When Good Beer Goes Bad

WHEN GOOD BEER GOES BAD

© 2 0 1 6 Z X V E N T U R E S ,

A N A N H E U S E R - B U S C H I N B E V

A F F I L I A T E

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.

Mirel la 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.

Steve Riley

Founder, BetterBeer.com Ltd.

Certified Cicerone, 2010

Recognized Beer Judge

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

https://beveragealcoholresource.com/

https://beveragealcoholresource.com/

https://jontaffer.com/bar-rescue/

https://jontaffer.com/bar-rescue/

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

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

BEFOREWE 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?

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?

OFF-FLAVOR 1O ld Bee r

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

?

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.


PACKAGING:

This off-flavour can appear

in bottled beer, canned beer,

draught beer as well as all

other formats.

CAUSETime Heat Oxygen

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


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

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

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 i t i s good

OXIDATION…

when i t i s good

TimeOxygen Heat

THESE ELEMENTS CAN ALSO BE AN ESSENTIAL

PART OF A SPIRIT’S DEVELOPMENT PROCESS:

PO SI T I VE O XI DAT I O N I N

B E E R

TASTING

Take 5 minutes to compare the spiked beer to the‘control’ sample.


Lightstruck beer is usually described as smelling and tasting like:

Do you think it smells like skunk, cat litter or sewer gas?

OFF-FLAVOR 2L igh t s t r uck

Skunk Cat Litter Sewer GasOFF-FLAVOR

2

?

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


Light

PACKAGING:

This off-flavour can only appear

in beer that is packaged in

clear or

green bottles

CAUSE


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

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

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11712849

TASTING

Take 5 minutes to compare the spiked beer to the ‘control’ sample.


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 3Di r t y L i nes

Buttered popcorn Vinegar Stale beerOFF-FLAVOR

3

?

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.


BacteriaCAUSE

PACKAGING:

This off-flavour appears in

draught beer

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


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

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

http://www.artofdrink.com/

PO SI T I VE LACTIC AND ACETIC

ACID I N B E E R

BET T ERBEER. CO M

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”

Di r t y B ee r G las s es :

T he B igges t P rob lem I n T he B i z .

That’s all the

bad beer for

today!

QUIZ

QUESTION #1Q.

If a beer is ‘skunky’ which enemy of

beer has it been exposed to?

QUIZ

QUESTION #1A.

It has been exposed to light.

QUIZ

QUESTION #2Q.

What kind of flavour will appear in a

beer, if it is past its prime?

QUIZ

QUESTION #2A.

It tastes like cardboard

or wet paper.

QUIZ

QUESTION #3

Q.

What does a pub have to do to

prevent draught from tasting like

buttered popcorn and vinegar?

QUIZ

QUESTION #3A.

Clean the lines regularly.

QUIZ

QUESTION #4

Q.

Which off-flavour is sometimes

referred to as ‘oxidation’?

QUIZ

QUESTION #4A.

Old Beer

QUIZ

QUESTION #5

Q.

Can a draught beer be ‘skunky’?

QUIZ

QUESTION #5A.

No. A skunky flavour indicates

that the beer is lightstruck and

kegs protect the beer from light.

When Good Beer Goes Bad

Food

Transcript of When Good Beer Goes Bad