ECY Bug County - Lambic-esque issues

[HopheadNJ]

So last year I brewed a lambic style beer and pitched Bug County. Everything was looking fantastic and tasting nice, but still a bit sweet. Just before the year mark I had to move the carboy, it sloshed around a touch and busted up the pellicle. I was away for work for an extended period and upon my return realized the airlock just about dried up.

The beer went from a beautiful golden hue to an almost purple color. No signs of mold, etc. I'm assuming from oxygen exposure. I've sort of neglected it and tasted the other day to decide if it was worth bottling off. Crazy tart with a slight vinegar note...But than there is a touch of ethyl acetate (nail polish remover). UGH!

Is it worth trying to blend this? Bottle as is? or just chalk it up as a learning experience, repitch the slurry and try again? I'm afraid that solvent-y flavor will only get worse with time.

 

[sweetcell]

The beer went from a beautiful golden hue to an almost purple color. No signs of mold, etc. I'm assuming from oxygen exposure.

others have experienced this. i don't know if the reason for this color change has been definitively pinned on O2 exposure, but it's the widely accepted reason. probably O2 + something else, like a bug or some chemical precursor in the beer.

I've sort of neglected it and tasted the other day to decide if it was worth bottling off. Crazy tart with a slight vinegar note...But than there is a touch of ethyl acetate (nail polish remover). UGH!

Is it worth trying to blend this? Bottle as is? or just chalk it up as a learning experience, repitch the slurry and try again? I'm afraid that solvent-y flavor will only get worse with time.

ethyl acetate won't subside, you're stuck with it.

you might be able to blend a little of this beer with another, a touch of ethyl acetate can be nice but if you can clearly taste it now you might have to dilute quite a bit... not sure if it's worth your while. if it's not good on its own, i would consider dumping.

 

[bovineblitz]

Sounds like a dumper. You could let it get crazy vinegary and use it as vinegar, I had a flanders red where I forgot about the airlock and did that. Great for cooking.

 

[secondbase]

Between the acetic and the ethyl acetate, I would dump it.

 

[blizzard]

So last year I brewed a lambic style beer and pitched Bug County. Everything was looking fantastic and tasting nice, but still a bit sweet. Just before the year mark I had to move the carboy, it sloshed around a touch and busted up the pellicle. I was away for work for an extended period and upon my return realized the airlock just about dried up.



The beer went from a beautiful golden hue to an almost purple color. No signs of mold, etc. I'm assuming from oxygen exposure. I've sort of neglected it and tasted the other day to decide if it was worth bottling off. Crazy tart with a slight vinegar note...But than there is a touch of ethyl acetate (nail polish remover). UGH!



Is it worth trying to blend this? Bottle as is? or just chalk it up as a learning experience, repitch the slurry and try again? I'm afraid that solvent-y flavor will only get worse with time.

The ethyl acetate makes it a dumper. There's no sense adding a bad beer to a good one just to get more volume.

 

[HopheadNJ]

Not hearing anything I wasn't already thinking.. Gonna dump this one. Should I be hesitant to wash this cake and reuse?

 

[Agate]

I would re-use it. The problem was oxygen getting in during aging, which ruined the beer but shouldn't hurt the microbes. There's a chance that some acetobacter are living in there, but if you're careful about minimizing oxygen exposure, it should work fine.