What the heck is this?

General Homebrew Discussion
1

just popped the top on a bottle of Port Brewing’s Santa’s Little Helper Imperial Stout.  The first thing I noticed was there was no carbonation or head forming.  At the end of the pour I heard a plop.  Then something slightly lighter in color than the beer floated to the surface.  I pulled out a gelatinous blob.  My first impression is that it looks like a vinegar mother.

No, before you ask, I didn’t drink any.  Yes, even though I know it wouldn’t make me sick.  I just dumped it.  I tried to upload a video but all I could get Photobucket to accept was a still:

2

I would guess vinegar mother as well. Did you at least smell the beer?

3

I don’t know what that is exactly, other than something undesirable. I’d contact the brewery. I bet they’d be happy to replace at least that bottle. I had issues with a Lost Abbey beer a couple years ago and they swiftly sent a couple bottles and some swag.

I can’t believe you didn’t try the beer?!? I would have had to…

4

either a vinegar mother or some SCOBY. pretty gross either way though. +1 on contacting the brewery. They might like to know at very least.

5

Definitely contact the brewery, and be sure to pass along that photograph as well as any bottle date information.

I am under the impression that Lost Abbey / Port Brewing tries to address QC issues like this as best possible.

Sorry to see that you got such a bad bottle.

Cheers.
Mike

6

I’m going to guess it was some sort of build up from a dirty bottler that came unclogged just in time to plop in your unsuspecting bottle. I’ve seen that type of thick, mucusy build up in my taps before. Gross!

7

If it were me I would have pitched it to a small starter just for the hell of it.

8

Here is a man who knows how to take lemons and make lemonade. Or, um, weird-ass beer

9

That’s considered a delicacy in some parts of the world.  :stuck_out_tongue:

10

I think I just vomited a little bit. Nasty. Gives me heeby-geebies.

11

I would have plopped it in the toilet and told the wife I didn’t feel so good.

12

You know how they put a worm in bottles of tequila?  Well, they put leaches in bottles of imperial stouts.

Real men eat 'em.  Santa does!  :o

13

I got a bottle of Santa’s Little Helper Imperial Stout last year and it had the same gunk. Almost made me hurl when I got to the bottom.

14

Maybe the SCOBY is Santa’s little helper.

15

Well, he IS a good detective and monster slayer!

16

I heard from the brewery today, and it was an interesting response, so I thought I’d report it back here:

Sorry to hear you are experiencing the gelatinous glob in Santa’s Little Helper.  That is actually something that is from the starches in the malt.  The chocolate malt, oatmeal, and roasted malts have formed a starch like substance from the high levels of beta-glucans in the wort.  Hope it helps to know that it was not dangerous and would not affect the flavor.

Now obviously I’m wishing I had tasted it.  :-\

17

I found something similar in a RIS I made and agd for a couple of years.  The beer was just fine.

18

So if a brewer intended on reproducing this bottle-snot, say for a Halloween beer, how would one brew it?

19

That is seriously funny!

20

Tsp of corn starch in each bottle? Or dry hop with a gummy worm