Wet Hay Aroma, Tart Taste..

[Lecterfan]

Hi all,

although I have a restricted vernacular I am drinking a mates beer at the moment (not in B.A.R. so everyone chillax), it is an AG vienna ale (not Muscovy's either!) that has an aroma of that I would describe as 'wet hay' (perhaps day or two-day old wet hay), and after a few mouthfuls this aroma is affecting the taste also. Although being very low in IBUs (about 18 or something), the beer is almost tart to drink.

The best I can find on google is an issues with phenolics or possible infection. Any thoughts?

Thanks.

edit: I don't know the full grist, has some carared in it and I think he used us05 or nottingham...it did smell yeasty initially also.

 

[Wolfy]

I know it's a stretch to suggest two infections, but brett has been described as hay-like and lactic could cause the tartness.

 

[mxd]

dry hopped with saaz ?

 

[manticle]

I know it's a stretch to suggest two infections, but brett has been described as hay-like and lactic could cause the tartness.

None of my brett beers have ever tasted like hay but maybe perception or it may be one strain over another.

I'm not convinced about horse blanket either.

 

[Lecterfan]

I know it's a stretch to suggest two infections, but brett has been described as hay-like and lactic could cause the tartness.

Nothing's impossible - newish AG brewer etc, but generally his other beers have been pretty clean, and his extract brews were ok, but I'm interested for my own experience as much as anything else.

dry hopped with saaz ?

No, and I'm reasonably confident to suggest it's not a hop character. I think he did use a noble but only at 60mins to get a low IBU.

None of my brett beers have ever tasted like hay but maybe perception or it may be one strain over another.

I'm not convinced about horse blanket either.

I've tasted what I would considered a horse blanket type aroma and flavour previously (ironically I grew up on a horse stud where we harvested our own hay each year so these are two actual smells that are not alien to me, BUT of course in beer-parlance I could be wide of the mark).

Thanks for feedback all, I am certainly leaning towards an infection of some sort. :icon_cheers:


edit: in his quest for experimentation etc the grist was vienna and pils malts (he didn't say what brand), some carared and EKG to 10...that's right 10 IBUs! I wonder of some of the flavours are extreme graininess???? But surely a 10IBU beer (used nottingham yeast) that used vienna and some cara would be cloyingly sweet? And this is not...thus I suspected an infection of some sort...

 

[Yob]

The Things you will do for a beer lecter

 

[dr K]

There are more causes of off flavours and aromas than are dreamt of in your zymology.
Brett just aint that common, you have about about as much chance of getting a Brett infection in a standard homebrew as you do of getting a Sacc.Cerv infection in a bowl of wort placed overnight in a warm room.
The beer is off, unless the brewer actually intended those aromas (in which case I would ask what he or she did to introduce and control them).
Is it off because of a fungus, a bacteria or plain old chemical infusion, was it made worse by oxygen or temperature or pH..does it matter, well yes it does because the source or cause of the problem needs to be identified so it won't happen again, not what the actual component or components are.

K

 

[eamonnfoley]

Stick a pH meter on the beer (after degassing and warming up to about 15-20C). If its not in the range of 4.15-4.6 something serious is wrong.

 

[Lecterfan]

There are more causes of off flavours and aromas than are dreamt of in your zymology.
Brett just aint that common, you have about about as much chance of getting a Brett infection in a standard homebrew as you do of getting a Sacc.Cerv infection in a bowl of wort placed overnight in a warm room.
The beer is off, unless the brewer actually intended those aromas (in which case I would ask what he or she did to introduce and control them).
Is it off because of a fungus, a bacteria or plain old chemical infusion, was it made worse by oxygen or temperature or pH..does it matter, well yes it does because the source or cause of the problem needs to be identified so it won't happen again, not what the actual component or components are.

K

Thanks Haml... Dr. K., I take appreciate your input,
Horat... Lecterfan.

Stick a pH meter on the beer (after degassing and warming up to about 15-20C). If its not in the range of 4.15-4.6 something serious is wrong.

sadly I only had the one pint and neither In or he have the required equipment (or, I suspect, the dedication) to follow up the rest...

Cheers again all.