Beer gets bad with time in the fridge! Help!

[daweed1620]

After bottle conditioning my beer for 2 weeks at room temperature, I put them in the fridge to cool down, after a couple of hours every beer I tasted, tasted great, but after two days in the fridge, I tasted a couple and they were horrible, they didn't taste like the style of beer they are, just bad, I don't know how to describe the taste, but is not good, and it happened with a Porter and a Dubbel that I made, both had great taste the first day in the fridge and after a couple days they tasted bad, no even remotely like a porter or a dubbel, just the same ugly taste.....

Both Porter and Dubbel tasted the same after a couple of days, even tho they are not anything a like. It's not sour, or carboard, is just bad.

Can anyone help!!??!?!?

 

[Bosh]

Maybe the beer just tastes really different when its cold?

 

[zippy84]

The recommended serving temperature for porter and dubbel is about 50 degrees. Intricate flavours need higher temperatures as they can be masked by cooling. Years of marketing by bud and miller have taught us that piss poor beers should be chilled to almost freezing so that we may not recognise how poor they are. This should not be the case with a craft beer or home brew.

Do a side-by-side test... take one of your beers out of refrigeration for an hour (or more) until it has warmed up a bit and taste it. Then taste one that has not been refrigerated. Maybe even try letting a chilled one warm back up to room temp. Experiment to see which temp suits the style most. You'll be surprised how much you like warm beer when it properly accentuates the profile it is meant to!!

 

[RM-MN]

After bottle conditioning my beer for 2 weeks at room temperature, I put them in the fridge to cool down, after a couple of hours every beer I tasted, tasted great, but after two days in the fridge, I tasted a couple and they were horrible, they didn't taste like the style of beer they are, just bad, I don't know how to describe the taste, but is not good, and it happened with a Porter and a Dubbel that I made, both had great taste the first day in the fridge and after a couple days they tasted bad, no even remotely like a porter or a dubbel, just the same ugly taste.....

Both Porter and Dubbel tasted the same after a couple of days, even tho they are not anything a like. It's not sour, or carboard, is just bad.

Can anyone help!!??!?!?

I can help. Quit putting your dark beer and high alcohol beer in the fridge before they have time to mature. Give your Dubbel another 4 weeks at room temp and see if you notice a difference. Were it me, I would give the Dubbel another 4 months and the stout about 6 months. Dark beers and beers with higher alcohol content take longer to mature than the light color, low alcohol beers.

 

[Hello]

I tend to agree with RM-MN; however, if that stout is not high alcohol then it may not need 6 months. OP, explaining a little more of your process and your timeline would help.

 

[daweed1620]

I get were you guys are coming from, but is that what happens when it hasn't mature?? Does anyone knows the real reason?? Like, what happens with the beer that is tasting great, and than a couple of days it taste just wrong???

I mean, what is happening inside that beer that makes that flavor come out?? Because both porter and dubbel had the same exact taste after couple of days.. first they had their style flavor, perfect, than they turn to the same ugly flavor.

And also, it can't be contaminated right?? because after two weeks at room temp it has a great flavor, or am I wrong?? Its just the maturing part??

Thank you so much for your help guys, I was going crazy haha

 

[mrgrimm101]

It doesn't sound like anything is happening to change the flavor. It's either not conditioned enough yet, or it's too cold when you're drinking it.

Chilling for a few days will (ideally) drop out the sediment so it compacts on the bottom of the bottle. Maybe there was more of this material in suspension when you tried it before and liked it? Either way, I would point my finger at the 2 week conditioning time. I've had IPAs carb up and condition in that time-frame, but my stouts and bigger beers usually take at least 3 weeks..most often about 4 weeks. They get better the longer they sit.

I also agree with Zippy. Take a bottle out of the fridge and let it sit out for 10-20 minutes to let it warm up a bit. Or pour one out and have a sip and then wait til it warms a bit and have another drink. As it warms, more complex flavors are noticeable that may have been masked by the cold temperatures.

 

[daweed1620]

@mrgrimm101 I did that, i took out a couple of beer, since I put all of them in the fridge, i let them sit for more than 20 min, they still had that flavor but I'm guessing I got to take them all out and see what happens

 

[zippy84]

@mrgrimm101 I did that, i took out a couple of beer, since I put all of them in the fridge, i let them sit for more than 20 min, they still had that flavor but I'm guessing I got to take them all out and see what happens

Have you tried taking one out of refrigeration and letting it warm the whole way back to room temp? If it returns to the flavour that you describe as perfect then at least you can confirm that it's not going through some sort of physical change that compromises the beer.. it's just a temperature related thing.

Btw your beer will not continue to condition in the fridge. It needs to be at room temperature in order for it to continue to clean and mature.

 

[mrgrimm101]

Btw your beer will not continue to condition in the fridge. It needs to be at room temperature in order for it to continue to clean and mature.

Yes. Only put a few bottles in the fridge to chill, not every bottle. Let the rest sit at room temperature to continue conditioning.

 

[daweed1620]

Yes, I've already taken out a couple of beers, and opened one of them and it has the same flavor, i don't know if I should wait more time, or maybe is another thing that's making the beer taste like that

 

[mrgrimm101]

I would let them sit for another week or 2 at room temperature before chilling and trying another.

 

[azazel1024]

Yes. Only put a few bottles in the fridge to chill, not every bottle. Let the rest sit at room temperature to continue conditioning.

Unless it is an IPA, then chill the whole batch if you have the space.

I am experimenting, but I think with my RIS, my prefered serving method is to throw a bottle in the fridge about an hour before opening. Gets it down to mid 50s F, to me the perfect serving temp for a RIS (55-65F). One I did that and the next I stuck in the fridge the night before and let it warm on the counter for 30 minutes before opening, but I think it was still a little too cold.

 

[agrazela]

It would be helpful if you could be more descriptive about the off-flavor.

 

[daweed1620]

Have you tried taking one out of refrigeration and letting it warm the whole way back to room temp? If it returns to the flavour that you describe as perfect then at least you can confirm that it's not going through some sort of physical change that compromises the beer.. it's just a temperature related thing.

Btw your beer will not continue to condition in the fridge. It needs to be at room temperature in order for it to continue to clean and mature.

I've already took some out the fridge, and wait for them to hit room temp, one is still the same, same taste.. I only tasted one, but i'm guessing all are going to be that way, i think i'm going to let them a couple more days and see what happens, i'm not sure that after tasting so good suddenly just taste like sh*t because of incomplete maduration(but i'm no expert so i wouldn't know), but I don't really know what I did wrong

 

[mrgrimm101]

Unless it is an IPA, then chill the whole batch if you have the space.

I am experimenting, but I think with my RIS, my prefered serving method is to throw a bottle in the fridge about an hour before opening. Gets it down to mid 50s F, to me the perfect serving temp for a RIS (55-65F). One I did that and the next I stuck in the fridge the night before and let it warm on the counter for 30 minutes before opening, but I think it was still a little too cold.

I put all my beers in the fridge for a couple days before opening. I'd rather let it chill and potentially settle anything that may still be in suspension. Then I will let it warm back up to the desired temperature. I've always heard that chilling for at least 2 days is a great way to end up with clearer, cleaner beer. However, with a big, dark beer like an RIS I suppose it wouldn't matter much..

 

[daweed1620]

Also as i mentioned before, I had the same problem with a Porter(I made it before the dubbel). I forgot to put some of them in the fridge for almost a month, yesterday i put them on the fridge, and as I was tasting the beer, it gave me the same flavor, it has carbonation, but it doesn't taste like a porter, my dubbel was sweet and fruity and turn acidic, not vinegar but just flavorless carbonated liquid, almost yeasty

 

[mrgrimm101]

What yeast strains were used? At what temperatures did you ferment? Was the temperature consistent during fermentation, or did it swing up and down? Was there excessive sunlight in the room where it was fermenting?

 

[Hello]

I'm still going to ask for your recipe, process, and timeline.
It is odd indeed but I think it is odd because we have no clue what the full process was and now everyone is just speculating.

 

[daweed1620]

I'm still going to ask for your recipe, process, and timeline.
It is odd indeed but I think it is odd because we have no clue what the full process was and now everyone is just speculating.

For the Dubbel:

2.75 Dark DME
2.75 Golden Light DME
1.5 Extra Light DME
1-1/4 oz UK Fuggle hops
Strong Belgian Ale Yeast

1 cup of Dextrose for bottle conditioning

Fermentation: 3-1/2 weeks in primary at 70-74 - 2 weeks bottle conditioning

after that, couple of hours in fridge and was great, I felt really proud of my beer, after two days, beer has non of that fruity, sweet flavor, actually no flavor at all, just tastes like alcohol and I'm thinking yeast.

The Porter that I made, ended up with the same flavor. No difference at all.

 

[dkennedy]

What is your bottling process (cleaners and sanitizer used as well)?

Can you describe the off flavor more- I'm hearing acidic, but what else?

 

[JackieTreehorn77]

I just had a similar thing happen with my first batch. It's a pale ale extract kit, let it ferment for about 2.5 weeks and then bottled. Let them sit in the bottles for about 10 days and then popped a few in the fridge overnight, tasted good. I've been putting 3-6 in the fridge at a time and letting the others sit in their box to keep conditioning. They've all smelled and tasted good, like a pale ale. Then I cracked one open last night and it had a kind of chemical flavor to it, like a cleaning solution or medicine. I had another one after that and it had the same weird flavor.

At this point I'm not sure which ones have conditioned/chilled for how long but they should all be good to go and the first dozen or so I've had over the last couple weeks tasted great. I have a few more in the fridge (they probably have about 2-2.5 weeks of conditioning and at least 2-3 days chilling), I'll try some more tonight and see how they taste. It made me think of this thread though and since I see there hasn't been any kind of resolution I figured I'd add my anecdote.

FWIW, I still drank the beers and so far I haven't puked or died, so whatever that flavor was it must not be too lethal.

 

[daweed1620]

I just had a similar thing happen with my first batch. It's a pale ale extract kit, let it ferment for about 2.5 weeks and then bottled. Let them sit in the bottles for about 10 days and then popped a few in the fridge overnight, tasted good. I've been putting 3-6 in the fridge at a time and letting the others sit in their box to keep conditioning. They've all smelled and tasted good, like a pale ale. Then I cracked one open last night and it had a kind of chemical flavor to it, like a cleaning solution or medicine. I had another one after that and it had the same weird flavor.

At this point I'm not sure which ones have conditioned/chilled for how long but they should all be good to go and the first dozen or so I've had over the last couple weeks tasted great. I have a few more in the fridge (they probably have about 2-2.5 weeks of conditioning and at least 2-3 days chilling), I'll try some more tonight and see how they taste. It made me think of this thread though and since I see there hasn't been any kind of resolution I figured I'd add my anecdote.

FWIW, I still drank the beers and so far I haven't puked or died, so whatever that flavor was it must not be too lethal.

So, If I understand what you're saying, First they tasted great, then some of them tasted like medicine(bad), and after that, some other tasted good, all from the same batch????

 

[brewcat]

Some bottles infected some not?

 

[JackieTreehorn77]

So, If I understand what you're saying, First they tasted great, then some of them tasted like medicine(bad), and after that, some other tasted good, all from the same batch????

At first they tasted great, but now they all taste different. I've had a few more and I guess it's not so much a medicine taste, but more that they've just got really bitter. At first there was just a bit of bitterness and a good hop flavor/aroma, now they're really bitter with just a hint of hops. Once they started tasting funny they all tasted funny.

Strange thing, I shipped one to my buddy who sampled it last night and he said it tasted good and was bitter but not overly bitter. It's possible something is wrong with my taster, I work in printing and I'm around various strong smelling chemicals all day. I know this affects my sniffer (my sense of smell is very dulled), so perhaps it's affecting my taster too.

Some bottles infected some not?

It's possible I guess? But I cleaned and sanitized the bottles all at the same time, and I find it a bit unlikely that I managed to drink all the non-infected ones first and save all the infected ones for last, especially since I randomly pulled them out of the boxes they were conditioning in. It's possible though.

 

[Biscuits]

Sub'd because I want to know know the outcome of this is. I haven't experienced the same thing, although I have noticed that some of my beers have changed flavors, for the worse, at times.

 

[brewbama]

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

"Medicinal
These flavors are often described as mediciney, Band-Aid? like, or can be spicy like cloves. The cause are various phenols which are initially produced by the yeast. Chlorophenols result from the reaction of chlorine-based sanitizers (bleach) with phenol compounds and have very low taste thresholds. Rinsing with boiled water after sanitizing is the best way to prevent these flavors."

 

[Biscuits]

http://www.howtobrew.com/section4/chapter21-2.html

"Medicinal
These flavors are often described as mediciney, Band-Aid? like, or can be spicy like cloves. The cause are various phenols which are initially produced by the yeast. Chlorophenols result from the reaction of chlorine-based sanitizers (bleach) with phenol compounds and have very low taste thresholds. Rinsing with boiled water after sanitizing is the best way to prevent these flavors."

I only ever rinse my bottles and then right before bottling my beer I soak them in One-Step...although, I don't have any "bad" flavors...only loss of flavor, if that makes any sense.

 

[daweed1620]

I only ever rinse my bottles and then right before bottling my beer I soak them in One-Step...although, I don't have any "bad" flavors...only loss of flavor, if that makes any sense.

I have the loss of flavor and an Off smell, like yeasty smell.

I did a last batch of the Robust Porter, I soaked the bottles in PBW overnight, next day I rinse them with water for 3 4 times, then soaked them in Star San, and let them drip dry for a while just before I fill them up.

I don;t know if High temp can do this(75 F), no malty flavors, no body, just this strong yeasty flavor, or if is an infection.

 

[azazel1024]

I have the loss of flavor and an Off smell, like yeasty smell.

I did a last batch of the Robust Porter, I soaked the bottles in PBW overnight, next day I rinse them with water for 3 4 times, then soaked them in Star San, and let them drip dry for a while just before I fill them up.

I don;t know if High temp can do this(75 F), no malty flavors, no body, just this strong yeasty flavor, or if is an infection.

Are you pouring the dregs out of the bottle? What yeast? If you mean high temp, as in that was the fermentation temp, ambient, or temperature controlled? If ambient, depending on what you were fermenting in, vitality of the yeast, etc. that could easily be >80f within the fermenter.

Some strains that can be okay, others will produce some off flavors.

In general, unless it is a Belgian ale or Hefewiezen you generally want to keep as much of the dregs out of your glass as you can.