Bad Beer - Revisited

[jkreuze]

I had an interesting yet horrifying experience over the last six months which I'd like to relate, for your entertainment, enjoyment, and hopefully, sympathy.

I have been brewing for a year and a half. We started with extract, but I have brewed in BIAB and AG numerous times since my first brew.

Beers generally have been good. Ups and downs, you know, but good. But when I moved to lighter beers during this winter, including kolsch and lagers, things tasted bad. I had two batches suck so bad, I can't even tell you.

BAD like I can't even drink it as a penance beer. Just horrible.

I think it is due to water chemistry, after reviewing our water table around here, which is acceptable-to-solid for malty, darker beers, but sucks cat nut for anything light; I'm pretty confident that's the issue. So the last few batches have been 60-80% RO water. Have to keg that stuff this weekend, I got high hopes, like the song.

Okay, so, background is done. But today, I vented the two kegs of bad beer, and they smelled good from venting. I put them back on gas and in the keg fridge. I think they might . .

might

might just be.



might be good now?

 

[DarkNoonBrewer]

Examine a piece of equipment that may be getting infected because of sanitation issues from prolong use and gunk build up (hoses, kegs, beer lines, co2 lines, ect) Water chemistry won't throw off a beer so bad that its unbearable. This sounds like a sanitation issue or very bad oxidation after ferment. What about the yeast? If you are indeed lagering, the yeast need to be well prepared for this (yeast starter). Still, a slow or weak fermentation shouldn't all-of-the sudden produce bad beer as you described. Im sticking to my guns. You got germs. Keep your beer the hell away from mine!!! haha! JK

What sanitizer do you use?

 

[theredben]

What possible clue do you have that it is contamination? He gave no off-flavours describing anything, which tells us nothing. Why jump to contamination? If you finish the post it sounds like his "bad" beers are now good. Contamination does not do that. Period.

OP - Sounds like you need to leave your beers in primary longer to let the yeast clean up the by-products they produce during fermentation. Patience my friend...

 

[DarkNoonBrewer]

What possible clue do you have that it is contamination?

BAD like I can't even drink it as a penance beer. Just horrible.

Then i didn't make the connections, and I gave him my opinion of what might be the problem.

But today, I vented the two kegs of bad beer,

People miss-connect pertinent information some times. LAY OFF!