Guide to beer off-flavors: Light-struck
The most common odor in commercial beer and craft beer is the smelly “Light-struck” flavor and aroma. It can make your beer emit a strong smell (it feels like a skunk) and make it unpleasant to drink. Guide to beer off-flavors: Light-struck What is Light-struck? When light hits the beer, the ultraviolet rays interact with
Guide to beer off-flavors: Acetic acid
No matter how many times you have brewed beer in the past when you open the first bottle of a new batch, it is always exciting. Maybe the aroma of hops will be as good as expected, maybe the beer will be muddy, or the beer will taste like vinegar. Beer that tastes like vinegar
Guide to beer off-flavors: Phenolics
Beer always contains some form of phenols (phenols and polyphenols, etc.), such as tannins (directly derived from hops and malt). Although low levels of polyphenols can increase the taste of beer, high levels of polyphenols can cause dryness and astringency. When beer glasses are described as phenols, they usually refer to volatile phenols. Volatile phenols
Guide to beer off-flavors: Metallic
It is not normal for Metallic to appear in any flavored beer. If you can taste Metallic or bloody taste in beer, it is recommended not to drink this beer. Under normal circumstances, the source of iron ions is only a very small amount of iron-containing protein in grains, which will enter the beer during
Guide to beer off-flavors: Alcoholic
Some craft beer will produce excessive alcohol taste and aroma. This can vary from a slight alcoholic warmth to strong alcohol that tastes like moonshine. Next, Micet Craft will explore the root cause of the alcoholic odor. In addition, this is also the eighth article about beer’s peculiar smell. If you are interested, you can
Guide to beer off-flavors: hydrogen sulfide
The presence of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in beer will give the beer a unique smell of rotten eggs. In some beer styles, a small amount of hydrogen sulfide will form a unique flavor in the beer. But, if beer contains more hydrogen sulfide, the beer may produce a pungent rotten egg flavor, which is not
Guide to beer off-flavors: acetaldehyde
The peculiar smell in beer has always been a headache for brewers, although some peculiar smells are characteristic in some beer styles. But acetaldehyde is a special taste, because it may cause you to have a hangover, which is very detrimental to your health. Next, Micet Craft will introduce you to acetaldehyde-related content, so that
Guide to beer off-flavors: DMS
One of the most frequently mentioned odors in beer evaluation is dimethyl sulfide (DMS). DMS is a sulfur compound that is generally thought to give beer creamed corn or cooked vegetable characteristics. Most beer brewers know very well how to reduce the risk of DMS entering the beer, such as checking the boiling time and
Guide to beer off-flavors: isoamyl acetate
The most important ester found in beer is isoamyl acetate, which has a flavor like rubber or pear blossom. Isoamyl acetate is considered an ester, or a mixture of alcohol and acid. Because fermentation (yeast converting sugar into alcohol) produces isoamyl acetate, isoamyl acetate is a very common off-flavors in all beer. Although the content
Guide to beer off-flavors: papery (oxidized)
Both commercial brewers and homebrewers are doing their best to reduce the oxygen content in the finished beer. The oxygen in the finished beer will destroy the long-term stability of the beer’s flavor and clarity, as well as cause peculiar smells. The oxidized beer will show a paper peculiar smell or even a sweet stone
Guide to beer off-flavors: Light-struck
The most common odor in commercial beer and craft beer is the smelly “Light-struck” flavor and aroma. It can make your beer emit a strong smell (it feels like a skunk) and make it unpleasant to drink. Guide to beer off-flavors: Light-struck What is Light-struck? When light hits the beer, the ultraviolet rays interact with
Guide to beer off-flavors: Acetic acid
No matter how many times you have brewed beer in the past when you open the first bottle of a new batch, it is always exciting. Maybe the aroma of hops will be as good as expected, maybe the beer will be muddy, or the beer will taste like vinegar. Beer that tastes like vinegar
Guide to beer off-flavors: Phenolics
Beer always contains some form of phenols (phenols and polyphenols, etc.), such as tannins (directly derived from hops and malt). Although low levels of polyphenols can increase the taste of beer, high levels of polyphenols can cause dryness and astringency. When beer glasses are described as phenols, they usually refer to volatile phenols. Volatile phenols
Guide to beer off-flavors: Metallic
It is not normal for Metallic to appear in any flavored beer. If you can taste Metallic or bloody taste in beer, it is recommended not to drink this beer. Under normal circumstances, the source of iron ions is only a very small amount of iron-containing protein in grains, which will enter the beer during
Guide to beer off-flavors: Alcoholic
Some craft beer will produce excessive alcohol taste and aroma. This can vary from a slight alcoholic warmth to strong alcohol that tastes like moonshine. Next, Micet Craft will explore the root cause of the alcoholic odor. In addition, this is also the eighth article about beer’s peculiar smell. If you are interested, you can
Guide to beer off-flavors: hydrogen sulfide
The presence of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in beer will give the beer a unique smell of rotten eggs. In some beer styles, a small amount of hydrogen sulfide will form a unique flavor in the beer. But, if beer contains more hydrogen sulfide, the beer may produce a pungent rotten egg flavor, which is not
Guide to beer off-flavors: acetaldehyde
The peculiar smell in beer has always been a headache for brewers, although some peculiar smells are characteristic in some beer styles. But acetaldehyde is a special taste, because it may cause you to have a hangover, which is very detrimental to your health. Next, Micet Craft will introduce you to acetaldehyde-related content, so that
Guide to beer off-flavors: DMS
One of the most frequently mentioned odors in beer evaluation is dimethyl sulfide (DMS). DMS is a sulfur compound that is generally thought to give beer creamed corn or cooked vegetable characteristics. Most beer brewers know very well how to reduce the risk of DMS entering the beer, such as checking the boiling time and
Guide to beer off-flavors: isoamyl acetate
The most important ester found in beer is isoamyl acetate, which has a flavor like rubber or pear blossom. Isoamyl acetate is considered an ester, or a mixture of alcohol and acid. Because fermentation (yeast converting sugar into alcohol) produces isoamyl acetate, isoamyl acetate is a very common off-flavors in all beer. Although the content
Guide to beer off-flavors: papery (oxidized)
Both commercial brewers and homebrewers are doing their best to reduce the oxygen content in the finished beer. The oxygen in the finished beer will destroy the long-term stability of the beer’s flavor and clarity, as well as cause peculiar smells. The oxidized beer will show a paper peculiar smell or even a sweet stone
What is an infection?
Life essentially depends on sugar, and many organisms can destroy the flavor of the beer. The term “wort breaker” is sometimes applied to spoilage organisms that tolerate oxygen and grow best before fermentation lowers the pH of the wort and produces ethanol. Of course, there are some bacteria called “beer destroyers”, they tend to prefer anaerobic conditions and can survive well in a lower pH environment and an environment containing alcohol. Most brewers believe that the most common beer-destroying organisms are Lactobacillus, Pediococcus, and wild yeast, including Brettanomyces. Each type of bacteria has its own favorite nutrients, temperature range, pH range, and growth rate.
Infection is a very scary situation in the eyes of winemakers and consumers. But, certain beer styles are completely needed or encouraged, including Berlin Weiss beer, Lambik beer, and Belgian-style sour beer. An infection in the eyes of one brewer may be the taste complexity required by another brewer, especially in the field of sour beer styles. But, in most beers, the brewer only needs to add the required raw materials to the brewhouse equipment and hopes to exclude all other biological factors.
How does the infection develop in beer?
How to find out if beer is infected?
Films only form when there are aerobic conditions and are a way for wild yeast/bacteria to protect themselves from oxygen because they prefer an anaerobic environment. So, if your beer is not exposed to oxygen during the fermentation process, you may still be infected even if there is no skin formation. In this case, the only way to know if it is infected is to taste it.
Don’t worry about getting sick while tasting beer, because these wild bacteria, yeasts, or molds will not harm you. If the beer tastes bad or stinks, you may want to throw it away. But in some cases, the infection may cause the beer to taste better. Remember, the popular sour beer is brewed using these wild yeasts and bacteria.
How to solve the problem of beer infection?
In addition, the use of sterile bottles and barrels is also a good way. In breweries, especially large industrial breweries, the beer is sent to the bottling line for aseptic filtration or pasteurization after packaging. These steps are to extend the shelf life of beer by removing or killing potentially infectious microorganisms so that drinkable beer is more likely to reach consumers’ tables. Although pasteurization kills microorganisms, it can produce a stale or “cooked” taste and aroma if it is not handled properly. Sterile filtration can remove bacteria, but it also removes the taste, aroma, body, and even color of beer.
