Lager still smelling like apples after 2 weeks fermenting

Currently got a lager kit brewing but not sure if it is ready to bottle.

The kit I have says to leave it for 10 days but I didn't seem ready then and had quite a strong apple smell to it although that seems to have got weaker since a few days ago. Should I leave it a bit longer or try warming it up a bit to get the yeast more active again?

Anyone had a similar problem? Still a bit of a newb to home brewing...

Topic acetaldehyde primary-fermentation lager homebrew

Category Mac


The smell of apples is totally normal in beer fermentation. The chemical compound acetaldehyde gives the characteristic green-apple flavor and aroma. It's an intermediate in the synthesis of ethanol from glucose by yeast.

Usually warm conditioning is enough to reduce levels to below flavor threshold. Factors like not pitching enough yeast or not oxygenating/aerating enough can lead to elevated levels in finished beer. A lot depends on your exact fermentation strategy, so it would help to know more, e.g. yeast strain, how much you pitched, how you aerated, what temperature you fermented at, gravity readings, conditioning temperatures, &c., but typically this flavor goes away with conditioning, if you have healthy yeast.

Especially with lagers, which can easily take 10-14 days to finish primary fermentation, I'd say patience is key. Let it go another week or two, trying it periodically to assess flavor and aroma. Let your senses be the guide to when it's done, not what the kit tells you (it can't ever take into account all the factors affecting the progress of your beer).

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