2015/16 Barrel-Aged Beer Infections

I had a bottle of Very Mad Cow about a month or two ago and it was awesome. No infection.

 

I think that this sort of occurrence is not that uncommon. Barrels add an element of the unknown. That is what is pleasing to most of us. Brewing is tricky work and the pressure might make some breweries put out a product that might work while others will dump it at a substantial cost. Funky to some is delicious to others.

 

The % of people here who understand infection vs off flavors and off flavors vs off-putting flavors are small. To this crowd most anything they dont like is a butter bomb or infected. Not a good crowd to ask this question.

 

I've only experienced two infections and both were last year. The first was Green Flash's Silva Stout. Butter scotch bomb (diacetyl). Mike from Green Flash sent me a care package and more than made up for the bad beer. Great customer service.

The second was Revolution's Bean Gene. Same issue, total butter scotch. I chalked this one up to one bad bottle. Revolution makes great beer and I've been loving their Deep Woods Series. Deth's Tar was great, so was Blue Gene and Very Mad Cow.

I grabbed quite a few BCBS (including Coffee, BW, and Regal Rye) this year and they were all outstanding as usual.

 

I had 2 recent infections. The first was a BCBS Barleywine (which I had gotten a couple weeks ago from a friend). Then a bottle of Blue Pants Bourbon Barrel Wee Heavy (Alabama). I had held that for about 2 months. That's all I've had in the many years I've been drinking craft. Hope it doesn't happen again anytime soon.

 

Green Flash Silva Stout - Diacetyl
Breckinridge Rum barrel Imperial Vanilla Porter - Infected
Chatham Shine on Bourbon Barrel Porter - Diacetyl - virtually the same flavor as the well know Silva issue.

The first two i got a refund or replacement beers and was very impressed with how the breweries handled it and they will be getting my business in the future for sure. 3rd bottle was a trade and I didn't contact the brewery.

 

So who is qualified to answer the question?

I had a few bourbon county coffee this year and only one had a sour taste. Not drain pour but off from the others. Only complete bust was a ba bolero snort. It was awful but it happens. The other three ba variations they released along with that one were all decent.

 

Could you post something that would educate the ignorant rather than just St!t talk and shame.

 

Is diacetyl considered an infection? I think it's present after fermentation but doesn't develop. I'm not asking you argue semantics, btw. I too had a bad bottle and it bothered me because it seemed like that should've been evident right away during QC, unlike an infection which could taste ok and then develop.

 

Diacetyl can come from Pedio infections, but it's just usually considered an unpleasant off flavor. If the beer gets thick or ropey and there's diacetyl, it's definitely a Pedio infection.

 

Not my job to spoonfeed.

 

It seems like this issue has popped up a lot more than in years past. Not sure if it's just the explosion in number of BA beers, whether the barrel stock is getting worse or what.

 

Has there ever been a canned beer infection?

 

I had a very infected Shmaltz Bock Bock recently. Emailed the brewery about but never heard back.

 

I have had two infected beers and an infected home brew IPA. I brewed the IPA in the 1990's and once it stopped gushing it tasted like a wild green apple ale. Not the beer I set out to make but it was very drinkable after 2/3 gushed out. Plastic bucket had scratches in it.

I had a Victory Summer Love case that Victory told me was a bad batch and replaced it with 4 new six packs of my choice.
The other beer was Philadelphia Brewing pale ale. All had a ring inside the neck and became full foam upon opening. The small bit remaining was very metallic tasting. This case was replaced as well. I did stop buying their beer after the same thing happened with the Joe coffee porter. Not worth my time to drive down to replace so so beer. I try to support locals but only if its good.

Enjoy

 

Out of the thousands of beers I've had over the years, the only true infection was Mexican Chocolate Stout by Copper Kettle.

 

I guess we can assume then, judging by the first post and this one, it is your job to post general insults?

Here is a guide for you to use to further your understanding, and for others to use as well.

http://howtobrew.com/book/section-4/is-my-beer-ruined/common-off-flavors

 

I have only had one, Clown Shoes: The peace money cant buy. I think it was a 2014 beer so granted it's out of the time range your talking about.

 

Please shower us with your knowledge. The forum needs it.