Awesome IPA turns Foul

[KavDaven]

My buddy, on his fifth brew and second all grain, brews this fabulous Bell's clone. I like it better than the original, it's just awesome.

After a couple of weeks of making excuses to visit for the off chance that he'll offer me a glass of his IPA, I notice the beer tastes foul, dank. I'm half way down a pint and I'm looking for a plant to toss the beer into.

What happened? Why did the IPA turn south?

 

[Psylocide]

Sucks for your buddy. Good thing it wasn't yours.

Was it bottled or kegged? How old was it? Foul like cardboard taste or vinegar?

 

[schematix]

My first hunch would be oxidation. Second hunch would be an infection that finally came around. Bottled, or kegged?

 

[KavDaven]

Kegged. Not vinegar. Dank, off. How old? Near a month, but I thought IPAs had a good lifespan.

Reminded me of a hefeweizen that you failed to drink within a month of kegging or maybe two months after kegging.

 

[mrdail87]

Kegged. Not vinegar. Dank, off. How old? Near a month, but I thought IPAs had a good lifespan.

Reminded me of a hefeweizen that you failed to drink within a month of kegging or maybe two months after kegging.

Strangely, I know the flavor you're talking about. Had that problem with 1) poor yeast or 2) letting wort ferment too high.

But can't imagine how that happened in a keg. One theory of mine is he didn't purge the keg with CO2, before carbonating it. Or possibly, he picked up a wild yeast strain. Just my speculations.

 

[fastengine]

Did he use Nottingham??

 

[schematix]

I just saw your location says you're in Greensboro NC. If your buddy isn't already shopping at Big Dan's Brew Shed send him that way (it's at I-40 and NC-68). I got my start home brewing there. The guy that runs the place is an enormous help and still keep in touch with him. I brought him numerous bottles of the swill I made when starting off and he helped me get on track.

 

[Chadwick]

I need to start a club for people that don't like Nottingham.

 

[chickypad]

My first hunch would be oxidation. Second hunch would be an infection that finally came around.

I vote one of these. If it started off awesome I doubt it has to do with poor fermentation practices or yeast health.

 

[brewprint]

I need to start a club for people that don't like Nottingham.

I haven't ever tried it.

I need to start a club for people that don't like S-05. The stuff is terrible.

 

[Johnnyhitch1]

I haven't ever tried it.

I need to start a club for people that don't like S-05. The stuff is terrible.

The most common strain used??
Good luck with that!

 

[schematix]

I haven't ever tried it.



I need to start a club for people that don't like S-05. The stuff is terrible.

It's not my favorite but how is it terrible??

 

[smizak]

I haven't ever tried it.

I need to start a club for people that don't like S-05. The stuff is terrible.

That's THE yeast strain for clean, American ales. Your club will suck.

 

[schematix]

That's THE yeast strain for clean, American ales. Your club will suck.

Careful with broad statements like that. You're going to start a war around here.

I like 1450 a lot better than US-05/1056.

 

[HausBrauerei_Harvey]

if its kegged how sure are you that the CO2 and/or the tank are clean and good? I've read stories like the ones you described (thought not from newbies) that came back to the gas being bad.

 

[brewprint]

It's not my favorite but how is it terrible??

I've brewed many of gallons of beer with S05 and they all had a common flavor. Peachiness especially after a burp. Like how a nice ipa leaves a nice hoppy burp, S05 is an undistinguishable flavor that ruins a beer.

I've tasted the same flavor from many different brewers and many different beers brewed at many different temps. It's all the same.

You will find on that there are several different camps about this yeast. Those that like it, those who hate it, and those that have no clue. There are even some that claim there is a perfect temp that doesn't leave an off flavor.

 

[smizak]

Careful with broad statements like that. You're going to start a war around here.

I like 1450 a lot better than US-05/1056.

Listen hear join date 2011, I was winnings medals with US-05 when you were scoring cases of Busch Light for mommy and daddy on vacation house parties!

 

[schematix]

You will find on that there are several different camps about this yeast. Those that like it, those who hate it, and those that have no clue. There are even some that claim there is a perfect temp that doesn't leave an off flavor.

I've never tasted peach. I've done pale ales with 05 at 62, 64 and 69, all were neutral, although after a light lager the 62 has a slight buttery flavor.

 

[schematix]

Listen hear join date 2011, I was winnings medals with US-05 when you were scoring cases of Busch Light for mommy and daddy on vacation house parties!

I can honestly say I've never knowingly had Busch light.

 

[smizak]

I can honestly say I've never knowingly had Busch light.

Knowingly?

 

[brewprint]

I can honestly say I've never knowingly had Busch light.

You're missing out!

It's not a craft beer but I enjoy one on a hot day. My brothers call it the nectar of the gods. They have a very hard time drinking my homebrew. Even the very light beers. I'm trying to come up with a kolsch or something that they will like.

 

[KavDaven]

Ok. Oh Kay.

This isn't over yet. I made a Stone IPA clone (Edwort) and killed it within a week or two with the help of neighbors. Never noticed anything except it just didn't have as strong a nose to it near the end. I followed that up with the most amazing Dogfish 60min clone (Yooper). It was heaven in a glass. I was drinking it before it was even fully carbed. However, one week later there were no Hop Faeries dancing on my shoulders while I was drinking anymore. There was a noticeable depreciation of the nose. Still an awesome beer! A great IPA! But some of the magic was gone. Another week went by and still a really good IPA but all the Hop magic lay dormant, forever lost.

I'm still obsessed why the quality of the IPA would depreciate over time. I remember an article I read over a year ago, where two guys in Denver both left a brewery with a 12 pack. One drove a car home, and the other rode a bicycle home. Really? I would never ride a bicycle down a mountain. Maybe a harley. Anyway, both beers seemed less of an IPA than what they had at the brewery but the IPAs that came home on the bike were less so than those that rode home in a car. The author suggested the agitation of the bike ride did something to the Hops. He also said that all IPAs diminish over time and to drink the freshest you can get your hands on.

What ever. I totally disregarded this at the time, thinking that once a beer is locked in a bottle, that the beer is locked into its current state.

Ok, so I age my stouts. They get better over time. Why wouldn't my IPAs?

Now I just read an article on Brulosophy about another brew exbeeriment testing Whole Hops versus Pellet Hops. Splitting a 10G batch and hopping one with leaf and the other with pellets. If you want to find out the specific results, read the article. What I'm curious about is the author's comment regarding the first taste tests. These tests were conducted within days of the transfer to the serving kegs. The latter and final test came a week later and no one could tell the difference between the two IPAs. Where the initial taste test everyone could easily tell the difference between leaf and pellet.

So, I guess, IPAs just diminish over time. I wonder if I could force the great Hop Faeries back into the keg? Maybe a second dry hop to regain that nose and bright taste? Drink for a week, dry hop. Drink for another week, dry hop. And so on.

 

[b-boy]

Listen hear join date 2011, I was winnings medals with US-05 when you were scoring cases of Busch Light for mommy and daddy on vacation house parties!

Uh oh, the join dates are coming out. Everybody scatter. It's going to get ugly!