What Causes Gushers?

[bum]

Almost every beer I buy from Uncle Dan's is either a gusher or has that taste where it is about to be a gusher. What is it that they do to beers there? Too many different breweries from different countries producing different styles for this common element to be anything other than something they do at retail. I've been looking forward to this sixer of White Rabbit Dark Ale since I bought it yesterday and now that I've cracked it it is just a glass full of tingly, almost sour shit. Spewin'.

 

[rclemmett]

Pressure...

If its sour then it would be an infection. Check the use by date.

 

[bum]

I'm not talking about a beer being over-carbonated. I could very well be using the wrong terminology but over time I have noticed that there is a common taste between all the gushers I've had. I've also noticed this taste in many beers that aren't gushers and have presumed (as inferred above) that this is a precursor to it being a gusher.

Regardless of terminology - this one element is common through too many styles/producers from one retailer for it to be anything apart from something DM do in their handling of the beers.

 

[rclemmett]

It's probably infected.... Are they cold enough when you open them? The delayed gusher is normally a sign of to higher a temp.

 

[bum]

Can someone who is actually reading my posts reply?

 

[dr K]

Hi Bum
I suggest some palate calibration.
get some of the same beer from a retailer other than DM
get some of your or mates beer in a similar style
get some DM beer
do a threesome test, the eternal triangle with DM playing the hypotenuse..
If a beer is infected, its infected, there are no pre-cursors to infection, unless you count the bacteria/wild yeast that is already present and as such is not a pre-cursor but an active and contributing factor. Yes some infections get worse over time but they will always be apparent early on.

K

 

[rclemmett]

Can someone who is actually reading my posts reply?

Maybe you could describe the taste....

It could be infected :blink:

 

[bum]

If a beer is infected, its infected, there are no pre-cursors to infection, unless you count the bacteria/wild yeast that is already present and as such is not a pre-cursor but an active and contributing factor. Yes some infections get worse over time but they will always be apparent early on.

Of course. I guess I mean more "early stages" than "pre-cursor". I guess the way I've noticed the common taste is by trying as many beers from as many different retailers as I am able so I think it is through some sort of palate calibration that I've come to this conclusion - never tried it in a 3-way, I've led a very sheltered life.

Rob2. I am not asking "Why does my beer taste like this?" I am asking "Why might a very high proportion of the beers from my local DM taste like this?" These are two very different questions.

 

[Pollux]

Maybe it's your palate, maybe it's the fact that DM's store their beer poorly....

My personal experience with White Rabbit Dark Ale was a 6pk purchased from Amatos in Sydney, a bottleshop that seems to store most premium beer in the coolroom. I found it to have the expected slight sourness and honestly found it to be a "meh" standard belgian dark ale.

That said, if you had given it to me 18months ago when I thought Monteiths Radler was the shiznit, I would have probably turned my nose up at it and declared it rotten.

 

[bum]

My personal experience with White Rabbit Dark Ale was a 6pk purchased from Amatos in Sydney, a bottleshop that seems to store most premium beer in the coolroom. I found it to have the expected slight sourness and honestly found it to be a "meh" standard belgian dark ale.

I have had it before and I did like it. It didn't blow me away but for some reason after finishing the single I wished I had bought a 6 pack. It was a nice enough beer and I was interested to see if could work out what it was about that one that had me wanting more afterwards. My problem is most definitely not with this beer.

I accept that my perception of certain things may perhaps be "out" and readily admit that I lack the vocabulary to properly describe what I have noticed here (many times) but I am certain this problem can't purely be explained away by my ignorance (especially when I've had the same beers from other retailers and not found this common and distinct problem).

 

[albrews]

Almost every beer I buy from Uncle Dan's is either a gusher or has that taste where it is about to be a gusher. What is it that they do to beers there? Too many different breweries from different countries producing different styles for this common element to be anything other than something they do at retail. I've been looking forward to this sixer of White Rabbit Dark Ale since I bought it yesterday and now that I've cracked it it is just a glass full of tingly, almost sour shit. Spewin'.

hi, i have found that a heavy yeast deposit in the bottle can give gushing on opening the bottle

try some filtering or a clearing of the beer before sealing in a bottle.

cheers,alan

 

[Kai]

Almost every beer I buy from Uncle Dan's is either a gusher or has that taste where it is about to be a gusher. What is it that they do to beers there? Too many different breweries from different countries producing different styles for this common element to be anything other than something they do at retail. I've been looking forward to this sixer of White Rabbit Dark Ale since I bought it yesterday and now that I've cracked it it is just a glass full of tingly, almost sour shit. Spewin'.

Hey bum,

I'm one of the brewers at the rabbit, disturbed to hear you have a sour one... what's the best before on the bottle? Which Dan's did you get it from, and when?

cheers,

kai

 

[captaincleanoff]

anyone tried the Redoak Organic Pale Ale?

Every bottle I have tried has tasted like sour grapefruit in a bottle

 

[Muggus]

anyone tried the Redoak Organic Pale Ale?

Every bottle I have tried has tasted like sour grapefruit in a bottle

Yes, but only the bottles i've tried from DM recently.
From the tap at the caf, it's fine, nothing wrong with it. And some of the bottles I had a few years back when it first appeared in bottles seemed fine.
Every since they've struck it big, the quality has gone down...in bottles anyway. Might be a transport and storage issue methinks.

 

[brendanos]

I would hesitate to say that poor storage/distribution/blatant disrespect for natural beer would be a leading cause.

 

[bum]

Hey bum,

I'm one of the brewers at the rabbit, disturbed to hear you have a sour one... what's the best before on the bottle? Which Dan's did you get it from, and when?

cheers,

kai

Best Before 01 Mar 2010. Got it from the Frankston DM last week - Friday from memory, possibly Thursday. I hope you're able to put a rocket up them about this because I'm a bee's dick from swearing off them but they pretty much have the best range out this way so I'd prefer to see them get it together and treat the beers properly.

Captaincleanoff's Redoak reference is probably the closest to describing the taste - except to me the taste seemed intentional the couple times I tried that beer earlier in the year, the similar taste here is easily 3 times stronger. Not so much the fruity aspect but definitely the tingly sourness (I know 'tingly' is a pretty terrible way to describe a taste but it is the best I can do).

 

[fcmcg]

Hey bum,

I'm one of the brewers at the rabbit, cheers,

kai

Mate...i have had your beers at least 5 times from 5 different venues and each one has been different . When i mentioned this to one of your guys at the fed square expo on wed last week , he said you were still tweaking the recipe...is this true ? And if so , wouldn't it be a major gamble to release a beer before your happy with it...and have the potential of your customers getting one they didn't like and not trying it again ? I'm still trying them...for what its worth and never had a "gusher"
I'd suggest that maybe the bloe that started this thread got a bad one...
My 2c
Cheers
Ferg

 

[Kai]

Best Before 01 Mar 2010. Got it from the Frankston DM last week - Friday from memory, possibly Thursday. I hope you're able to put a rocket up them about this because I'm a bee's dick from swearing off them but they pretty much have the best range out this way so I'd prefer to see them get it together and treat the beers properly.

Captaincleanoff's Redoak reference is probably the closest to describing the taste - except to me the taste seemed intentional the couple times I tried that beer earlier in the year, the similar taste here is easily 3 times stronger. Not so much the fruity aspect but definitely the tingly sourness (I know 'tingly' is a pretty terrible way to describe a taste but it is the best I can do).

Cheers bum, I'll get someone to look into it and have a taste of that batch myself.

ferg - everything has been pretty consistent for the last 2-3 months now, before that there was definitely some minor variation... though not as much as compared to the first month, when the beer wasn't a dark ale...

 

[bum]

Cheers bum, I'll get someone to look into it and have a taste of that batch myself.

I very much doubt it will be the beer, as I say, I've had a bottle from a different shop quite recently and did enjoy it (it is extremely rare for me to buy a sixer of anything to drink at home so I guess that counts for something?). I get this issue far too often from this store across many different beers.

 

[bum]

So I just bought 4 beers from 1st Choice in Frankston (in order to avoid spending money at Uncle Dan's) - Youngs Bitter, Pepperjack, and revisted both Mountain Goat Hightail and Crackenback Pale Ale. Every single one tasted exactly the same. I wish I could describe this taste better because it is driving me crazy. I've never gone 4 for 4 before (wherefore?). It has me so mad I just stood in my kitchen and swore I would never drink a beer I didn't make ever again (a complete lie).

Is this just some Frankston thing?