Seminar about how good beer goes bad, how to detect it & how to prevent it, Plus a touch about how the same off flavor reactions can occur in spirits and how to prevent them
2. When beer goes bad
Today, we will:
Learn about storage and handling errors that have a
negative impact on beer, resulting in ‘off-flavours’
Taste beer that has ‘gone bad’ and learn to identify three
common off-flavours
Learn about common pitfalls and errors in beer storage
and service
Learn about the storage and handling of spirits to
avoid similar “off” flavours
Discover how these same negative reactions can create
some wonderful flavors in spirits and beers.
3. Mirella Amato
Global Director of Beer Knowledge
ZX Ventures, an Anheuser-Busch InBev
Affiliate
Master Cicerone®
Doemens Beer Sommelier
Advanced Brewing Certificate in off-flavours and critical
control points in brewing from - Maska Laboratories
National Level BJCP Judge
Author of the award-winning
book: Beerology, Everything
You Need to Know to Enjoy
Beer…Even More!
Now available in French.
5. Elayne Duff
Global Manager of Training
ZX Ventures, an Anheuser-Busch InBev
Affiliate
Graduated in the first-ever class of the grueling
B. A. R program in New York
Diageo’s Head Mixologist and Luxury Portfolio
Ambassador for 10 plus years
Mixology experts on Spike TV's hit “Bar Rescue”
show
6. Let’s dive in!
Today, we will:
Sample 3 beers that don’t taste right.
These beers have been spiked to imitate the flavours that
appear in beer when it isn’t stored and served properly:
The spikes used to add these flavours are food-grade
and safe to drink.
The concentration of the spikes is higher than normal
(3x threshold)
Discuss what these “off flavours” taste like and what could
have been done to avoid them
Steve will then discuss the most common mistakes he’s
seen
Elayne will outline how some of these off-flavours also
impact spirits & how to prevent them.
How some of the reactions that cause these “off”-flavours
can be beneficial
7. BASE BEER TODAY:
BUDWEISER
This beer is in the cup in front of you
marked ‘Control’
The ‘control’ is a fresh beer, with no spike
or off-flavour
Use this beer as a reference
Have a sip of ‘control’ before trying the spiked sample
to find the off-flavour more easily
If you have water with you, you should use it to clear
your palate between samples
8. BEFORE
WE BEGIN…
Beer is a delicate beverage.
Even though it may have been perfectly brewed,
mishandling it will change its aroma and flavour.
We call these new flavours that appear in the beer
off-flavours because they indicate to the drinker that
the beer is “off”
Being able to identify the off-flavour will give you the
ability to troubleshoot on the spot and address
customer complaints in an informed fashion.
WHY DOES BEER GO BAD?
9. Exposure to any of these things during
storage will result in an off-flavour.
Another way that that beer can go bad, if it’s
on draught, is if it’s served through dirty
lines. This is due to Lactic Acid Bacteria
(LAB)
LAB break down sugars into lactic acid
LAB are anaerobic
LAB love beer
Beer has 4 enemies:
Time Heat Oxygen Light
WHY DOES BEER GO BAD?
10. OFF-FLAVOR 1
Old Beer
TASTING
Take 5 minutes to compare the spiked beer to the
‘control’ sample.
Is it stronger in the aroma or the flavour?
Old Beer- T2N (trans-2-Nonenal) is usually described as
smelling and tasting like:
Do you think it taste like cardboard, wet paper
or old books?...
Cardboard Wet Paper Old books
OFF-FLAVOR
1
?
11. This flavour develops normally in beer as it ages. It therefore
indicates that a beer is past its prime.
It is one of many oxidative flavours that can develop in beer
It can be precipitated by heat.
It can also be precipitated by oxygen. This is why, sometimes,
the term ‘oxidation’ is used to describe
this flavour.
OFF-FLAVOR 1
Old Beer
PACKAGING:
This off-flavour can appear
in bottled beer, canned beer,
draught beer as well as all
other formats.
CAUSE
Time Heat Oxygen
12. WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT THIS
OFF-FLAVOUR ?
Make sure beer is stored at temperature below 40F (4-5°C)
Rotate inventory in order to respect
Always check the brew date and/or expiration date of beer
OFF-FLAVOR 1
Old Beer
13.
14. THE ILL EFFECTS OF OXYGEN AND
HEAT ON SPIRITS
Oxidation:
Primary causes
What products are most at RISK!
Off Flavors created
Temperature
How HOT is too HOT!
Heat Oxygen
15. HOW TO PREVENT THE ILL EFFECTS
OF OXYGEN ,TIME AND HEAT
Simple Solutions
Ideal Storage
The Optimal Temperature
Perfect time to consume
Heat Oxygen Time
16. Oxidation:
To ENHANCE and develop flavors/ Rancio/ Barrel
aging/aromatized wines
Time:
To allow flavors to DEVELOP/Rancio/ Barrel
aging/aromatized wines
Heat:
TO SPEED UP the effects of time/Barrel age spirits
OXIDATION…
when it is good
OXIDATION…
when it is good
TimeOxygen Heat
THESE ELEMENTS CAN ALSO BE AN ESSENTIAL
PART OF A SPIRIT’S DEVELOPMENT PROCESS:
18. TASTING
Take 5 minutes to compare the spiked beer to the
‘control’ sample.
Is it stronger in the aroma or the flavour?
Lightstruck beer is usually described as
smelling and tasting like:
Do you think it smells like skunk, cat litter or sewer gas?
OFF-FLAVOR 2
Lightstruck
Skunk Cat Litter Sewer GasOFF-FLAVOR
2
?
19. This flavour does not develop normally in beer
It occurs when bittering compounds in the beer are exposed
to waves of light in the green spectrum
Clear and green bottles do not protect beer from these
waves of light
OFF-FLAVOR 2
Lightstruck
Light
PACKAGING:
This off-flavour can only appear
in beer that is packaged in
clear or
green bottles
CAUSE
20. OFF-FLAVOR 2
Lightstruck
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT
THIS OFF-FLAVOUR?
Try to keep our clear and green bottles away from the
sunlight and fluorescent light at all times.
Keep clear, blue and green bottles in their secondary
packaging for as long as possible
22. SPIRITS DON’T SKUNK BUT DIRECT SUNLIGHT
& TIME CAN…..
Light
CAUSE aged spirits like bourbon and scotch to lose a
significant amount of their color & this LOST OF COLOR can
effects flavor perception by consumers …. ( 2001 study “The Color of
Odors,)
The LOWER THE VOLUME OF LIQUID in the bottle the
faster the effects of sunlight on the liquid ( Bourbon Storage
Experiment )
THE ILL EFFECTS OF SUNLIGHT ON
SPIRITS
23. TASTING
Take 5 minutes to compare the spiked beer to the ‘control’
sample.
Is it stronger in the aroma or the flavour?
Beer dispensed from dirty lines beer is usually described
as smelling and tasting like:
Do you think it smells like buttered popcorn, vinegar, or
stale beer?
OFF-FLAVOR 3
Dirty Lines
Buttered popcorn Vinegar Stale beerOFF-FLAVOR
3
?
24. Bacteria in the lines
Bacteria can grow in beer lines and feed off the beer if the
lines have to be cleaned regularly.
Don’t worry, these bacteria can’t make you sick. They just
make the beer taste bad.
OFF-FLAVOR 3
Dirty Lines
Bacteria
CAUSE
PACKAGING:
This off-flavour appears in
draught beer
25. WHAT CAN YOU DO TO PREVENT THIS OFF-
FLAVOUR?
Be mindful when changing kegs:
Make sure you visually inspect and clean the coupler every
time you switch kegs.
NEVER rest a coupler on the floor
Wipe each faucet with hot water. This way bacteria will stay
away
OFF-FLAVOR 3
Dirty Lines
26. LINE CLEANING NEED-TO-KNOW:
It takes a minimum of 1 hour to clean 10 lines properly
Minimum of 15 minute soak time
2% caustic
About 100F water
Completely fill FOBs with solution and soak
Soak and scrub couplers and faucets
Check rinse water with pH meter
Techs have insurance and use commercial cleaning solutions
MicroMatic Dispense Institute
27.
28. It is one of WINE WORST ENEMIES
But it has NO REAL NEGATIVE impact on high proof spirits
and in fact is used by Distillers, Brewers and cocktail makers
alike to create some of our favorite drinks including:
SOUR MASH WHISKIES
BARREL AGED COCKTAILS & BEERS
www.artofdrink.com DARCY ONEIL
LACTIC & ACETIC ACID BACTERIA IN
SPIRITS
36. Film of oil and grease caused by:
Fingers inside glassware
Soft drinks in pint glasses
Dairy based drinks (coffee with cream)
Napkins, chicken wings bones, coasters,…
Causes head to disappear within seconds
Leads to topping up or “The Service Bar Swirl”
Dirty Beer Glasses:
The Biggest Problem In The Biz.
Today, we will sample 3 beers that have been spiked to imitate the flavours that appear in beer when it isn’t treated properly
Don’t worry, the spikes used to add these flavours are safe to drink
When you taste them, you’ll definitely notice something off. We’ve added enough of each spike so that it really comes through
Normally, when you come across these flavours they won’t be as strong
When we taste these “off flavours”, we’ll also talk about what could have been done to avoid them so you can keep your beers at home fresh and tasty!
Today, we will sample 3 beers that have been spiked to imitate the flavours that appear in beer when it isn’t treated properly
Don’t worry, the spikes used to add these flavours are safe to drink
When you taste them, you’ll definitely notice something off. We’ve added enough of each spike so that it really comes through
Normally, when you come across these flavours they won’t be as strong
When we taste these “off flavours”, we’ll also talk about what could have been done to avoid them so you can keep your beers at home fresh and tasty!
Today, we will sample 3 beers that have been spiked to imitate the flavours that appear in beer when it isn’t treated properly
Don’t worry, the spikes used to add these flavours are safe to drink
When you taste them, you’ll definitely notice something off. We’ve added enough of each spike so that it really comes through
Normally, when you come across these flavours they won’t be as strong
When we taste these “off flavours”, we’ll also talk about what could have been done to avoid them so you can keep your beers at home fresh and tasty!
Today, we will sample 3 beers that have been spiked to imitate the flavours that appear in beer when it isn’t treated properly
Don’t worry, the spikes used to add these flavours are safe to drink
When you taste them, you’ll definitely notice something off. We’ve added enough of each spike so that it really comes through
Normally, when you come across these flavours they won’t be as strong
When we taste these “off flavours”, we’ll also talk about what could have been done to avoid them so you can keep your beers at home fresh and tasty!
Today, we will sample 3 beers that have been spiked to imitate the flavours that appear in beer when it isn’t treated properly
Don’t worry, the spikes used to add these flavours are safe to drink
When you taste them, you’ll definitely notice something off. We’ve added enough of each spike so that it really comes through
Normally, when you come across these flavours they won’t be as strong
When we taste these “off flavours”, we’ll also talk about what could have been done to avoid them so you can keep your beers at home fresh and tasty!
On your matts, you’ll see a beer is in the circle marked ‘Control’
The ‘control’ is a fresh beer, with no spike or off-flavour
Use this beer as a reference
Let’s taste it together. This is Budweiser (describe)
You should have a sip of this beer between each off-flavour. That way, when you have the spiked beer, the added flavour will really stand out.
We also have water and crackers you can use to clear your palate if you want
Beer is a delicate beverage.
Before we taste the first spiked beer, let’s take a moment to talk about why beers go bad.
Beer is always best when it’s freshly brewed. After that, its flavours slowly break down. Some beers – for example high alcohol beers – can be cellared for a few years, but most beer should be consumed within a few months.
If this beer isn’t properly stored and served, though, it can develop what we call off-flavours.
These off-flavours indicate to the drinker that something went wrong and the beer is “off”
As we taste through, you will probably find some of these flavours familiar. Just because they are common, doesn’t mean they’re okay!
At least now, when you come across these flavours, you’ll know what they are. This information will give you the ability to provide constructive feedback to the bar owner, if you do come across it again.
Beer has 4 natural enemies
The first one is time, as we discussed earlier, will have its toll on beer and, given enough time, beer will develop off-flavours on its own.
The second enemy is heat. If you expose beer to heat, or store them in a warm place, they will go bad a lot more quickly.
Some people are worried about changes in temperature and believe that if their beer is warm, cooling it down again can be harmful but that’s not true. Changes in temperature back and forth will not damage beer as much as keeping it in a warm place.
Oxygen is another thing that can accelerate the aging process. Think of what happens to an apple once you take a bite and expose the inside to oygen, it quickly turns brown and that part of the apple will get soft more quickly than the rest of the apple.
Light doesn’t necessarily speed up aging, but it does damage the beer. We will get into this later.
Finally, dirty lines are another way that beer can go bad. That will be the last off-flavour we explore today.
Here’s our first sample with an off-flavour in it. This off-flavour develops in old beer
Old beer is usually described as smelling and tasting like:
Green apple or apple cider
Sometimes, it is described as ‘grassy’
Let’s take 5 minutes to compare the spiked beer to the ‘control’ sample
Feel free to take notes, if you want
If you are having trouble finding the off-flavour, warm up your beer by holding the cup in your hands. Warming the beer helps bring out flavour.
GROUP DISCUSSION
CAUSE:
This is the flavour that will often appear in beer as it ages. You’ll notice it more in light-flavoured, crisp beers. It usually indicates that a beer is past its prime.
As we discussed earlier, aging can be precipitated by heat, so even a beer that isn’t old can develop this flavour quite quickly.
You can try putting a fresh beer on a radiator for a week at home and you’ll see it will taste like this!
Oxygen can also bring about this flavour – remember we talked about the apple?
Oxygen exposure in beer isn’t because of bad storage, it happens at the brewery.
If there are packaging problems at the brewery, oxygen can get in the bottles as they are being capped. In this case, all of the beers from that brewery will taste old more quickly
Because of this, brewers often use the term ‘oxidation’ to describe the beer aging process.
This off-flavour can appear in any beer
At home, there are two ways you can prevent your beers from tasting old
The most important thing is to store your beers in a cool or cold space.
If they got hot in the car, on the way home from the store, chill them right away when you get home!
Remember: even a well-stored beer will go bad eventually , so drink beers within 1-2 months of purchase.
The big exceptions are sour or high alcohol beers. Those kinds of beers can be kept for a year or two
On this page talk about how oxidation & time effects the spirits
Speak about the ill effects that can happen to each of these categories due to the effects of aged & oxidation
Oxidation:
How it came happen:
Oxidation happens not just with heat and light, but also headspace in the bottle (the St. Germain bottle was cited as one particularly badly designed as you get a lot of headspace as soon as you open it),
how frequently you open it (as that changes the equilibrium in the bottle- each time the air above the liquid gets exchange with fresh air)
the type of closure (corks allow oxidation; screw caps less);
pour spouts can have an effect even if you cap your bottles at the end of the night.
Time in which this happens?
https://www.wired.com/2015/07/quick-chug-booze-goes-weird/
Oxidation changes flavour: Acetaldehyde from oxidation reaction can be good in small quantities – adds fruity aromas;
but in larger quantities it transforms in acetic acid (vinegar).
Even if you stored your booze in a temperature controlled, pitch-black cabinet, degradation would be inevitable—because you opened the bottle. That’s because of oxidation—yes, the same thing that’ll rust iron.
The Bacardi team replicated the effect with gin. We tasted three cups—
one kept at 40 degrees for 11 days - The 40-degree gin tasted fine.
one held at 125 degrees - The 125-degree gin tasted like cardboard
and one exposed to UV, all oxidized. - UV-gin tasted less intense and smelled like mothball
The gas chromatography on the gins showed that they lost citrusy limonene but not camphor, the mothball scent
Under similar test conditions,
Whisky loses its fatty acids that conveys creaminess and picked up ethyle acetate notes - nail polish remover
Rum lost enthanol relative to acetic acid and gains vinegar aromas.
Fortified Wines- Not a magic bulleit Anything Below 21% alc has a limited shelf life
Vermouths The Off-Flavor can smell similar to off beer like wet cardboard, I feel it also smells bitter.
In flavor- It taste off balance, more herbacous and bitter & less fruit
fino-type typically around 15 percent
olorosos, amontillados and sweet sherries have higher alcohol content, can last several months after being opened, without refrigeration.)
Temperature: Can accelerate aging, oxidation and evaporation.
They found that for heat, degradation really occurs at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8C).
Things that can effect it- Direct sun, LED light, Light boxes on the back bar, Trunk of the car etc Heat accelerates aging processes including oxidation, evaporation, adds cooked fruit notes to high sugar content liqueurs, affects the flavour of flavoured spirits with low pH, so that's particularly citrus flavours.
Heat will speed up the evaporation process
Extremes of temperature change the flavor of a spirit. In part that’s because temperature can break down a type of organic molecule called a terpene—including family members like limonene and pinene, which smell the way you’d expect from their names.
On this page talk How to prevent the effects of oxidation, temp and time
Speak about the ill effects that can happen to each of these categories due to the effects of aged & oxidation
Storage Solutions
Reduce headspace: to help slow down oxidation
cap your bottles at the end of the night.
So to reduce oxidation you should keep precious liquids in small brown bottles with screw caps rather than 1/3 empty bottles with corks.
Fortified Wines
Vermouth:
Buy smaller bottles
Keep in the fridge
Pump out oxigen
Storing Expensive spirits- We recomment you consume them in 1-2years or decant into smaller bottles: The more space in the bottle the more air oxidation will occurs.
Keep in dark place- so the light does not effect them
Cork Closures: Do not store whisky or aged tequila on its side and will interact with the cork. This could create a bad reactions
Temperature:
They found that for heat, degradation really occurs at 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8C).
40F (4.44C) is the optimal temperature at which to store spirits
How Long is too long:
Liqueurs: with lower ABV have a risk of turning bad and should be consumed in 1- 3 years.
Oxidation can change the color i.e. St Germain bottle, sugar crystalizes, cream so it is best to consume them in 6-8months.
Whisky 5 years if 80% full, 1-2 years if ½ full and 3 months if ¼ full
.
Producers and distillers are use things like oxidation, time, heat in a controlled way to create the desired effects they are looking for.
Aromatized wines:
Spanish Red Vermouths- which are barrel aged sometimes up to 2 years and are oxidized to create incredible complex flavors.
Sherry
Fino, Manzanilla, Amontillado and Oloroso sherries age in a solera system, which is simply a stack of barrels that are each topped with an older reserve from the next barrel, which in turn is replenished with wine from younger barrels. The barrels are never filled to the top, to allow for oxidation, plus, the nutrients in the young wine of a solera system keep the precious flor alive.
The Flor dies, Amontillado emerges and an oxidative-savory umami quality.
TALKING ROT: DECIPHERING RANCIO IN WHISKY
22 July 2016 by Dave Broom who summarizes a seminar giving Dave Broom, Ryan Chetiyawardana and Arielle Johnson at Tales of the Cocktail, New Orleans, on 22 July 2016.
Rancio is the term used to describe the rather bitter smell and taste old cognac obtains from the indented oxidization that happens during extensive aging in oak casks. Rancio often described as a cheesy, nutty flavor a bit like blue chess with dry walnuts
Cognac, producers age first in new oak for a short time to build the tannic structure and add flavours such as vanilla. Then they transfer the Cognac to old casks for a more oxidative-driven, long-term maturation. These are the conditions in which the precursors – the fatty acids, the ketones – can finally be triggered
The Rancio appears after roughly 10 years of ageing in oak casks. There are four stages of rancio:
First Rancio stage: 10 to 15 years
Peak of vanilla and oak taste, Flowery, dried rose, nutty, spicy
Second Rancio stage: 17 to 22 years
Jasmine, Chocolate, Dried, candied fruit, curry, saffron, ginger
Third Rancio stage: 30 to 40 years
old tawny port, cedar, eucalyptus, cigar box, tobacco, old muscat wine, nutmeg
Fourth Rancio stage: 50 to 60 years
tropical fruits, passion, lyche wood scents: sandal wood
Heat: Can help speed up the effects of time. In warmer temperatures (japan or India) whisky can evaporates at a rate five times higher than it would if it were produced in Scotland. That means a whisky barrel aged for only three years has similar evaporation losses as one aged in Scotland for 15 years. Along with the evaporation, all other chemical processes that give whisky flavor are drastically accelerated. This is also why 2 year old Tequila can taste as complex as 12 year old scotch
Today, we will sample 3 beers that have been spiked to imitate the flavours that appear in beer when it isn’t treated properly
Don’t worry, the spikes used to add these flavours are safe to drink
When you taste them, you’ll definitely notice something off. We’ve added enough of each spike so that it really comes through
Normally, when you come across these flavours they won’t be as strong
When we taste these “off flavours”, we’ll also talk about what could have been done to avoid them so you can keep your beers at home fresh and tasty!
Our second off-flavour today is called Lightstruck
Lightstruck beer is usually described as smelling and tasting like:
Skunk
Cat litter
Sewer gas
Take 5 minutes to compare the spiked beer to the ‘control’ sample
GROUP DISCUSSION
Can anyone guess which of the enemies of beer cause the Lightstruck off-flavour?
Light, of course!
Unlike old beer, this flavour does not develop naturally in beer over time
This flavour happens when beer is exposed to light. If the bittering compounds in the beer (from the hops) are exposed to waves of light in the green spectrum, a chemical reaction takes place and the beer develops an unpleasant odour. It smells like a skunk!
Clear and green bottles do not protect beer from these waves of light, so it’s these beers that tend to develop a skunky note
Fun fact: If you’re sitting outside, enjoying a beer in the sun, your beer can skunk in the glass before you finish your pint!
At home, you have a lot more control, and probably your fridge doesn’t have a glass door!
Still, the best thing to do, if you enjoy beers that are packaged in clear or green glass, is to keep them in the carton when you refrigerate them.
(Mclarren & Bacardi flavor scientist)
Storage location
Light impacts spirits too, not just by adding heat.
Bottle color Light effects are impacted by bottle color (amber will have the least impact), bottles with more glass exposed (so Angostura bitters with its oversized label would be less impacted than a clear, printed bottle), the type of light source (direct sunlight, LED, fluorescent light) though it's not an easy determination of which is the worst (sunlight is really bad though) because it's the combination of the light's frequency and wavelength, and proximity to the light source.
http://www.breakingbourbon.com/24-month-bourbon-storage-experiment.html
A seminar at Tales of the Cocktail –Tales seminar at 2015 Mclarren and Bacardi scientist presented
A seminar called “ When Booze goes Weird https://www.wired.com/2015/07/quick-chug-booze-goes-weird/
A potentially even bigger problem: light. In another experiment, researchers exposed clear bottles (they call them “flint”) of whisky to ultraviolet light—simulating the sun—for 15 days, and then used a spectrophotometer to accurately measure the color of the liquid. Bourbon lost 10 percent of its color within 15 days. Scotch lost nearly that much in the first 24 hours, dropping 40 percent of its color overall.
The team also took spiced rum in both flint and amber (brown) bottles and exposed one pair to the UV setup and the other to direct sunlight. Regardless of the light source, the amber bottles retained 5 to 10 percent more color over two weeks. The gap widened as the exposure continued.
You’re thinking, who cares what color the stuff is if it still tastes the same? At the panel, the Bacardi researchers showed the magnitude of that problem with a tasting.
In the classic 2001 study “The Color of Odors,” taste scientists gave more than 50 wine experts a flight of white wines and a flight of reds and asked them to describe the flavors of both. Most identified typical white-wine flavors in the first set and typical red-wine flavors in the second, despite the fact that they were actually the same wine, with the “reds” colored artificially. Put simply, color matters, especially for flavor.
Ian Burelle, B.Eng Food Engineering. M.Sc. Food Bioprocessing. PhD in progress
Answered Apr 19, 2016
Yes. As the other answers have mentioned, the evaporation of flavours and alcohol will occur.
I also want to add that there are also reactions with UV light, breaking down organic compounds and even generating free radicals in some cases. These compounds would likely come from the wood barrel in which the whiskey was conditioned/aged. Those compounds would feel the most effect of sun exposure. If you ever tried alcohol straight out of the distiller without any wood barrel conditioning, then you know why we like to keep those compounds intact (although ageing also plays a role).
There is a second set of compounds, those that develop from age. In simple terms, as time goes by the molecules will change their arrangement in order to minimize their total energy. This contributes to older whiskey tasting so much better. Those compounds could also undergo catalysing reactions when exposed to UV light.
Although not perfect, glass actually blocks UVB light, but sadly not UVA. So slight sun exposure will not ruin a good whiskey all that fast since only about 0.1% of UV makes it through. But over time, that exposure will add up and ruin it.
Our last off-flavour today shows us what beer tastes like when it’s served from dirty lines
Beer dispensed from dirty lines beer is usually described as smelling and tasting like:
Buttered popcorn
Vinegar
Stale beer
Take 5 minutes to compare the spiked beer to the ‘control’ sample
GROUP DISCUSSION
I think we can all agree that beer is delicious!
Unfortunately, bacteria also find beer tasty.
Those of you who have worked in a bar will recognize this smell, because if there’s beer lying around, bacteria will jump on it right away. Eventually, they will also infiltrate the beer lines.
Once they’re in there, the bacteria will multiply in the beer lines and feed off the beer
The obvious solution here is to clean the beer lines. Lines should be cleaned every 2-3 weeks, but not all establishments take good care of their lines.
The bacteria that sour beers are already in the pub, everywhere. They’re in vinegar – which is soured naturally. They’re what give a sharp tart taste to cheese and cold-cuts.
Although it doesn’t taste great, beer from dirty lines isn’t bad for you. It can’t make you sick
Probably most of you don’t have draught systems at home.
Does anyone here have a keggerator?
If you do
wipe the tap clean with warm water every time you use it. This way bacteria will stay away
Make sure you clean (or replace) the line every time you switch kegs.
Give your tap and coupler a good clean 3-4 times a year
Probably most of you don’t have draught systems at home.
Does anyone here have a keggerator?
If you do
wipe the tap clean with warm water every time you use it. This way bacteria will stay away
Make sure you clean (or replace) the line every time you switch kegs.
Give your tap and coupler a good clean 3-4 times a year
Rum lost enthanol relative to acetic acid and gains vinegar aromas.
VERY STRAIGHT BOUBON, RYE AND TENNESSEE WHISKY BEING MADE PRESENTLY IS MADE BY THE SOUR-MASH METHOD.
MOST DISTILLERS USE UPWARDS OF 20% BACKSET / SOUR MASH WITHIN THEIR TOTAL MASH
Improves the consistency and quality of the product
Controls the growth of bacteria
Creates a proper pH balance for the yeast to work
Providing the yeast with an ideal medium in which to produce:
ALCOHOL
CONGENERS (Flavor component)
Backset: The thin, watery part of a previously distilled batch of whiskey mash that is added ‒ or “set back” ‒ into the next batch. Also “sour mash, setback, stillage or spent beer.”
. By using an established and known fermented "sour", this fermentation process controls the introduction and growth of foreign bacteria and yeasts that could damage the whiskey, and improves the consistency and quality of the liquor, so that every bottle tastes as close to the same as possible.
The sour mash process is used for the production of nearly all bourbon whiskey.
BARREL AGE COCKTAILS
acidic liquids extract more hemicellulose, creating a smoother drink. Spirits tend to be less acidic than wine, so the extraction process takes much longer. With barrel aged cocktails many of the recipes increase the acidity through the addition of vermouth and sherry. The increased acidity helps to increase extraction, resulting in noticeable changes to the flavour of the cocktail in a short period fo time. Obviously, over extraction or aging will create a “;flabby” cocktail, much like wines that are low in acidity.
lower alcohol concentrations extract more hemicellulose and its associated sugars: glucose, fructose, xylose, and arabinose. The lower alcohol extraction is significant, extracting five times more at 40% ABV compared to 70% ABV.
With a standard cocktail recipe, sans dilution, the ABV would be in the 20% to 30% range, possibly leading to more extraction.
Increasing acidity is easily done with wine and vermouth, but fruit juice should be avoid because the juice can become putrid. This is more of an issue in barrel aging techniques versus bottle aging.
The trick with increasing acidity is to use a stable, reasonably pure acid. The primary acid in wine is tartaric acid, with citric, malic and lactic acid making smaller contributions. Lactic acid is a good choice for barrel aging, as it is the acid found in Lambic style beers like Geuze and Kriek and both are barrel aged for up to three years. Anyone who enjoys Lambic beers would find lactic acid (Lactart) a useful addition to their ingredient repertoire.
The flavour of Lactart is often described as softer and smoother than other acids. Lactart can be used in any application where a sour or acidic flavour is required, and can be used as a unique replacement for lemon and lime juice.An 250ml (8 oz) bottle is sufficient for 50 plus drinks.
Today, we will sample 3 beers that have been spiked to imitate the flavours that appear in beer when it isn’t treated properly
Don’t worry, the spikes used to add these flavours are safe to drink
When you taste them, you’ll definitely notice something off. We’ve added enough of each spike so that it really comes through
Normally, when you come across these flavours they won’t be as strong
When we taste these “off flavours”, we’ll also talk about what could have been done to avoid them so you can keep your beers at home fresh and tasty!
Good job!
That was our last off-flavour
Our taste buds have been working hard, now it’s time to treat them to something tasty
Enjoy a fresh, non-spiked beer on us!
Once everyone has their beer, we’ll have a little quiz to see who was paying attention.