Sunday’s class involved some nastiness. As part of our training, Les doctored a number of Miller Lites with various chemicals and extracts that we then had to taste in order to become familiar with the specific flavors, odors, and mouthfeels associated with them. Les specifically said that this week’s tainted beers were significantly jacked up, mainly so we could become familiar with the flavors, aromas/odors, and moutfeels associated with them. We also tasted some flawed homebrews presented by MALT member Jeff Heneks, and my fellow Wootowner, Dave Bradley.
FOAM member Bill Heverly presented our tasters.
Of course we started with “Guess that beer,” and tried Kona’s Longboard Lager. I guessed lager but didn’t quite get the style. We also tried Wee Beast, which was a Scottish Ale.
What’s interesting about the flaws or taints we learned about is that not all of them are deal breakers. Some of the by-products of yeast — like diacetyl — or bacteria — like lactic acid — aren’t considered flaws in certain styles of beer. Knowing what these flavors, aromas/odors, and mouthfeels are the result of alone isn’t enough to actually come to a real qualitative judgment of the beer — you have to know what style the beer is, and whether the supposed flaw is acceptable in that style. Thus, knowing how to identify the flaw is only a start.
The flaws are:
- Acetaldehyde: Which tastes like green apples or fresh-cut pumpkin. Yeast can produce this, but its presence in beer generally means the beer needs more time to condition. (Not tasted this week)
- Alcohol: Yes, you want alcohol in the beer, but alcohol has a particular flavor and aroma that in too high a concentration can be hot to the taste, and offensive. This flaw can be caused by too high a fermentation temperature which results in fusel alcohols being produced by yeasts.
- Astringency: This can be caused by tannins in the beer — the result of too high a pH in the sparge. It can also be caused by bacterial infection, or by reintroducing, and redissolving fermentation scum — krausen — into the final beer. (Les used wine tannins for this. It’s literally ground up chestnut shells.)
- Cidery flavors: This is usually caused by acetobacter infection, but can also be caused by excessive use of corn or cane sugar to increase gravity.
- Diacetyl: This tastes like butter or butterscotch, and it can be caused by stressed yeast, lack of a diacetyl rest at the end of fermentation to allow yeast to re-uptake the diacetyl it formed early in the process, or by infection. (Les used imitation butter flavor for this one)
- Dimethyl Sulfides (DMS): Tastes like cooked corn or vegetables. It can be caused by bacterial infection or by-products produced during the malting process. Toasted, or roasted malts don’t seem to exhibit this character, which is why you see it mostly in light lagers. It usually vaporizes during the boil. A less-than-rolling boil, or use of a cover or lid during boiling can cause it to remain in the wort and ultimately end up in the beer. (Since we used Miller Lite as our “control beer” everyone knew what this tasted like, and nothing was doctored. Miller Lite isn’t bad, but most light lagers exhibit this flavor.)
- Esters: Fruit flavor compounds produced by yeast. They should be very low or absent in lagers, but are expected in some ales and requisite in German and Belgian wheat beers. High fermentation temperature can cause an excess of the compounds. (Les used imitation banana extract for this one)
- Grassy notes: Flavor and odor of fresh cut grass. This can be caused by poorly stored, damp malt, or by poorly stored hops. (We didn’t taste this flaw this week)
- Husky/Grain notes: Usually accompanied by astringency, these flavors can be caused by over use of highly toasted malt, poorly crushed malt, or over sparging. (Didn’t taste this one either)
- Medicinal/Phenolic: Mediciney, Band-Aid like flavors can be produced by yeasts. Some people may perceive this as a clove-like flavor. This can result from the retention of chlorine compounds when using chlorine solutions to sanitize. They have very low taste threshholds, which means even a little bit can spoil beer. (Les used Chloraseptic spray for this one.)
- Metallic flavors: Caused by unprotected metals dissolving into wort, or by dydrolysis of lipids in poorly stored malt. This can be avoided by using either stainless steel or baking your bot in a dry oven at 250° F. for about six hours. (Didn’t taste it this week.)
- Mold: Smells and tastes like mold and is the result of contamination. Sanitize better and it doesn’t happen. (Didn’t taste it.)
- Oxidation: Wet carboard, or sherry-like flavors depending on which compounds are oxydized. This is caused by the introduction of oxygen to the beer at temperatures above 80° F. (Miller Lite!)
- Soap: This can be caused by poor rinsing after using detergents to clean equipment. It can also be cause by the breakdown of fatty acids in the sediment after a long primary fermentation. This breakdown leads to actual soap — the salt of a fatty acid — being produced in the fermenter. (Didn’t taste it.)
- Solvent compounds: These flavors can be similar to fusel alcohols but are harsher to the palate, and are formed by high fermentation temperatures and oxidation. (Didn’t taste it.)
- Skunky aromas: See here. (We’ve had skunked beers throughout class sprinkled into our tasters. Everyone knows what this is like. Open a Heineken bottle if you’re curious.)
- Yeasty flavors/aromas: Can be caused by autolyzing, or unhealthy yeast that releases compounds that can only be described as tasting “yeasty.” It can also be caused by the presence of yeast in the finished beer, which is either the result of a bad pour that disturbs the sediment on the bottom of the bottle, or a very young beer. (Didn’t taste, but we all know what yeast smells and tastes like.)
- Sulfuric: This was the worst of the bunch to taste. And can be formed by compounds in certain types of malt, and also during fermentation by certain types of yeast. It usually dissipates as a gas during fermentation. (Les used a Camden tab to illustrate this flavor. It was seriously one of the most awful things I have ever willingly put in my mouth. I hope never to encounter this flavor naturally, and without warning.)
After the familiarizing tasters, Jeff brought out a few beers that were clearly infected and exhibited a number of different flaws, ranging from diacetyl to mold. Dave’s beer was a bit estery, but not really flawed as it was a fruity blond ale that I actually really enjoyed.
Thankfully, Bill rescued us from doctored Miller Lite with his presentation of the Strong Ales. These include Old Ales — an aged ale produced traditionally in England, English Barleywines, and American Barleywines. We tasted six official beers, and a couple of guests beers brewed by some of our class members.
I like old ales, and I like Barleywines in limited doses — so freakishly big at between 8% and 12+% that I can’t take a lot of them — they really do belong in 7.5 oz. bottles.
No class this coming Sunday to honor the card companies’ need to make money off the world’s collective reverence for mom. Some of us are meeting at Max’s on Broadway instead. Saturday we play the full game of “Guess that Beer” at Les’s house. I’ll let you know how I do.
We tasted:
Old Ale
- Harviestoun Old Engine Oil (Good stuff.)
- J.W. Lee’s Moonraker (Described accurately as cheesy.)
British Barleywines
- J.W. Lee’s Vintage Harvest Ale (Cloying.)
- Thomas Hardy’s Ale (Thick and sweet, not as cloying as the Lee’s.)
American Barleywine Style Ales
- Mad River John Barleycorn (Big, hella hoppy, over the top like you might expect.)
- Blithering Idiot (More a British style, subtler than the other Americans.)
Tags: BJCP, Flaws, Strong Ales, Taints
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