What's in my Sucaba?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by jdhowe, Aug 2, 2013.

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  1. jdhowe

    jdhowe Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2013 Georgia

    I recently opened another bottle of the 2013 Sucaba vintage, and, while it tasted mostly fine, I noticed some "floaties" in my pour (the third 4oz pour from the bottle). Upon investigation, "flakes" of something that broke easily were at the bottom of the bottle, as if some film had precipitated out of the beer and then was breaking up into flakes (and further into small particles) when agitated even mildly. Small pours began including more of the precipitate, which imparted a weak bitterness to the aftertaste of the beer, but otherwise it didn't seem to affect the flavor strongly. Below are photos of the "flakes" in the bottle, a later pour from the bottle including lots of this particulate matter, and a side-by-side of it with the last bit of the first pour from the bottle.
    The bottle was purchased in mid-May from a BevMo in Northern California, but it was delivered by the distributor without its cardboard outer box (this is the only bottle of this year's Sucaba I got without a box, so it is how I know which bottle I was consuming). I'm not sure how this could be relevant, but it does make me a little leery of some 2012 vintage DDBA bottles I've recently picked up without boxes.
    Anyone have any ideas about what this is or similar experiences?
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    #1 jdhowe, Aug 2, 2013
  2. Roger85

    Roger85 Pundit (965) Aug 24, 2012 Illinois

    What is....... yeast?
     
    #2 Roger85, Aug 2, 2013
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  3. EOTLBrewer

    EOTLBrewer Initiate (0) Dec 18, 2011 Illinois

    Yeast sediment plain and simple, ok to drink but might cause a bit of gas.
     
    #3 EOTLBrewer, Aug 2, 2013
  4. Netdigger2

    Netdigger2 Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2011 South Carolina

    yeast or a pellicle from an infection
     
    #4 Netdigger2, Aug 2, 2013
  5. Droogins

    Droogins Initiate (0) Sep 4, 2012 Massachusetts

    Whatever it is, it probably tastes like Sucaba
     
    #5 Droogins, Aug 2, 2013
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  6. flayedandskinned

    flayedandskinned Initiate (0) Jan 1, 2011 California

    Some of the Matt Brynildsson family lineage, drink responsibly.
     
    #6 flayedandskinned, Aug 2, 2013
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  7. regularjohn

    regularjohn Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 New Jersey

    give your girlfriend a dutch oven and make her to guess what beer you had
     
    #7 regularjohn, Aug 2, 2013
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  8. regularjohn

    regularjohn Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 New Jersey

    that is, if you have a lady friend if not you can ummmm dutch oven yourself?????? :grimacing::grimacing::grimacing:
     
    #8 regularjohn, Aug 2, 2013
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  9. willbm3

    willbm3 Initiate (0) Feb 19, 2010 Massachusetts

    My girlfriend always complains that I fart more than any person on the planet. This might explain that
     
    #9 willbm3, Aug 2, 2013
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  10. VelvetExtract

    VelvetExtract Pooh-Bah (2,900) Jan 10, 2010 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    SARS! Really though? Sucaba is a mammoth beer, you gotta expect some detritus. Most IPAs I drink leave love stains like that so don't fret.
     
    #10 VelvetExtract, Aug 2, 2013
  11. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Uh, my balls?
     
    #11 BBThunderbolt, Aug 2, 2013
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  12. VictorWisc

    VictorWisc Maven (1,379) Jan 2, 2013 Massachusetts

    If it's bitter, I can almost guarantee it's yeast. Infections would not be bitter--it would be far more offputting than just "bitter". Had a similar experience last night with a really boozy, gassy and cloudy keg of a Tripel. After 15-20 minutes in the glass, the bitterness subsided, although carbonation and alcohol were still too high. Another keg from the same batch was fine--this one appears to have had too much or overworking yeast that got stirred up in transport because of all the extra carbonation. Once it settled, the beer was fine.
     
    #12 VictorWisc, Aug 2, 2013
  13. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    Your Sucaba obviously has crabs.
     
    #13 Hanzo, Aug 2, 2013
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  14. mborden

    mborden Zealot (653) Jan 28, 2009 New York

    "I'm picking up a lot of roasty, grassy notes. Heavy on the legumes. Huge nose but a little thin in body. I'm guessing you had whatever the dog had."
     
    #14 mborden, Aug 2, 2013
    timontheroad, alysmith4, VictorWisc and 1 other person like this.
  15. FATC1TY

    FATC1TY Pooh-Bah (2,564) Feb 12, 2012 Georgia
    Pooh-Bah


    Craft beer that hasn't been filtered to death. Yeast will give ya the farts.
     
    #15 FATC1TY, Aug 2, 2013
  16. jdhowe

    jdhowe Initiate (0) Mar 18, 2013 Georgia

    Well that seems to be a pretty unanimous conclusion.

    I should have expected to get torn apart here with the "LoL it's yeast. GJ 2013."

    That said, I've never seen yeast form films/flakes like that, and didn't remember any visible yeast in the other 2013 Sucaba I had. The flavor of the cloudier beer was much less off than yeasty pours of other beers I've had, so I was leaning toward "not yeast" on those grounds. Also for some reason I had it in my head that FW pasteurized/filtered their beers -- not sure if this is true or not. To be fair, the other 2013 Sucaba I had was much more fresh, so perhaps the yeast didn't have time to flocculate.
     
    #16 jdhowe, Aug 2, 2013
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  17. Treyliff

    Treyliff Grand Pooh-Bah (5,025) Aug 10, 2010 West Virginia
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Mmmmm......floaties.
     
    #17 Treyliff, Aug 2, 2013
  18. LaneMeyer

    LaneMeyer Initiate (0) Mar 20, 2011 California

    Alien spawn.
     
    #18 LaneMeyer, Aug 2, 2013
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  19. regularjohn

    regularjohn Initiate (0) Feb 7, 2013 New Jersey


    there is something growing inside of my glass, lets give it a name :grimacing:
     
    #19 regularjohn, Aug 2, 2013
  20. VictorWisc

    VictorWisc Maven (1,379) Jan 2, 2013 Massachusetts

    I looked for information on filtering and can't find it anywhere. And even if it's filtered, there is always a chance that an odd bottle may get some remainder. I have not been keeping track of who does and does not pasteurize because I've always assumed most micros don't. Email Firestone--maybe they'll send you a bottlecap magnet for your troubles. Another contributing issue is storage--if they were "aged" too warm, the yeast might have had a field day--it shouldn't have for the ABV, but things happen. YMMV
     
    #20 VictorWisc, Aug 2, 2013
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