Am I alone on Pilsners?

Already on my second case of sunshine pils this year. When the weather gets warm a good Pilsner just hits the spot.

 

No, but that's what makes this something I'm looking forward to doing right away. This will be my first time with both Summerfest and Sunshine Pils of 2015, so there shouldn't be any preconceived bias (for good or ill) towards those two beers, at least.

 

Love pilsners. I'm a bitter beer hop head but really enjoy mixing in some pilsners especially now that it's getting warmer......

 

Bergbrew, thanks for posting this. Just curious if you, as a brewing professional, perceive the green bottle/skunking issue to be as much of a problem, or more or less of one, than many BA's and beer consumers.

 

I'll chime in regarding skunked pilsners. I kind of like them, but not when they're "skunked". I do, however, like the DMS aroma in some examples. I'm guessing that's more due to the water being used, or something, instead of poor handling.

 

I gravitate towards "bigger" beers, but I do have some serious love for a nice crisp pilsner.

 

Seems the DMS flavor is a byproduct of fermentation of the malt and in some beers is expected and desirable at low levels,

http://beersmith.com/blog/2012/04/10/dimethyl-sulfides-dms-in-home-brewed-beer/

 

It is definitely a problem, and it can be prevented-by either using amber glass or light stable hops.

Now on the other hand, if people come to accept and even like the flavor of light struck beers, who am I to argue? It's similar to people's reaction to diacetyl-some like it, some despise it. Technically it's a flaw, but if people buy the beer because they enjoy it?

I've heard people describe drinking a light struck beer as having "that European" flavor. They don't necessarily think it's a bad thing

 

Indeed. It's analogous to those who like hazy beers; technically it's probably a flaw, but it people like -- or even prefer it -- who are we to argue?

 

I've also encountered such folks and it often turns out they are confusing the sulfur flavor of DMS with the beer being light struck and having the frangrance (body odor) of a skunk.

 

Yep. I think you can extend it to just about any attribute in beer-oxidation, diacetyl, DMS, clarity, etc. I sometimes jokingly say it was easier to enjoy beer when I didn't know anything about it. Instead of looking for flaws, I just drank it and either liked it or didn't.

 

DMS can get exaggerated under extreme heat, so a lot of that "European flavor" can indeed be a combination of light struck and DMS if the beer has been stored in a hot warehouse or loading dock. I'm thinking of 1980s Heineken or Moosehead, which were fairly pungent.

 

I'd add oxidation to that list too.

 

Sure it can, but suppose the beer has been kept in and shipped in a chilled keg and someone still tells you it is "skunked?"

 

That one always makes me laugh.

 

Yup .

It's the same as it always was, I guess- we'll just have to educate them one at a time.
The main problem seems to be that they hear the word 'skunked' used incorrectly from everyone around them, even 'authoritative' sources like bartenders and storekeepers, that it is hard to un-do.

 

Also sulfur shares some things in common with "skunk," and, increasingly, there are large numbers of people who've never actually encountered a skunk except on a TV screen. :-)

I notice the smell of skunk pretty easily from having lived or camped in semi-rural or wilderness areas and from once upon a time having to give a good scrubbing to a dog after his first encounter with a skunk... :-)

 

Below is a list of sulfur compounds that are sometimes perceptible in beer (depending on the compound level/amount) along with common descriptors:

Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS): cooked corn, creamed corn, vegetal

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2): struck match

Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S): low level: onion/garlic, higher levels: burnt rubber. Sometimes also described as rotten egg.

3-methylbut-2-ene-1-thiol (a mercaptan): the lightstruck formed compound that is described as skunky, catty, feral, polecat

4MMP (4-mercapto-4-methylpentan-2-one): each individual will likely perceive this compound differently. 4MMP has flavors of tropical fruit for my palate. Others have reported an aroma/flavor of cat pee. Also, muscat grape/black currant has been mentioned. Another descriptor mentioned is boxwood.

Dimethyl Trisulphide (DMTS): onion/garlic

Cheers!

 

Yuck! It really can be strong if you are that close to where the spray happened. Most people here know the smell by driving past a skunk-against-car accident, so it's a familiar smell but usually dissapated. I did have one 'go off' under my window one night and it was so intense it took a few days for it to totally go away.

 

There used to be a landscaping/nursery business less than 100 feet from my house and skunks lived there. At night they would ‘wander’ the neighborhood looking for food (e.g., grubs in my lawn). During the summer I would have all of my windows open and you knew they were nearby because you could smell them. Even if they do not actively spray those critters stink.

My next door neighbor’s dog (Rudy) would repeatedly get sprayed by skunks. Dogs just can’t learn to not chase skunks!

Cheers!