My beer is reviewed by a pro - and it's a disaster

[homebrewdad]

The tl;dr version - perhaps the best beer I've ever brewed (a hoppy English brown) was reviewed by a pro in conjunction with the Behind the Craft podcast. If you want, please feel free to read the entire blog post here.

They reported losing part of the bottles due to foaming over, and stated that the beer didn't taste like a brown, but like a sour red. Said that soapy flavor was overpowering; beer was just bad.

I put a bottle in the fridge, opened it that night, same delicious brew I had enjoyed two months ago. What gives?

Note that I have since decided to replicate the shipping stress - I'm tossing a bottle into a cardboard box and putting that in my car in the Alabama heat for a few days. If there is some very slight infection, the heat and agitation ought to get it growing.

 

[FarmerTed]

Wow, that's a hard one to take. But, you should send some to a competition to get more thorough feedback. Transportation can be hard on a beer, and maybe you had a bit of brett/wild yeast or lacto in there that got going due to warmer than usual temps. It's hard to get good feedback otherwise. Even if you have a certifiably great beer, some friends will grimace when they try it, and quietly pour it into the nearest planter. Others will tell you that complete swill is amazing (and then pour it into a planter). So, send it to a comp, and you'll get some peace of mind one way or another.

 

[homebrewdad]

lol @ "pour into a planter". Very true.

I will be getting into competitions before long. And as far as that goes, the Behind the Craft guys have made it clear that they'd be happy for me to send more beer.

I do want to stress test this batch before I try shipping another one, though. No need to inflict soapbombs on anyone else.

 

[Haydn-Juby]

If you like it who cares ? I don't need a reviewer to tell me whether my beer tastes good or bad, I can just drink it.

That being said it does kind of hurt when someone really finds your beer repulsive as has happened many a time with my "Overly bitter" IPA's.

 

[homebrewdad]

If you like it who cares ? I don't need a reviewer to tell me whether my beer tastes good or bad, I can just drink it.

That being said it does kind of hurt when someone really finds your beer repulsive as has happened many a time with my "Overly bitter" IPA's.

I agree with you in principle. But the thing is, thoughtful feedback from a pro would be really valuable. I make beer that is consistently no worse than good, and is often a good bit better than that. But I'm always striving to be better.

If these guys had told me something like "I don't like the way the esters played with the malt", I might have considered a different yeast strain... or I might have discounted the advice. But I would have considered it.

But if they tell me is was sour, tasted like soap, and gushed out of the bottle... that's a different story. That's a serious issue, and not a difference of taste.

 

[krackin]

Pros put out BMC too.

 

[Haydn-Juby]

I agree with you in principle. But the thing is, thoughtful feedback from a pro would be really valuable. I make beer that is consistently no worse than good, and is often a good bit better than that. But I'm always striving to be better.

If these guys had told me something like "I don't like the way the esters played with the malt", I might have considered a different yeast strain... or I might have discounted the advice. But I would have considered it.

But if they tell me is was sour, tasted like soap, and gushed out of the bottle... that's a different story. That's a serious issue, and not a difference of taste.

True that. It's always helpful to get some feedback and hear what people think you should change or liked instead of "Its bad" or sometimes even just "its good". I like knowing what exactly what people are thinking when they drink my beer.

Also whats the recipe?

 

[Revvy]

You may have sent them the one bottle with an infection from some biomatter left in the bottle in the whole entire batch. I had a similar embarrassment years ago, at a contest, I had a gusher infection. It could just have been the (bad) luck of the draw that you sent a bad bottle.

 

[homebrewdad]

True that. It's always helpful to get some feedback and hear what people think you should change or liked instead of "Its bad" or sometimes even just "its good". I like knowing what exactly what people are thinking when they drink my beer.

Also whats the recipe?

Recipe is linked near the beginning of the article. Sorry, I'm on mobile or I'd link it directly.

 

[homebrewdad]

You may have sent them the one bottle with an infection from some biomatter left in the bottle in the whole entire batch. I had a similar embarrassment years ago, at a contest, I had a gusher infection. It could just have been the (bad) luck of the draw that you sent a bad bottle.

If it was one bottle, I'd agree. Been there, done that. But both bottles were the same. Odds of two bottles - and only those two - being bad seems a stretch.

 

[copyright1997]

Subscribed, sort of like watching an accident on the other side of the road and wondering "what happened"?

Actually, the recipe looks interesting. Besides, what's wrong with soapy, red sourish ales?

 

[Saboral]

I'm just starting to get into the idea of sending my beers to competition for feedback and now I'm a bit scared. I definitely think I've had some smiling friends and family members who watered the plants with my earlier batches, but I'd like to think it's gotten better.

I'm very interested to hear how this turns out. Shipping my beers scares me.

 

[Braufessor]

yeah - retry yours with the "stress test." I would also second the idea of getting it (or some others) into a local competition. Or, take to LHBS or homebrew club meeting and ask for HONEST feedback. Tell them the story and see if they feel the same way.. I would stress the fact that you don't want them to tell you it is fine, if it is not. Then see what they say and if they have any suggestions.
I agree with your assessment that there is a big difference between "difference in tastes" and "Infected gushers."

 

[MindenMan]

My first contest entry should have never left the house. I got a score of 15 maybe, and that was them being nice. The second contest I entered I got a 26 or so, thinking contests are not for me. Some months pass by, and I brew a really nice brown porter, that my wife raves about. The voice in my head says, "don't do it, nothing but bad can come from it". So I don't. The next batch of the same recipe falls into my wife's hands, (or mouth), and once again she bugs me to enter. I do, expecting nothing, and win "Best of Category, Porters and Stouts". Wow! Of course I am stoked I had a win, but more so, it's kind of humbling at the same time. "How's that?", you ask, well, If I added up all the hours I do reading, writing, formulating, brewing, and praying, (well not quite so much praying) I would say my beers cost $10.00 each to make, and that is okay. I brew beers (ales) I like the taste of, my wife enjoys, and the very few people I share them with, appreciates what I have to go through to make great beer.
I said all that to say this: never give up on yourself, or on your craft of beer. If you like what you brew, and brew what you like, who cares if a judge likes it or not?

 

[FarmerTed]

There's a thread in the yeast forum about 037, with a lot of negative experiences; several different posters claim it can give Belgian characteristics. If I were you, I'd try 1469-West Yorkshire.

 

[homebrewdad]

I have used 037 several times, and really like the yeast. It's a little fruitier than other English yeasts (even if you keep it cool), but I don't mind that.

So again, if they had said "esters are just too present, we don't like them", I would have understood. But "soap flavor was so dominant we couldn't give any useful advice" plus gushing, equals a different story.

I have a bottle in my trunk now. We'll see how it goes.

 

[Grossy]

When it comes to home brew, there are only a few opinions that count.

Your's
Your wife's
Your friend's

In other words the people that drink your beer.

 

[Beernik]

You may have sent them the one bottle with an infection from some biomatter left in the bottle in the whole entire batch. I had a similar embarrassment years ago, at a contest, I had a gusher infection. It could just have been the (bad) luck of the draw that you sent a bad bottle.

I too have had bottle infections. Some were great. Some became sour and fruity gushers.

 

[krackin]

I too have had bottle infections. Some were great. Some became sour and fruity gushers.

I had an OL that went that way.

 

[podz]

What gives?

Umm, perhaps you forgot the bribe?

 

[MindenMan]

If this question has been asked, please forgive me. Under what conditions do you normally store your beer, ie, temp, light, etc.?
So, how has the poor storing/testing conditions turned out?

 

[homebrewdad]

If this question has been asked, please forgive me. Under what conditions do you normally store your beer, ie, temp, light, etc.?
So, how has the poor storing/testing conditions turned out?

I typically store my beer for the first six weeks or so at room temp (i.e. 68 - 74F), inside of cardboard boxes. At that point, I usually move the bottles to the basement where they are a good ten degrees cooler.

I kept forgetting to stick a bottle in the car until Friday morning, so I'm giving the beer a couple of more days worth of heat and bumping before I take it inside. I will update when I try it!

 

[rmyurick]

Taste perception can be influenced by a lot of factors. Maybe it was just overcarbonated, but they saw "gusher" & assumed it was infected. Maybe they had something before it (like a malty lager) that influenced perception of taste. Maybe you just had a couple bottles that were insufficiently sanitized.