Great info! Here’s a question though. I just had a DFH Worldwide Stout from '07 at their brewpub and it had a tawny port quality to it, does that mean it was close to it’s end? Or being such a big beer (18% abv) would it still have plenty of life left in it?
nice article…I recently had a keg of IPA go bad (oxidize) after a week. I think I forgot to purge the keg before I transferred the beer into it. The beer’s flavor changed completely and became basically undrinkable >:(
'07 WWS better not be getting to it’s end . . . I’ve got cases of that going back to 2004! Every year my dad goes and gets me a case when it goes on sale, then keeps it in his basement. Then every few years he drives from NJ to Seattle and brings it out to me. It’s a great birthday present.
We did a tasting of '04-'07 last summer, they were still great. People had their preferences, but none of them were bad.
Undrinkable? Are you sure it was oxidized? Even without purging a keg it shouldn’t be that bed.
I also doubt that oxidation happens so fast to make an IPA undrinkable in a week. Transferring beer to a keg that hasn’t been purged seems unlikely to cause immediate staling. I quietly siphon beer into the bottom of unpurged kegs all the time.
Could it have been something else that caused the off-flavor?
The beer had a harse, bitter taste and almost cardbord. I know IPA’s are supposed to be bitter, but this was different. I also racked this beer to free up a fermenter and dry hop and I think this might have contributed to the oxidation. The beer tasted great for the first week and definitely changed. I am probably my own worst critic because my friend thought it was OK and finished off the keg after a couple weeks. So, the beer was undrinkable for me when I had others that were much better around to choose from. At least I don’t forget to purge the keg anymore