Does my beer look oxidized?

If it makes you feel any better, this Ruination 2.0 I'm drinking has lost quite a bit of hop flavor and aroma since I bought it a week ago. It was bottled on June 4th.

 

I assume cardboard gets invoked so frequently because it is familiar and somewhat obvious when present. In contrast, while hop and malt character may lose some "brightness" when they are oxidized, "brightness" is somewhat vague compared to cardboard and may require a before and after tasting to recognize.

 

It takes at least a few months of room temperature storage before cardboard happens.

 

I've used Munich in many hoppy beers. It, like any flavorful malt, can compete with hops. But I really don't think two beers with equal starting hop flavors/aromas will lose those flavors/aromas at different rates due to the presence of munich malt flavors in one of them.

 

Right, right?

 

What do you suppose would cause hop flavor/aroma to fade faster in the presence of Munich? AFAIK, melanoidins don't react with any hop flavor aroma compounds, nor act as oxidation catalysts. So what do you think the mechanism might be for this phenomenon you experienced?

 

I'm still not convinced the color change isn't the result of yeast settling, especially if your beers are tasting good at 3-4 weeks out

 

Yes, the yeast in suspension reflect light. There's a video out there showing heady at 2 days vs. 3 weeks or something like that and it was very apparent.

 

I do think kegging has helped me with hoppy beers. Before you transfer to the keg, flush the keg with CO2 to help minimize oxygen pickup. Kegging is easier than bottling, but not without its difficulties. Still, I think you will be happy to make this shift.

 

I cold crash for 5-7 days before bottling and have had no issues with carbonation in the 4 batches I've done since having the ability to cold crash.

 

I don't have evidence to disprove your theory. But I'm not the one making an extraordinary claim, a claim that nobody, AFAIK, has ever made before. So I don't think the burden of proof is mine.

 

I going to agree with CurtFromHershey here and say that the OP's pictures don't show the classic sign of substantial darkening from significant oxidation, but rather just the darkening that results from suspended solids settling out. I believe that mild oxidation will likely show up first in the flavor rather than the color.

 

Oxidation will happen, its only a matter of dissolved oxygen, time, and temperature. As each one increases so does the likelihood of oxidation.

 

It will happen anyway due to redox reactions, dissolved O2 does not have to be present, but if it is there, the beer oxidizes faster.

 

Right. Thats what I'm saying.

 

The Munich in an IPA is something that pros do fairly often. I have never heard or read about there being a staling or oxidation problem.

Matt Brynildson of FW was on the BN a few years back, and he said he often adds Munich to NA 2-row to enhance the flavor, up to 20%. He laid out Union Jack, which had won GAAbF Gold in back to back years. Here it pretty much is.
http://www.bertusbrewery.com/2013/02/ipa-clone-series-firestone-walker-union.html

In the new Gordon Strong book Modern Homebrew Recipes, he has 12 IPA recipes in the book, 8 have Munich in them from a low level (8 oz.), to several pounds. Most of the other 4 have Vienna worked into the grist bill.

Just saying that Munich does not have to be avoided in IPAs, and it can sub/replace Crytal malts.