How to tell if beer is bad?

Yabezag · Oct 21, 2017

Hmmm? Have been allowed to break my sober October regime and test my first Biab brew. Compared to all my kits before this it is looking suspiciously cloudy. Trouble is it tastes fine. A pale ale with loads of hops. Are there any tell tale signs to look for?
This is the brew which I thought had stuck, but have tested with hygrometer and it has dropped from 1025 (refractometer) on kegging to 1010 in the jug! So the yeast survived and the the extra alcohol would have helped keep really bad nasties at bay. Drink it or dump the lot??
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johnnyboy1965 · Oct 21, 2017

What type of keg?
How long has it been in the keg?

Yabezag · Oct 21, 2017

johnnyboy1965 said:
What type of keg?

How long has it been in the keg?

King keg. 3weeks.

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Sandimas · Oct 21, 2017

No don't dump it: if it tastes fine, it is fine.

Did you use hop pellets? Sometimes they take longer to clear that brews made with leaf hops (in my experience). Stick the keg somewhere cool for a few days (garage/shed) so that any suspended yeast/hops drop out, and then try it.

terrym · Oct 21, 2017

darrellm said:
No don't dump it: if it tastes fine, it is fine.

Couldn't be simpler. :thumb:

Cwrw666 · Oct 21, 2017

I've made some evilly murky brews in my BIAB career, but would never have thought of throwing them out. If they taste fine they are fine. Buy a pewter tankard.
Or leave it a few weeks longer. It will get clearer in time especially if it's cold.

Yabezag · Oct 21, 2017

Ok thanks All, will get it into the fridge somehow. And chill down and see if it clears!

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Lowcliff · Oct 25, 2017

There's no bad beer , just some beer is better than others

Pavros · Oct 25, 2017

How many hops did you use?
At flameout or dry hop?
Leaf or pellet?
And what yeast did you use?

It could just be that it's going to take a long time to clear properly

Godsdog · Oct 25, 2017

If it tastes fine and refuses to clear,drink it out of a pewter tankard, what you can't see won't bother you

GerritT · Oct 25, 2017

Ceramic German beer mug.

wfr42 · Oct 25, 2017

Did you use any fining agents like irish moss or protfloc tablets?

Large dry hops can also leave a haze.

As others have said, infected/bad beer is the only beer that doesn't taste good!

GerritT · Oct 25, 2017

If you're in the UK, you are within 10 miles of a castle or castle ruins (Skyrim's Law). Odds are they sell earthenware mugs. Get one, you deserve it.

LarryF · Oct 25, 2017

Drink it, enjoy it, plan your next brew.

How to tell if beer is bad?

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