Different color brew

[suzuki98]

Hello all, I finished my 3rd brew (extract). It was a Kolsch recipe. So far this one came out the best until I opened one today. The color had been a beautiful golden, nice head, etc. The one I opened today was darker and looked almost purple. Anybody have any idea why it would of came out looking like this? I tasted it and it was a little sweet, but otherwise not bad.

thanks

 

[Calypso]

That's really weird. Can you post a picture? And your recipe?

I'm at a loss for what might do that. You didn't rack onto litmus paper in the secondary, did you?

 

[Yooper]

One of the things that can cause darkening in a beer is oxidation. It also can developed a bit of a sweet taste similar to Sherry or Brandy.

Is that a possibility with this beer? How old is it?

 

[rolewiii]

The only purple beer I've ever seen is Empire Brewing's Deep Purple - which is brewed with concord grapes.

Seems strange to have purple as an off color.

 

[Calypso]

Also, what do you use to sanitize?

 

[Yooper]

The other thing that could happen is if the beer is very young it will look darker after it clears. That's because the yeast is white and when it drops out of the beer it makes the beer look darker.

Sometimes that happens with extract beers because when extract boils, it will darken due to Maillard reactions.

 

[sumbrewindude]

If using Idophore (or any iodine sanitizer), if you have any kind of starch in the beer you put into the bottles after saniziting, you'll have purple-ish beer as the iodine reacts with the unconverted starches.

 

[suzuki98]

- Sorry no picture (thought about it afterwards) I dumped it in the sink to look at it

-recipe ---> http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/Kolsch.pdf with Wyeast

-the brew is only 2 1/2 months old from start. It's been about 2 weeks since end of conditioning

-I use star san

 

[Calypso]

- Sorry no picture (thought about it afterwards) I dumped it in the sink to look at it

-recipe ---> http://www.northernbrewer.com/documentation/beerkits/Kolsch.pdf with Wyeast

-the brew is only 2 1/2 months old from start. It's been about 2 weeks since end of conditioning

-I use star san

When you say "almost purple", how "almost purple" are we talking about? Like, mostly Kolsch colored with a hint of red/purple, or are we talking Full-On Kool-Aid?

Did you use Irish Moss? If so, how much? There are purple dyes that are derived from lichen (including the dye used to make litmus paper). I'm really grasping at straws here though.

As much as I love playing detective though, Yooper is likely right about it being oxidation damage.

 

[suzuki98]

it had a purplish tint. how does oxidation happen?