Ashamed to ask.....what's an esther?

[Stormcooker]

Knock on wood I never had a batch go bad except two summers ago when fermenting in the 80's due to lack of temperature control. I don't normally brew the same recipe twice in a row and if one batch tastes different from the next of the same recipe, I'll probably not even notice.

Can someone school me about what an esther is, and how a few degrees difference in fermentation temp from batch to batch of the same recipe can effect your beer? I would like to know that I can achieve a desired amount of consistancy even with a few variables such as slight variations in pitching temp, and ferment temps, and by that I mean only a difference of like 5-10 degrees, and well within the recomended temperature zone recomended for the yeast style.

[Brandon]

It is actually ester

But here is a quick overview that I just copied and pasted

Description: This is the fruity character found in some ales. Certain yeasts will throw more esters than others. Acceptable in most ales, not acceptable in clean lagers. That banana aroma/flavor you get from a hefeweizen? That's an example of ester(s).

Cause: Higher fermentation temperature will usually produce more esters, as will certain yeast strains. Poor aeration of wort before pitching can also jack up the esters in your brew.

Remedy: Make sure to ferment your beer at the correct temperature according to style and yeast strain. Do your research on whatever yeast strain you are using. Make sure to aerate wort thoroughly before pitching yeast.

[vjboxer]

An ester is a class of organic compounds. They tend to have fruity aromas and are related to ketones, like diacetyl. Some yeasts will produce more esters that others and can be temperature dependant. Like a Hefe yeast strain, if you're looking for more of a banana aroma ferment towards the lower end of the temp range for the yeast. If you prefer more of a clovey aroma and profile then ferment at a higher temp. Some yeasts, if fermented at higher temps can produce a ton of esters but if fermented at lower temps can be pretty tame, compared to the higher temp. The Irish ale yeast comes to mind for that one.

There are a whole slew of compounds produced during fermentation, some are byproducts, some are intermediaries and like most chemical reactions temperature plays an important role in the rate of reaction and what or how much of a by product is produced.

Basically is is a bunch of scientific mumbo jumbo.

[Stormcooker]

if you're looking for more of a banana aroma ferment towards the lower end of the temp range for the yeast. If you prefer more of a clovey aroma and profile then ferment at a higher temp.

Thought it was the other way around?

[vjboxer]

if you're looking for more of a banana aroma ferment towards the lower end of the temp range for the yeast. If you prefer more of a clovey aroma and profile then ferment at a higher temp.

Thought it was the other way around?

It could be, I get mixed up on that but you get the point, right? I don't really care for Hefe's but I should have checked to make sure which one is banana and which one is clove.

[gfoster]

For wheat beer yeast:
Higher temps = more banana
lower temps = more clove

-- Gary F.

[majorvices]

You guys have it all wrong - Esther is a book in the Bible. She was the queen of King Ahasuerus. She saved the Jewish people under the yoke of the Persian enmpire from total eradication, to make a long storty short. Didn't you guys ever go to Sunday School?

[vjboxer]

You guys have it all wrong - Esther is a book in the Bible. She was the queen of King Ahasuerus. She saved the Jewish people under the yoke of the Persian enmpire from total eradication, to make a long storty short. Didn't you guys ever go to Sunday School?

You are correct but we are talking about ester, her half ass sister. I got kicked out of Sunday school.

[MDixon]

http://www.hordsoffun.com/bjcp/vocab/

[ElBeerMan]

You guys have it all wrong - Esther is a book in the Bible. She was the queen of King Ahasuerus. She saved the Jewish people under the yoke of the Persian enmpire from total eradication, to make a long storty short. Didn't you guys ever go to Sunday School?

You are correct but we are talking about ester, her half ass sister. I got kicked out of Sunday school.

Which passage talks about Ester and the banana? Did King Anheuser find out her Busch smelled like clove?

[tookalisten]

[Berner57]

Damn, I found three of these esthers in my last wheat beer!!! But at that moment of time, she looked a little bit prettier.