Ever buy beer that’s ‘off’?

[81MC]

So twice in the last couple months I’ve bought a pack of beer that I’ve had before and generally quite enjoy (different brewers). Latest being Fahr Copper. Would have gone as far to say the best ‘craft’ beer this side of Red Deer.

Can’t even drink it. Like, it’s still sort of beer I guess but tastes like a sour fruit juice rather than the delicious beer I’ve enjoyed before. Two cans, packed in August, reputable liquor store.

My taste buds messing with me, or do some batches just go ‘bad’ before being caught in bottling?

[Bankai]

Purchased a 4 pack of Sapporo years ago that was "off".

Contacted the company (Sleemans in Canada for Sapporo) and was told that sometime QC problems occur.

Got a nice gift bag of stuff from them which was quite nice and not expected though.

[81MC]

Well, turns out there is a product recall on this particular batch lol. Really happy I am not losing my taste for good beer.

Damn you Liquor Depot for having it in your shelves still.

[KTrain]

Fahr had some quality issues with their Hefe as well. Batches and batches of it were terrible. They exchanged it without question. They chalked it up to a bad yeast purchase.

Glad they got it sorted because it's all I drink.

[btimbit]

Yeah I've definitely had the occasional case of something that was just really awful compared to normal

[McG]

Home brewers struggle with this once in a while as well (bad yeast).

I haven’t heard of this in a commercial beer before but it’s likely caught prior to bottling.

I have heard about beer being funny tasting when they change product on the bottling line; flavours are off as the two flavours of beer are getting mixed together.

[bc-chris]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Yeah I've definitely had the occasional case of something that was just really awful compared to normal

heh... i read this as "normal" = kinda awful.

the 'dad' perspective....
Yeah I've definitely had the occasional diaper change that was just really awful compared to normal

[calgarygeologist]

I've bought a skunky six pack before and it was pretty vile although it proved to be a fun experiment to get people to try the awful beer.

[Table 5]

I guess that's that the quirk with microbrews...good beers, but consistency can vary because of their small-fry operation.

Glad I'm not the only one who likes Fahr though. I haven't had a bad batch yet.

[Shazam]

Years ago, I once bought a six pack of Kokanee and two of the cans were skunky. And here I thought I was nuts.

[Sr. Mints]

There's a half ton a few houses away with a Fahr sticker on the side of it, I assume they own or are somehow involved with the company. I've been dying to ask them for a tour, cause I love that kind of thing.

[timun]

I've absolutely had beer purchases that ended up being 'off'. About three weeks ago I bought a few cans from the Hawk Tail Brewery in Rimbey, and the ones I've had were almost entirely flat, with very little taste to them. One of them was a "Mexican cerveza" lager, so the light taste was to be somewhat expected, but it definitely ain't right.

[troutman]

All beer is off.

Choose Cider!

[gallione11]

I think my weirdest occurrence of this was a batch of Bombay Sapphire that was just off. And it was sadly more than a single bottle. I think it was three or four that just had an overpowering essence of minty-ness to it. It was powerful enough to think it was like the time I accidentally used Peppermint Schnapps instead of vermouth in a Martini.

[timun]

Originally Posted by troutman

All beer is off.

Choose Cider!

[nfotiu]

A good rundown of common beer infections are here... https://learn.kegerator.com/off-flavors-in-beer/

From local craft brewers, I've run into the Diacetyl most often. Has just a weird movie theater popcorn taste to it.

Had a fruited sour in the early years of a nationally renowned local craft brewery that they later admitted was infected with Butyric. It tasted exactly like baby vomit as described. It scarred me a bit!

The other somewhat common one is barrel aged stouts that normally age very well but missed a bacteria in the barrel cleaning that makes them go very sour after a year or two.

[Northendzone]

My brother and I once found a dead mouse in a bottle of beer. Resolving it was a strange tale with trouble brewing around every turn

[DoubleK]

Never in a can or bottle, but have had sour draft at bars before. I can't believe that there are places that don't clean their lines on a set schedule or how they stay in business.

[McG]

Originally Posted by Northendzone

My brother and I once found a dead mouse in a bottle of beer. Resolving it was a strange tale with trouble brewing around every turn

If you return it to Elsinore brewery you get a free 24.

[Badgers Nose]

If you drink it fast enough, will the earth spin in the opposite direction and will time go backwards? Like in Superman? Then at least some of it won't be past its best before date anymore.

Just an idea.