Orpheus
Well-Known Member
For the first time ever, I had to dump a batch. I poured half a keg of cold, carbonated beer down the bathtub last night. I am so ashamed.
It was the Palace Bitter and it had a really strange fermentation. It was normal until I transferred it to the secondary, where it went from clearing out to reforming a really strange, perfectly bubbly kraeusen (looked more like it had a nice head to it than a kraeusen.)
I went ahead and left it for almost three weeks in secondary, but it never did clear - it was very cloudy, so I kegged it, added some gelatin to try to clear it.
It had the "band-aid" flavor to it. I'm not sure why, as I'm very thorough about sanitation and rinsing. I did use bleach, but I'm anal about rinsing everything with HOT water thoroughly. (I'm now a full on Star San die hard!)
It fermented at 80 F and when I opened the keg to pour it out, it did burn my nose with a strong alcohol scent when I took a whiff.
The worst part is, I forced myself to drink half the keg, even though I didn't enjoy it. I was worried about waste, about money, and I was in complete denial. Then I thought I'd drink it as punishment, to make sure I never messed up again. I hoped it would age, improve, etc. But I think it actually got worse.
I poured a pint last night and had had enough. I poured the pint down the sink and I immediately took it out of the fridge and dumped it.
Semi-good news: extra space in the kegerator, and I have a nice Pumpkin Ale that I am now "forced" to put in there for company this weekend.
Live and learn I guess. I still wish I knew exactly where it went wrong.
It was the Palace Bitter and it had a really strange fermentation. It was normal until I transferred it to the secondary, where it went from clearing out to reforming a really strange, perfectly bubbly kraeusen (looked more like it had a nice head to it than a kraeusen.)
I went ahead and left it for almost three weeks in secondary, but it never did clear - it was very cloudy, so I kegged it, added some gelatin to try to clear it.
It had the "band-aid" flavor to it. I'm not sure why, as I'm very thorough about sanitation and rinsing. I did use bleach, but I'm anal about rinsing everything with HOT water thoroughly. (I'm now a full on Star San die hard!)
It fermented at 80 F and when I opened the keg to pour it out, it did burn my nose with a strong alcohol scent when I took a whiff.
The worst part is, I forced myself to drink half the keg, even though I didn't enjoy it. I was worried about waste, about money, and I was in complete denial. Then I thought I'd drink it as punishment, to make sure I never messed up again. I hoped it would age, improve, etc. But I think it actually got worse.
I poured a pint last night and had had enough. I poured the pint down the sink and I immediately took it out of the fridge and dumped it.
Semi-good news: extra space in the kegerator, and I have a nice Pumpkin Ale that I am now "forced" to put in there for company this weekend.
Live and learn I guess. I still wish I knew exactly where it went wrong.