Infected beer, school me.

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by whiskey, Dec 14, 2012.

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  1. whiskey

    whiskey Maven (1,308) Feb 25, 2012 California
    Trader

    So I've had a few 4 packs of SN Narwhal of the past couple months. I had it on tap last night and it poured a foggy, semi dark chocolate color and almost had a bitter/sour taste to it. Out of the bottle it pours black and has always been easily drinkable.

    I love narwhal, but tolerated this. Could this keg/batch be infected? Is it something else I may just be ignorant of?

    School me, BA.
     
    #1 whiskey, Dec 14, 2012
  2. ShogoKawada

    ShogoKawada Initiate (0) May 31, 2009 Pennsylvania

    My guess is dirty/uncleaned tap lines.

    bacteria grows in there, as well as a residue of god-knows-what-else was poured before the Narwhal got on tap.

    Ask the bar owner how often they clean their lines. My guess is he won't have an answer right off the top of his head.
     
    #2 ShogoKawada, Dec 14, 2012
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  3. Extravadanza

    Extravadanza Initiate (0) Aug 3, 2011 Ohio

    was thinking the same thing
     
    #3 Extravadanza, Dec 14, 2012
  4. whiskey

    whiskey Maven (1,308) Feb 25, 2012 California
    Trader

    I know the guy, he has a service that he pays to do it every week or two(can't remember the exact time frame he told me).
    He seems to run a tight ship.

    He had never had Narwhal out of the bottle, so he had nothing to compare it to.
     
    #4 whiskey, Dec 14, 2012
  5. ShogoKawada

    ShogoKawada Initiate (0) May 31, 2009 Pennsylvania

    well, that's odd. SN has legendary QC, so I think either the keg was stored next to a furnace or he's got bad lines or glassware.

    Maybe SNBill can chime in.
     
    #5 ShogoKawada, Dec 14, 2012
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  6. Retsinis

    Retsinis Pooh-Bah (1,622) Sep 25, 2009 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah

    Hmmm, I'm skeptical it's the brewer. I still would say it's more likley to be the bar, then Sierra Neveda, no offense.

    Any brewery could of course have cross contamination, or infection to their beers, but for one, Sierra Neveda does not have a large sour program (in fact, I'm not sure they have one at all, and if they do, SN could afford to complely isolate it, meaning differect equipment, tools, lines, fermentors, etc) Though infections can of course happen regardless of a sour program too of course.

    However, SN being as large as they are, with a great tract record, and a full time Quality control department, the odds are pretty low that an infection is the issue, imho, especially for such a new beer, but you never know. Just the odds are probably 1% or less.

    Could also have been poorly cleaned glass ware, to a meal you recently had. Have spicy thai, or great indian curry, then go have a stout. Or cheesecake, then go have a DIPA, it can affect your impression/palate to a degree too.
     
    #6 Retsinis, Dec 14, 2012
  7. whiskey

    whiskey Maven (1,308) Feb 25, 2012 California
    Trader


    It's an alehouse that does not serve food, all 18 taps are dedicated to craft and dude hand washes all his glassware in one of those tubs that scrubs all sides of the glass. The two owners run the whole show. I know that this doesn't mean it couldn't be their fault

    Although I have no way of knowing how it was stored, I can only imagine he wouldn't do something stupid.

    Now mind you, I use the term "infected" loosely because I'm not educated in the matter and you guys make great points about SN's QC, this was not an attack on SN by any means. Just something I wanted to share and maybe learn something.
     
    #7 whiskey, Dec 14, 2012
  8. whiskey

    whiskey Maven (1,308) Feb 25, 2012 California
    Trader

    It was the color of the beer too, just weird.
     
    #8 whiskey, Dec 14, 2012
  9. jmw

    jmw Initiate (0) Feb 4, 2009 North Carolina

    It does certainly sound like it was off in some way.
     
    #9 jmw, Dec 14, 2012
  10. harrymel

    harrymel Initiate (0) Dec 15, 2010 Washington

    Maybe he has a keg of Tumbler....
     
    #10 harrymel, Dec 14, 2012
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  11. MacNCheese

    MacNCheese Initiate (0) Dec 10, 2011 California

    White Birch.
     
    #11 MacNCheese, Dec 14, 2012
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  12. CellarGimp

    CellarGimp Initiate (0) Sep 14, 2011 Missouri

    If its sour, dirty tap lines. Period.
     
    #12 CellarGimp, Dec 14, 2012
  13. Orca

    Orca Grand Pooh-Bah (4,710) Sep 18, 2010 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I just knew BRUX was a bad idea.
     
    #13 Orca, Dec 14, 2012
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  14. Demer

    Demer Initiate (0) Dec 13, 2010 New Jersey

    It really sounds like the lines are dirty. If the lines are clean then maybe he doesn't take the faucets apart and scrub them? I dont know but it sure sounds like dirty lines.
     
    #14 Demer, Dec 14, 2012
  15. cavedave

    cavedave Grand Pooh-Bah (4,157) Mar 12, 2009 New York
    In Memoriam Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm thinking slugs are the problem. Was the beer off colored like a slug?
     
    #15 cavedave, Dec 14, 2012
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  16. SatlyMalty

    SatlyMalty Initiate (0) Sep 12, 2012 Washington

    Radiator fluid in the line?
     
    #16 SatlyMalty, Dec 14, 2012
  17. Smurf2055

    Smurf2055 Initiate (0) Nov 12, 2011 Washington

    I've noticed for some beers, when you get towards the last of the keg, sediment builds up. Normal beers can get lighter and murky in color with the deposits mixed in. I know I've had this happen with Fort George Vortex and Lost Abbey Serpent's Stout.
     
    #17 Smurf2055, Dec 14, 2012
  18. whiskey

    whiskey Maven (1,308) Feb 25, 2012 California
    Trader

    I see this seems to be the consensus, but would it change the color of a beer like that?



    Keg just went on the day before.

    And on that note, it replaced a beer that I had a few days before that was stellar...at least that's what he told me it replaced when I asked him.


    So...can someone comment on the color????
     
    #18 whiskey, Dec 14, 2012
  19. harrymel

    harrymel Initiate (0) Dec 15, 2010 Washington

    Sticking with my guess: Odom brought the wrong keg.
    Probably either the porter or Tumbler - those are dark brown, but the clarity is pretty much brilliant. At Pints?
     
    #19 harrymel, Dec 14, 2012
  20. od_sf

    od_sf Initiate (0) Nov 2, 2010 California

    Maybe he somehow (mix up in the lines, or human error) served you the wrong beer.
     
    #20 od_sf, Dec 14, 2012
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