Aging oak-aged beers = souring/infected brews

Discussion in 'Cellaring / Aging Beer' started by TonyTalon, Jan 11, 2013.

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  1. TonyTalon

    TonyTalon Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2012 Wisconsin

    It may be my paranoia, but it seems like every oak aged beer I sit on for awhile goes sour/infected, anyone else notice this trend?
    From now on only drinking Oak aged fresh.
    List of brews Ive had go infected:
    2012 Insanity
    2010 Samael's ale
    2011 Olde bluehair barley wine
    Arctic Devil
    The Angels Share
    and even founders curmudgeon is beginning to taste off
     
  2. kzoobrew

    kzoobrew Initiate (0) May 8, 2006 Michigan

    Insanity in Bourbon Barrel and "infected" is often a misused or misapplied term.

    There could easily be many examples of oak aged beers that age rather gracefully.
     
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  3. Keffa

    Keffa Initiate (0) Jan 8, 2009 Ohio


    Yep, it's definitely your paranoia.
     
  4. devlishdamsel

    devlishdamsel Initiate (0) Aug 1, 2009 Washington

    How are you storing/cellaring them? I guess its totally possible that they could be bret infected.
     
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  5. TonyTalon

    TonyTalon Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2012 Wisconsin

    Not sure why/how these particular beers turned into the drain pours they became then, chalking it up to bad luck and drinking them fresh.

    Storing them in an uncontrolled basement in wisconsin, temp flux isnt too erratic though.
     
  6. ncaudle

    ncaudle Initiate (0) May 28, 2010 Virginia

    I don't see how storage could lead to a Brett infection
     
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  7. maximum12

    maximum12 Grand Pooh-Bah (4,662) Jan 21, 2008 Minnesota
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I haven't aged any of those except Insanity for very long, but haven't noticed any such trend.

    Are you familiar with oxidation (not being a jerk, serious question). That might be what you're tasting - kind of like licking a cardboard box. I'm particularly sensitive to oxidation & can't stand anything with more than a touch of it.
     
  8. TonyTalon

    TonyTalon Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2012 Wisconsin

    I've noticed oxidation in some kbs I've had so I'm a bit familiar with the taste your speaking of. I am not a sour fan, these beers tasted worse than some sours I've sampled, could not even stomach them. The curmudgeon, may be falling victim to oxidation now that you mention it, it just taste bland and boring and off.
     
  9. BearsOnAcid

    BearsOnAcid Pooh-Bah (2,203) Mar 17, 2009 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Curmudgeon is not barrel aged.

    There have been problems with Angel's Share before so anything is possible with that. What year?
     
  10. Andygirl

    Andygirl Initiate (0) Jan 3, 2013 Michigan

    Anything I have had that's oaked has a oddball grapefruit taste to me that dh can never taste. I think some people just taste the oak differently.
     
  11. Corkpuller

    Corkpuller Initiate (0) Dec 6, 2011 Pennsylvania

    Some slight souring can occur from (some) brett infections, but it's really unlikely to result in barrels that held liquor.

    Wine barrels make it much more likely.
     
  12. jamescain

    jamescain Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2009 Texas

    It doesn't lead to an infection but Brett naturally lives in wood so if there was a trace amount of Brett in the oak then over time it would become noticeable.
     
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  13. ncaudle

    ncaudle Initiate (0) May 28, 2010 Virginia

    I wasn't arguing that.
    the person I replied to was saying that cellaring/storage could lead to brett infections, not the wood itself that the beer aged on before bottling/storage.
     
  14. jamescain

    jamescain Initiate (0) Jul 14, 2009 Texas

    I see that...well consider my post for them or everyone and not you :slight_smile:
     
  15. TonyTalon

    TonyTalon Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2012 Wisconsin

    Founders wedsite says oak aged. The Angel share was prob. 2011. Drank it awhile back.
     
  16. westcoastbeerlvr

    westcoastbeerlvr Grand Pooh-Bah (3,751) Oct 19, 2010 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Pour quality control on the brewers' parts + too fast of an increase in production size. Everyone's trying to throw things in barrels and they're not taking the proper precautions.

    Also, only the Angel Share GC was infected, correct?
     
  17. BearsOnAcid

    BearsOnAcid Pooh-Bah (2,203) Mar 17, 2009 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society

    That might just mean it's aged on pieces of oak. Not actually aged in barrels.
     
  18. Scotchboy

    Scotchboy Pooh-Bah (2,956) Dec 7, 2010 Idaho
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

  19. EddieGold

    EddieGold Initiate (0) Nov 22, 2012 North Carolina

    Does anyone on here really know what they're talking about?
     
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  20. BearsOnAcid

    BearsOnAcid Pooh-Bah (2,203) Mar 17, 2009 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I think one or two of the very early bottlings were contaminated.
     
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