WTF are Mash Spoilers?

[michael.berta]

Does anyone know anything about mash spoilers? I was listening to brew strong on Enzymes and Jamil very breifly mentioned that mash spoilers can make a beer "pukey".

I had an issue recently where a beer I made tasted like vomit. Literally. Vomit. I have throwed up before and this beer actually tasted like throw up. It was gross.

I couldn't really diagnose the problem. I read threw how to brew section on off flavors and didn't see anything about beer tasting like barf. at first I thought it was tannins. Then thought maybe it was DMS. I don't know. I don't have lots of experience in making beer this bad...

Then it happened again!! This time to an IPA. I brew 10 gallon batches and ferment in better bottles and serve in 5 gallon corny kegs. Only one of the kegs had this issue.

I'm not sure how it could be an issue in the mash if only one of two corny's that were fermented in the same mash had this issue. Either way JZ said something about mash spoilers making beer taste like vomit.

I'd like to know if anyone here knows anything about mash spoilers. What they are. How to prevent them. etc.

Thanks

Mike

 

[gturner6ppc]

It could from butyric acid (baby vomit flavor) which comes from wort or syrups infected with clostridium bacteria.