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Beer Contamination in the Keg

Last night, my wife and I were drinking some fine Brown Ale from a previous brew session.  The beer was from an experimental batch where I split the batch between two different yeasts, as you can see in the previous brewlog post. I discovered I had a beer contamination in the keg even at cold temps.

We were drinking off the WLP001 American Ale yeast keg.  The beer had aged into something fairly pleasant as it sat in the kegorator for several months.  Admittedly, the beer sat that long because I didn’t really like how either yeast had come out. I poured two pints before dinner.  As dinner was about to hit the table (hand-made Parkerhouse Rolls with Mushroom and Lentil stew) I went to the garage to pour another quick pint…. All foam!

The keg was kicked on those last two pints.  I guess that beer was better than I thought as we had worked through it over the summer.

So I hooked up the second keg from the WLP002 English Ale yeast.   I could tell something was different right off the bat with the head.  There was a lack of creaminess to it, it was more of a consistent foam.  I tasted it and there was a clear clove-phenol taste and aroma in it.  I noticed that flavor in it about a month ago and didn’t think much of it.  Back in May, that flavor wasn’t there but it slowly grew and grew as I have sampled the keg over the summer.

Interestingly, the keg has been cold since it went into the fridge in April so what ever contaminant I picked up in the keg is still active even at cold temps.  I did bottle a couple from that keg and sent it to a competition last month.  I am still waiting for the score sheets.  I would not be surprised to find out if that beer was over carbed and really phenol-ly once it warmed up to room temp and sat waiting a week or so before judging.  I hope when they opened it, it didn’t make a mess!

The WLP001 keg has no hint of that beer contamination in the keg.  When coming out of the brew kettle post chill, I filled a single carboy up with the wort.  THEN I split it in half into another carboy.  And seeing how the flavor wasn’t present post ferment, I must have picked up the contamination in the keg I racked into post ferment.  Live and learn, I guess it’s just a reminder to not slack on sanitation.  Even when you are careful, you never know.

Anyhow, I had to eat my rolls and stew with Oktoberfest.  I know it’s a tough life but as a brew dude I make sacrifices for you – the reader.

BREW ON!

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Hard Cider Bottling Day

1 Comment

  1. John

    You gotta stop slacking on your cleaning/sanitizing.

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