BradleyBrew

Recipes 

Well, the results are in from my first competition. I submitted 3 beers. A RIS, Old Ale, and Irish Red. The Russian Imperial got a rating of "very good", Old Ale & Irish rate received a score of "good." I don't think this is to bad with my first competition, and hobby that I have been involved in for about 1.5 years.

However, my major concern is with the Old Ale & Irish Red. Both judges stated that the Old Ale was showing signs of infection! I "thought" I was very careful about sanitation.

One Judge wrote, "Good base beer but beer is infected. Keep recipe watch sanitation." The other judge wrote, "watch sanitation, there is clearly something in there."

The beer had 0 signs of infection in the fermenter, bottled as normal, no gushers, nothing weird that I have experienced (maybe a touch overcarbed but head retention is good). Can you have MINOR infections or do these fester overtime and eventually turn the beer??

Hopefully someone can help shed some light on what they meant. I absolutely not saying they are wrong. I'm just confused!!

Snafu

Recipes 

Drinking a beer "young" you don't notice the odd things, its when they have had a little time to age that the infection rears its ugly head. The ABW also helps keep down/out signs of infection until later.

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I have vessels, some contain beer.

BradleyBrew

Recipes 

It's been bottled since November. Not that this is "aged" for a big beer.

Snafu

Recipes 

I have a porter that clearly has "something" in it, Its showing no signs, nothing visible at least, but it sat on secondary for 6 months. I haven't dumped it, just letting it sit longer to see what happens. When I have a glass of it, it just has a really 'off' taste in the background and my stomach feels weird, kinda like the first time I tried butter milk. Not t say that my beer tastes bad or remotely like buttermilk, but I think the longer it sits the more I'm able to detect something.

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I have vessels, some contain beer.

Misplaced_Canuck

Recipes 

It may not be a true infection in the end. It may be an off-flavor that the judges can't pinpoint.

MC

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BradleyBrew

Recipes 

Thats a good point. I was my biggest all grain batch so maybe my technique is flawed.

IffyG

Recipes 

It could also be as simple as a single poorly sanitized bottle made it's way to the competition... I'm pretty sure this is why Jamil recommends using nothing but brand new bottles for competition brews (and as much as I hate to agree with him, I think it's sound advice).

BradleyBrew

Recipes 

Yeah, I never really thought about doing that. They rated the Old Ale as "good." i'm sure if it was just terrible they would have stated so. I've enjoyed the beer so I guess that all that truly matters!

Bert1097

Recipes 

Yeah, I sent a brew to two different comps last year. Won my flight in the one comp and got trounced in the other. The one i got trounced in was a bit of a gusher. I'm guessing I had 'something' in the bottle.

Homercidal

Recipes 

Along with the possibility that the single bottle (or maybe a few in that batch) was infected, if the judges see a ring around the neck of the bottle, that is a clear sign of infection.

If they are basing on flavor alone, who knows. But you have to assume they know what they are talking about.

Follow their advice and keep the recipe and next time study up again on sanitation best practices. It's easy to be sanitary, and it's also easy to screw it up. All it takes is a small brain fart or by simply assuming.