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I’ve used Smiley’s recommended Gert Strand Prestige yeast for a couple of batches. One was 100% corn and the other 60% corn 40% Rye. Did stripping runs and spirit runs on both. The first one I ran was the 100% corn, the wet dog smell was immediate and lasted through majority of the run. When I ran that again for the spirit run, it wasn’t as prominent but was definitely still there. I thought I made a mistake in my mashing process so I made the corn/rye mash and used the same amount of Gert Strand yeast. Sure enough, same smell and taste?

I need to mention I have also ran those same recipe's with BSG Distiller's yeast and the smell was not there.

The good news is, after I let it breath and aged on some charred white American oak sticks, they both mellowed out and tasted pretty damn good. Some of the best stuff I made other than UJSSM I made which turned out fantastic.

Has anyone else had this issue with that yeast? Is that smell normal (I wouldn’t think so)? I am looking for a good yeast to make a smooth tasting white dog whiskey that you can drink right off the still and diluted. I just don’t think Gert Strand is the one for that.

Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Pour ‘Em!

I have been using the Prestige for about 5yrs on all my whiskey/whisky never had "wet dog" smell in the hearts,I have tried other yeasts but end up back at the prestige!

I do sugar heads and AG mashes,have ran them through pot stills early on and now on a plated column and the only bad (wet dog) smell is in the tails,and IMO the different smells comming from different grains will and does take time to sort out and get use to,letting it air does help as it sounds like you have figured out,but does not get rid of all on a run that is smeared to bad.

Only advise I can add is keep abv within acceptable range(6-8 on my ferments),temps in the middle of the yeasts comfort range,and make good tight cuts,and practise practise practise,all the reading that can be done does not mean squat if any of the previous are out of range!

I will add most of my whiskey/whisky is kept white dog and once cuts are made and dilution is done,it will serve ya well to let set for awhile and let the flavors and congers meld together to round out what the drink is suppose to be,time is your friend.

Hope this helps and cheers

bentstick wrote:I have been using the Prestige for about 5yrs on all my whiskey/whisky never had "wet dog" smell in the hearts,I have tried other yeasts but end up back at the prestige!

I do sugar heads and AG mashes,have ran them through pot stills early on and now on a plated column and the only bad (wet dog) smell is in the tails,and IMO the different smells comming from different grains will and does take time to sort out and get use to,letting it air does help as it sounds like you have figured out,but does not get rid of all on a run that is smeared to bad.

Only advise I can add is keep abv within acceptable range(6-8 on my ferments),temps in the middle of the yeasts comfort range,and make good tight cuts,and practise practise practise,all the reading that can be done does not mean squat if any of the previous are out of range!

I will add most of my whiskey/whisky is kept white dog and once cuts are made and dilution is done,it will serve ya well to let set for awhile and let the flavors and congers meld together to round out what the drink is suppose to be,time is your friend.

Hope this helps and cheers

Thanks for the reply bent. I am going to keep going with the prestige as you recommended and will keep practicing my cuts. I am milling down all the grain and mashing this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out. Do you have a good source for the Prestige? It was really difficult for me to find it and it was very expensive. Pour Em!

The "Wet dog", "Musty" or chemical smell is the result of fermentation byproducts which can mellow with age. In particular I've found that Lalvin dried strains, as well as Baker's yeast, have a lot of this musty, mushroomy, wet-hair or cardboard type thing going on in the first six months to one year of aging. It does eventually disappear and any left ages into a smell which to me is slightly like old newspaper -- Kind of intriguing rather than offensive.

It may also be caused if you are using municipal water which is disinfected with the addition of chlorine.

Chlorine reacts with organic matter rapidly, rendering it inert to microorganisms that might eat it and reproduce. That's how it works as a disinfectant. Unfortunately it also reacts with your mash, which is almost entirely organic matter. The kind of compounds that can create yield some pretty unpleasant aromas. For this reason most microbreweries will filter their water if it's municipal.

Stringduster wrote:

bentstick wrote:I have been using the Prestige for about 5yrs on all my whiskey/whisky never had "wet dog" smell in the hearts,I have tried other yeasts but end up back at the prestige!

I do sugar heads and AG mashes,have ran them through pot stills early on and now on a plated column and the only bad (wet dog) smell is in the tails,and IMO the different smells comming from different grains will and does take time to sort out and get use to,letting it air does help as it sounds like you have figured out,but does not get rid of all on a run that is smeared to bad.

Only advise I can add is keep abv within acceptable range(6-8 on my ferments),temps in the middle of the yeasts comfort range,and make good tight cuts,and practise practise practise,all the reading that can be done does not mean squat if any of the previous are out of range!

I will add most of my whiskey/whisky is kept white dog and once cuts are made and dilution is done,it will serve ya well to let set for awhile and let the flavors and congers meld together to round out what the drink is suppose to be,time is your friend.

Hope this helps and cheers

Thanks for the reply bent. I am going to keep going with the prestige as you recommended and will keep practicing my cuts. I am milling down all the grain and mashing this weekend. I'll let you know how it turns out. Do you have a good source for the Prestige? It was really difficult for me to find it and it was very expensive. Pour Em!

No dont have any one particular source,and yes it way more expensive now than when I started using it,it has been 6.00 a pack, when I started using it was 2.50 a pack!
I have been reusing the yeast bed to save a lil bit on yeast coast,usally keep 4 qt jars in fridge of yeast and some grain bed for next go around of like ferments,seems to work well after takin out of fridge and warmed on counter and repitched in next mash,nothing scientific just sterlized jars,tops,and rings. Sometimes I get a jar go bad,but is why I take 4! Luck to ya