rather than the bottom.
With a bit of trial and error, I'm sure you can get your process down and your keg conditioning will work just fine for you.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I've personally carbed in every way possible but I prefer to let it carb slowly at serving pressure, this allows sediment to drop as well before drinking and drops any off flavors out that's in the yeast or sediment