Random Beer Thoughts

[sacrelicio]

Had a great fresh coffee, a great coffee a couple weeks ago, and in between, one that was a bit bright with some fading coffee flavor, but I didn't get infection.

Now barleywine on the other hand is absolutely infected. I actually opened and drain poured 3 bottles that tasted like the worst sour crap today.

I thought mine tasted like cherry syrup. Like a bad brewpub barleywine. Is there a date or batch range that is bad? Thought I heard that.

 

[Podunkparte]

I thought mine tasted like cherry syrup. Like a bad brewpub barleywine. Is there a date or batch range that is bad? Thought I heard that.

Cherry syrup = infection in something that doesn't have any cherries.

As far as batches, I don't know. I haven't paid that much attention since I've either drank or fed all my coffee and barleywine to the drain.

 

[furley]

Cherry syrup = infection in something that doesn't have any cherries.

As far as batches, I don't know. I haven't paid that much attention since I've either drank or fed all my coffee and barleywine to the drain.

huh

http://homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/6841/how-to-identify-a-brett-contamination

"I've done intentional Brett brewing, and also have a friend who has a very persistent strain of Brett somewhere in her brewhouse that is popping up in all her beers. When young, Brett can taste kind offruity (but not like normal ale yeast fruitiness) and starts to develop of flavor that kind of reminds me of vomit, but its not as bad as it sounds. Just kind of "off" and acidic, with a funky kind of edge. It becomes kind of "cherry pie" like with age, even in the unintentional infections from wild brett, and in some beers, this cherry pie flavor can be quite nice.

I've only ever smelled the 'leather' thing once in a sour, and it went away within a few weeks anyway. As I've never smelled a real horse blanket, I have no idea what that is supposed to be in beer.

I know this isn't particularly helpful, but you will learn to spot Brett, as its pretty unique. Anytime I taste a beer that's a little thinner than it should be for the style, and its got that subtle cherry pie flavor, I immediately think of Brett.

Another hint will be to look at the bottles (assuming you bottled this batch). Sour beers usually form a 'pelicle' or 'skin' on their surface, and its possible for them to form a tiny one in the bottle. If you see any film at the beer right in the neck of the bottle, then it's probably indeed Brett.

Brett works slowly over time to dry out the beer as well. You can monitor the gravity over the next few weeks. If its dropping at all, then you've got a bug and you'll be risking bottle bombs if you bottled this batch.

LAST THOUGHT: Palisade hops have a distinct kind of 'apricot' flavor when young (which I really love, btw). It's possible the other brewer tasted that flavor and thought it was Brett's fruity/cherry thing. If the fruit flavor fades over the next week or two, then it was just hop flavor, not an infection, that he/she spotted.

(Updated 4/17) One more thing, partially because of its high attenuation (but maybe other factors too), some Brett beers come across as dry and astringent at certain phases. So if you've got a beer that's getting more astringent over time, then you might have a Brett problem. Beers that are astringent because of mashing issues & dark grains always taste more astringent up front, and might loose a little sharp "bite" as they age, but not the other way around."

 

[JulianB1]

Did I miss where the RateBeer awards suddenly became something important?

 

[lb304854]

Did I miss where the RateBeer awards suddenly became something important?

Like every award they are only important to those that win.

 

[trickytunadicky]

Did I miss where the RateBeer awards suddenly became something important?

In general I think of RateBeer as an irrelevant dinosaur for forums, but in terms of institutions that host competitions for meads, there are some smaller regional operations, there is the Mazer Cup, run by the AMMA (not exactly independent), Mondavi might do something, but again, their experts come from the AMMA, so that leave beer and wine fests with mead categories, and the Rate Beer awards, which I guess is the People's Choice of beer. It keeps them relevant seeming, and in terms of mead, they are. You have a choice of RB and Untappd. So in terms of folks I am followin (who killed it) they still are relevant.

 

[RyanG1]

Like every award they are only important to those that win.

Just as relevant!

 

[Rich2]

Just as relevant!

a piece of the aggro crag was the only thing i ever wanted as a kid

 

[abawol01]

a piece of the aggro crag was the only thing i ever wanted as a kid

LET'S SEND IT DOWN TO MO.



MO!

 

[arren]

Did I miss where the RateBeer awards suddenly became something important?

They're the little league participation trophies of the craft beer world. It was pretty ridiculous looking through my Instagram feed and seeing all these breweries boasting, "we're humbled to get a medal for being the 6th best brewery in the US!" and "woo! Thanks to Ratebeer for the 'Best Non-Adjunct Barrel-Aged Stout (Longer Than 8 Months) in the American Southwest' award!"

 

[JulianB1]

Another observation from that Friday tasting with all the drunk pictures of me:

(I'm sure this one will be of interest to MordorMongo and probably no one else)

2006 (OG batch) Upland Raspberry Lambic was a ******* revelation. It still had an insane amount of fruit and the acidity was remarkably restrained and well-balanced. Like, this thing was way less of an enamel-stripper than any fresh Upland bottle is these days. If that's what these '06 Uplands are like I may seek out others.

 

[trickytunadicky]

Another observation from that Friday tasting with all the drunk pictures of me:

(I'm sure this one will be of interest to MordorMongo and probably no one else)

2006 (OG batch) Upland Raspberry Lambic was a ******* revelation. It still had an insane amount of fruit and the acidity was remarkably restrained and well-balanced. Like, this thing was way less of an enamel-stripper than any fresh Upland bottle is these days. If that's what these '06 Uplands are like I may seek out others.

Bottles went enamel stripper around 2013. Everything before that is still pretty rocking. Did side by sides at DLD this year.

 

[MordorMongo]

Another observation from that Friday tasting with all the drunk pictures of me:

(I'm sure this one will be of interest to MordorMongo and probably no one else)

2006 (OG batch) Upland Raspberry Lambic was a ******* revelation. It still had an insane amount of fruit and the acidity was remarkably restrained and well-balanced. Like, this thing was way less of an enamel-stripper than any fresh Upland bottle is these days. If that's what these '06 Uplands are like I may seek out others.

There really was a time when Upland was decent. Then Caleb lost all sense of being able to detect sourness and acidic levels and went full retard.









Sour reserve batch 1 was their pinnacle. And those first couple persimmon and kiwi batches. Zomfg hhhhnnnnggggg.

 

[Wagon Circler]

The adjunct stout game becomes even more of a trifle when you've had Fremont's lineup. I don't think I've had a coffee beer recently that matches up to coffee KDS, and I've yet to have an adjunct stout (strong ale, whatever) in the past year that comes close to Coffee Cinn B-bomb.

The only one that's better than Cin Coffee BBomb is 2015 Regular old BBomb. Seriously can't believe how effin good this years is.

 

[tosh1]

As a person who gets as nuanced as i like or don't like a beer. Someone do the down and dirty and explain why this flat beer is kind of awesome.

Wow, this is good. But 100% flat..

 

[jmgrub]

As a person who gets as nuanced as i like or don't like a beer. Someone do the down and dirty and explain why this flat beer is kind of awesome.

Wow, this is good. But 100% flat..

I like it too, but we are in the minority of those I've spoken with about it.

A little umami character in that beer that doesn't usually seem to work on most beers but works in this one for some reason.

 

[jmgrub]

Propolis Beltane: phenomenal.

 

[JulianB1]

I liked Be Still when I had it last year, but I don't think if I'd want to drink a huge pour of it (let alone a whole bottle).

 

[jupiter6xx]

I liked Be Still when I had it last year, but I don't think if I'd want to drink a huge pour of it (let alone a whole bottle).

This was pretty much my impression when I had it a few weeks ago. I really liked it, but in a reasonably small quantity. But I do kind of wish I had my own bottle to see if I could get through it on my own.

 

[tosh1]

I liked Be Still when I had it last year, but I don't think if I'd want to drink a huge pour of it (let alone a whole bottle).

I did maybe 500ml and will revisiit tomorrow. I find it refreshing and very drinkable. I could easily do the full bottle, but Fantome on deck, so it can wait.

 

[tosh1]

Propolis Beltane: phenomenal.

I love Propolis, i need to buy it mire than i do.

 

[abawol01]

When the **** did Michigan become shitlord HQ? This site has been filled with the dregs of Michigan beer society today. SMH.

 

[RyanG1]

When the **** did Michigan become shitlord HQ? This site has been filled with the dregs of Michigan beer society today. SMH.

Aren't you moving? So, one less.


lymi

 

[abawol01]

Aren't you moving? So, one less.


lymi

 

[arren]

Ballast Point is turning into the adjunct king of craft beer.

Grapefruit Sculpin
Peppermint Victory at Sea
Pineapple Sculpin
Watermelon Dorado
Mango Even Keel
Ginger Big Eye

Those are all their recent bottle releases.

 

[JulianB1]

Ballast Point is turning into the adjunct king of craft beer.

Grapefruit Sculpin
Peppermint Victory at Sea
Pineapple Sculpin
Watermelon Dorado
Mango Even Keel
Ginger Big Eye

Those are all their recent bottle releases.

Add in Habanero Sculpin and Thai Chili Lime Ginger Wahoo Wheat (which hasn't been bottled yet, but I'd love it if it were), along with Indra Kunindra I suppose.

At least they (generally) do a good job of it.

 

[Ziggy]

I was looking forward to the peppermint victory at sea when a local bar had it on tap.

Decent at first sip, then ******* gross aftertaste. Tasted like baking soda.

 

[ncaudle]

I love catching up on all the posts from Raleigh friday night!
pgh_penguins did we actually meet that night? JulianB fiestaplatypus nice meeting ya and thanks for the shares.

I'll add my $.02 on the ABVMZ mess...
had pours from 2 different bottles. the bottles tasted nothing alike and the better tasting of them was merely good at best.
but what do I know?

 

[JulianB1]

I love catching up on all the posts from Raleigh friday night!
pgh_penguins did we actually meet that night? JulianB fiestaplatypus nice meeting ya and thanks for the shares.

I'll add my $.02 on the ABVMZ mess...
had pours from 2 different bottles. the bottles tasted nothing alike and the better tasting of them was merely good at best.
but what do I know?

Likewise, pleasure meeting you! Best thing about that share was all the new and old ticks, and I don't mean the beers. Great crowd there and super-generous. Really almost too generous, the reason I got so trashed is there was constantly someone new offering me a pour of a bottle so I was practically chugging to keep up.

 

[sunnrider]

http://www.ratebeer.com/forums/ongo...es-regarding-constructive-feedback_283186.htm

This is starting to get interesting.

And add me to the list of people wanting to try Pineapple Sculpin.