New Belgium Abby "Funk" question

[estricklin]

Last year I had a string of infections and never really knew exactly what type of bacteria or wild yeast was causing it. I tried a beer at a local beer festival last October and I found this same strange horrible flavor. It was a kolsch I believe.

Today I grabbed a 6er of New Belgium's Abby and popped the top and there is the same horrible smell and flavor again. I've tried some Belgiums before and I generally love the heck out of e'm, but this is undrinkable! What is this TERRIBLE flavor? I know it's not Brett because I LOVE lambics. I can't believe people actually enjoy this, hell I poured out at least 6 batches that tasted just like this! Matter of fact, I got a case of it that's been sitting for over a year. I know it's a bug, I wanna know which one.

Just the smell makes me sick at my stomach and one drink and I'm done. Am I overly sensitive to this? I can't put into words how obnoxious I find this smell and taste. I'm not a picky eater or beer drinker at all.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[TNTgill]

Not sure what you are tasting other than yeast flavors. I am pretty certain that its just regular brewers yeast in the beer. It has never tasted terrible to me ( or it appears most of beer advocate as its rated world class). Maybe you could describe the flavors better so we could help diagnose this problem for you.

 

[TomGreen]

Maybe it is your only specific reaction, cause I never expirienced anything like this. Like allergy or smth

 

[Hopinista]

#belgiansnotbelgiums

 

[timrox1212]

Could it be clove taste? I used to HATE the clovey taste of some Belgian beers. I've since learned to like it but I still kinda turn my nose to beers that taste too clove like.


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[estricklin]

The SWMBO drinks a lot of craft beer too, so I gave the glass to her because I only got through 3 small tastes before I was feeling sick, and she said "I taste a little banana, but I dunno what your talking about". She stated that she didn't really care for the beer, but that it wasn't nasty either.

I can't taste any banana, and no clove either. Its hard to describe the flavor, but it's sort of like burnt cough syrup, a chemical smell, maybe an industrial smell? I wouldn't use any food descriptor for it. Aftershave sort of comes to mind but doesn't do it justice.

I poured the rest of the mug of beer out, and rinsed the sink and the glass just so I wouldn't have to smell it anymore until I put it in the dishwasher.

 

[FarmerTed]

The SWMBO drinks a lot of craft beer too, so I gave the glass to her because I only got through 3 small tastes before I was feeling sick, and she said "I taste a little banana, but I dunno what your talking about". She stated that she didn't really care for the beer, but that it wasn't nasty either.

I can't taste any banana, and no clove either. Its hard to describe the flavor, but it's sort of like burnt cough syrup, a chemical smell, maybe an industrial smell? I wouldn't use any food descriptor for it. Aftershave sort of comes to mind but doesn't do it justice.

I poured the rest of the mug of beer out, and rinsed the sink and the glass just so I wouldn't have to smell it anymore until I put it in the dishwasher.

It's banana. I hate that beer with a passion. I get nausea just smelling it. It smells and tastes incredibly solventy. It smells just like the solvent in liquid bandaid (which I use all the time for paper cuts and the like). I really, really hate that beer, and I hate that flavor in any beer. A lot of people don't mind it, but when you drink a gawdawful beer that has too much of it in it (like NB Abbey), it pretty much kills the flavor for you in any beer (at least it did for me).

Anyway, you may be getting it because you're fermenting too warm, or maybe are under-pitching on your yeast. Pitch more yeast at a lower temperature; that's my recommendation.

 

[estricklin]

It's banana. I hate that beer with a passion. I get nausea just smelling it. It smells and tastes incredibly solventy. It smells just like the solvent in liquid bandaid (which I use all the time for paper cuts and the like). I really, really hate that beer, and I hate that flavor in any beer. A lot of people don't mind it, but when you drink a gawdawful beer that has too much of it in it (like NB Abbey), it pretty much kills the flavor for you in any beer (at least it did for me).

Anyway, you may be getting it because you're fermenting too warm, or maybe are under-pitching on your yeast. Pitch more yeast at a lower temperature; that's my recommendation.

I've fermented beers too warm back in my beginner days, and had the super banana taste. This is NOT banana.

I appreciate your advice but I did not brew this beer, so I wouldn't have any way of controlling anything, except that I'm not going to buy it ever again. If you were referring to the batches of infected beer I had, I made starters and used a Johnson controller to hold most of them around 65F. They fermented super dry and then still turned out to be gushers.

Thanks for your reply. At least someone else gets this odd "flavor".