Continuing our discussion of off-flavors, we'll take look at diacetyl it's great on microwave popcorn, but as all brewers know, this "buttery" off-flavor has no place in beer.
Diacetyl (2,3-butanedione) is well known as the “butter” compound in microwave popcorn. It presents itself as a buttery or butterscotch flavor in beer. It’s in the vicinal diketone (VDK) category of…
For the next part of our guide to off-flavors we'll take a look at acetaldehyde, with persistance and consistency you can avoid this undesireable quality.
Acetaldehyde smells and tastes like green apples. Sometimes it’s described as “oxidized apples” or “acetic cider”.
How does it form in beer?
Acetaldehyde is the immediate precursor to ethanol in fermentation…
Continuing our series on off-flavors we're going to look at what happens and how to deal with beer-spoiling bacteria and wild yeast infect your brew.
What is it?
Infection occurs when beer-spoiling bacteria or wild yeast make it into beer and start competing with cultured yeast for sugars. The typical off-flavors to look out for are sour and/or diacetyl (buttery). Other…
The papery off-flavor occurs when beer is oxidized. It can also present itself as a cardboard flavor or even as a sweet stone fruit flavor.
How does it form in beer?
The major compound that causes the oxidized flavor is trans-2-nonenal (pictured above). This flavor is typically formed in packaging when stored at elevated temperatures (above 40 F) for any period of time due to…
Isoamyl acetate is the ester responsible for the banana-flavor. Typically described as the “circus peanuts” flavor or the dominate flavor in german-style hefeweizens.
How does it form in beer?
This compound forms by the condensation of acetyl CoA and isoamyl alcohol during fermentation. Most esters form in beer due to the reduction of a carboxylic acid and ethanol. This…
When our old friends Toshi Ishii and Bryan Baird approached us about brewing something special for Japan relief efforts, we of course jumped at the opportunity. We created this very special IPA, brewed with 100% Maris Otter Malt and Belgian candi sugar. Once we decided to tie it all together with the addition of Japanese Sencha green tea in a dry hop, the rest of the recipe came together easily.…
This year's Stone Vertical Epic Ale is the very last one. Yep, this is it. The final chapter. Or as they say on the last slide in some old films: "Fin." No worries though; this edition is particularly well-suited for prolonging the experience, as it's as cellarable as any in the series, or more. In this, the final edition, you can expect a perfectly balanced "womp" of spices: cinnamon, ginger,…
This year's Stone Vertical Epic ale might justifiably be considered the non sequitur edition. We somehow came to the conclusion that adding Anaheim chiles from New Mexico's Hatch Valley, plus whole cinnamon sticks, to an amber-hued brew fermented with Belgian Flanders Golden Ale yeast (which provides fairly intense character with lots of clove & banana overtones) would create a very tasty…
This ninth edition of our Stone Vertical Epic Ale series takes two interesting left turns. A Belgian-style golden triple is the starting point of this beer, but the first left turn is nearly immediate with the addition of dried chamomile flowers, triticale, and Belgian amber candi sugar. The second, and rather unusual left turn takes us half an hour up the road from Stone to Temecula courtesy of…
This is quite a complex and layered beer. Bold and smooth chocolate malt flavors combine with a Belgian yeast lending tropical fruit and banana flavors and hints of spiciness, all complemented by citrus notes from an addition of tangerine peel. Rich vanilla beans add a nice counter to the chocolate malt, actually enhancing the chocolatiness. The finish is smooth, with additional traces of vanilla…
