Moldy beer means we’ve done something wrong.
Or, more accurately, Joel has done something wrong. Go figure. After taking a one week hiatus from brewing for Labor Day, we returned to a beautiful bathtub full of moldy beer.
This is the first time we’ve encountered actual mold on our beer. After transferring our IPA last week, we recognized that it smelled a little funky. Maybe a case of the yeasties. And though we may regret this decision, we have decided to not drink this beer. Joel made a last minute plea to bottle it for his own personal stash, but we didn’t want to be responsible for the potential havoc this moldy brew could wreak on his frail digestive system.
In other news, JEFF IS BACK!? We’ve finally got a brewmaster again! Jeff, who has been “working” some sort of “80 hour week,” has closed a deal. I’m not at liberty to say more at present, but rest assured that it involved Jeff screaming “BUY BUY BUY! SELL SELL SELL!” in a crowded office.
Last night Jeff gave our Peach Belgian beer a sample. This was our first pass at a Belgian-style ale. And it’s turning out not too shabby. A little too bitter and syrupy, but still very drinkable. We’ve definitely got the bones of what could be an excellent beer.
Thanks to all who came last night! We had many a newcomer. Some people even brought BEER (which, contrary to popular belief, we do not frown upon).
I saw that in the tub and wondered if it was some sort of sophisticated brewing process, like fancy French cheese. At least I think some cheeses involve mold. That’s what they look like, anyway! As you can tell, I am not a sophisticated gourmand. In fact, after more than a dozen nights at MNB, I finally started to sort-of understood the beermaking process, and only after I asked Jeff to explain it to a couple of newcomers last night. For a nerd, he sure makes good beer. Practically “the champagne of beers,” I was thinking.
Great, thanks a lot… Now I’m going to have nightmares tonight, Jonathan!
Sadly, I’ve had the exact same thing happen. Time to throw away every piece of plastic tubing in your whole brewery, boil the crap out of *ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING* else, and completely review your storage and sanitation procedures.
Fix it now, before it attacks another batch…
Sorry to hear about that :-(
Iodophor would help clean your equipment.
I am excited.
Did you dry-hop? Hops, while they have antiseptic properties, can be a vector for “baddies.” I too have lost a batch of IPA to mold, and I think it may have been the dry-hopped addition.
http://www.rooftopbrew.net/?p=80
[...] To top it all off, we don’t even have that much beer. Due to a recent Labor Day holiday, a batch of moldy IPA, and an upcoming motorcycle rally, we’re running on empty. Fortunately, I still love brewing. I guess it was bound to happen sometime. Even my favorite activities can turn sour (or moldy). Maybe I need a beer. [...]