Beer suddenly tastes like cloves...

[StophJS]

It is the weirdest thing, and I'm hoping someone can shed some light on it for me. I've had a slightly altered "deception cream stout" in the bottle now for two weeks, am drinking one right now that I've had in the fridge 12 hours or so, and it tastes unmistakably and strongly like cloves. I mean, this beer was tasting like a chocolaty, caramely stout, and now suddenly tastes like saison. I noticed this a little on the last one I had but figured it was my imagination. This one tastes like nothing but cloves. I really hope this isn't the case for the whole remaining half of this 5 gallon batch.. Does anyone have any idea how this might have happened?

 

[bigbeergeek]

Chloramines?

 

[edmanster]

Conditioning/carbonating at low temps?

 

[StophJS]

Hmm well as far as the chloramines, I used only spring water in the batch which is the same I've done for several others without issue. As far as low temps, I had the case I'm currently drinking out of sitting out in the garage for a day or two in the relative cold while it was still carbonating, then brought it in. This was actually the last beer of that case. I suppose I could easily see if that's been an issue by cracking one from the new case that's been in stable 74 +-4 for 2 weeks.

 

[bigbeergeek]

What was the yeast strain?

 

[StophJS]

Us-05.

 

[bigbeergeek]

I'm stumped. Bizarre.

 

[StophJS]

I'm stumped. Bizarre.

I agree. Felt stupid even posting it because it's so strange I figured people would assume I was drinking the wrong beer or something

 

[StophJS]

Ok, going to go out on a limb.. The original recipe for the stout called for 1.5 lb of Wheat DME and 4.5 lb of Amber DME. I did an even 3 of each, and I know that wheat contains more ferrulic acid which is what gives so many wheat beers that clovey characteristic. This is all I can come up with.. but why would it not show itself for two weeks?

 

[bigbeergeek]

I've made a lot of wheat beers (American/fruit style and wits) and none of them have ever tasted like clove. What was the fermentation temperature?

 

[StophJS]

So weird. Low 60s all the way through.

 

[StophJS]

So I've been looking around a little more, and have found it suggested here that this is an infection.

Morebeer's Brew Chat • View topic - Clove in a cream ale?

Everyone else who chimes in seems to agree. I guess I may as well dump this batch. Wish I knew what my source of infection was though. Just a thought... is it more likely that a beer with lactose become infected due to the fact that is has much more residual sugar at bottling time?

Edit: Infected. I just dumped it and I had a couple gushers. Must have gotten some wild yeast in there at some point.