Beer Server and Off Flavor Training

For sure, if that were the only known cause of diacetyl.

But as others have pointed out, it can come from tap lines. A rest won't prevent that from being served.

 

Yep, but having a server trained in off flavors is only useful if the brewery can react to their input.

 

I don't know how many small brewers are set up for a sensory panel, but it would go a long way towards keeping their beer clean and consistent. Staff members can even be trained to participate.

Also, there's a way to test for the diacetyl precursor AAL that involves heating up a sample. I'm not sure too many small brewers are even doing that much.

 

A diacetyl rest... and tap line cleaning and... (you're right, there are many places that are deserving of vigilance before we put our energy into server off flavor training )

Kidding aside, I'm not suggesting that a knowledgable server (at a brewery) isn't a good thing or without benefits.

 

Well, that's where I see the potential usefulness of @Giovannilucano 's ideas about staff training in small brewerys with taprooms, A knowledgeable staff, regardless of their role becomes part of an informal tasting panel that's already getting paid for doing their primary job.

It's not unlike somebody like Dogfish Head putting their new ideas for a production beer through a pre-production test marketing by putting some one time brew on offer at the Brewpup and then watching how well it sells. This is what they did with Palo Santo before deciding to put in into release in bottles.

 

Ahh, that is indeed the way I read your comment.

What I see as part of the OP's intent is that it is one avenue of developing contact with helping a brewer recognize diacetyl as a flaw is through the staff being able recognize when flaws exist.

 

Just an fyi for people who are following this thread who aren't familiar with Diacetyl, it imparts a buttery flavour.

 

I think a section on off flavours could be added to BA's Beer 101 to help beer drinkers recognize them. "Skunked" is already there...
I'd consider that useful training.

 

There is a fair bit of discussion concerning diacetyl but there are many other off-flavors of concern. For example, below is a list I extracted from a BJCP score sheet:

Acetaldehyde - Green apple-like aroma and flavor.

Alcoholic - The aroma, flavor, and warming effect of ethanol and higher alcohols. Sometimes described as “hot”.

Astringent - Puckering, lingering harshness and/or dryness in the finish/aftertaste; harsh graininess; huskiness.

Diacety l- Artificial butter, butterscotch, or toffee aroma and flavor. Sometimes perceived as a slickness on the tongue.

DMS (dimethyl sulfide) - At low levels a sweet, cooked or canned corn-like aroma and flavor.

Estery - Aroma and/or flavor of any ester (fruits, fruit flavorings, or roses.)

Grassy – Aroma/flavor of fresh-cut grass or green leaves.

Light-Struck - Similar to the aroma of a skunk.

Metallic - Tinny, coiny, copper, iron, or blood-like flavor.

Musty – Stale, musty, or moldy aromas/flavors.

Oxidized - Any one or combination of winy/vinous, cardboard, papery, or sherry-like aromas and flavors.

Phenolic – Spicy (clove, pepper), smoky, plastic, plastic adhesive strip, and/or medicinal (chlorophenolic).

Solvent - Aromas and flavors of higher alcohols (fusel alcohols). Similar to acetone or lacquer thinner aromas.

Sour/Acidic - Tartness in aroma and flavor. Can be sharp and clean (lactic acid), or vinegar-like (acetic acid).

Sulfur - The aroma of rotten eggs or burning matches.

Vegetal- Cooked, canned, or rotten vegetable aroma and flavor (cabbage, onion, celery, asparagus, etc.)

Yeasty - A bready, sulfury or yeast-like aroma or flavor.

https://www.bjcp.org/docs/BeerScoreSheet-Form.pdf

An important consideration as to whether the above attributes would be considered an off-flavor is:

· The specific beer style

· The level of the flavor (e.g., sometimes a little bit is OK in certain beer styles)

· The specific flavor listed – for example a phenol flavor of medicinal (chlorophenol) is typically not desirous

Cheers!

 

Thanks! Great information. First post I've ever copied and saved on my hard drive.

 

@JackHorzempa is quite a good homebrewer.

 

Yup, I have been homebrewing for over 20 years.

Last week I homebrewed a Saison. My next batch will be batch number 400. Do you have any suggestions for a Quadricentennial beer?

Cheers!

 

How 'bout a quad?

 

Beat me to it.

 

I've seen NE-style pales, IPAs, and DIPAs. I assume someone out there has done a NE-Style Triple IPA, but you could be the first to brew a NE-style quad IPA.

 

I have an opinion on this one live in South NJ. I am beer server certified. Trying to get Cicerone. I'll give this example. I've had interviews for Rinn Duin, Manafirkin, pinelands and Ship Bottom. And they aren't interested. I've worked for backward flag. The owner is Cicerone so she knew and understood what all that means but I was only able to volunteer. These start up brewers are only interested in keeping a tight nit circle and/or do not have money to pay people. Until a bigger operation than that of an industrial park setting happens for them, it's not likely. And another thing. Some people really just don't care.

 

That would indeed be a good choice since the word Quad appears in the word Quadcentennial.
The situation is that I just brewed a Quad a couple of months ago (I will be drinking that batch over the next 3-4 years).

If I was a better planner I would have waited a bit to brew my Quad.

Cheers!

@zid