Oh what could have been...

[tochsner]

I got my scoresheets back from the NHC and I got a 35 on my English Mild. I have not be brewing long and I was very happy with that even though it didn't move on. Reading the sheets all three judges had good things to say about it. But all three said it was to bad they could taste oxidization.
I am having trouble tasting the off flavors and identifying them but I had some still on tap so I tried it. For the life of me I could not taste the cardboard taste described. Fast forward to today, I was cleaning out the beer fridge and found the 2 bottles that I bottled at the same time as my entries (You know, in case I needed some for the final round ). I popped one and tasted the cardboard, exactly as they described. It was the first time using my beer gun. Obviously I did something wrong.
Now I have to wonder, I got a 35 with the oxidization, oh, what could have been.

 

[Yooper]

"Cardboard" or "wet cardboard" is only in the cases of severe oxidation. A less severe oxidation presents as stale, or even an astringency on the sides of the tongue. Oxidation can taste not quite metallic, but almost, in beers with dark grains. A mild case of oxidation will get worse with time, so if you even have a hint of it in a beer, drink up!

 

[DoubleAught]

If you mail home brew to the competition is it possible they could become oxidized during shipping? I'm sure the boxes get beat to hell.

 

[tochsner]

If you mail home brew to the competition is it possible they could become oxidized during shipping? I'm sure the boxes get beat to hell.

Maybe but the bottles I had in my fridge were oxidized too. I must have done something wrong when I bottled it from the keg.

 

[tochsner]

"Cardboard" or "wet cardboard" is only in the cases of severe oxidation. A less severe oxidation presents as stale, or even an astringency on the sides of the tongue. Oxidation can taste not quite metallic, but almost, in beers with dark grains. A mild case of oxidation will get worse with time, so if you even have a hint of it in a beer, drink up!

It's been in the keg since March 26th and it still tastes great. I am sure it was a failure in my bottling line.

 

[rockfish42]

Which brand of beer gun were you using? I'm assuming a Blichmann?

 

[E-Mursed]

A Blichman allows you to flush the O2 with a good blast of C02. Many of the DIY versions don't and rely on the "cap on foam" process which IMO is more prone to cause oxidization.

A Blichman used properly greatly reduces the possibility of oxidization.