Finally started getting into the book 'Malt' and am finding it pretty interesting. In learning about malt and specifically 'DON', a potential disease listed as mycotoxin deoxynivalenol on page 134, the author states that beers brewed with grain that has elevated levels of DON are very susceptible to spontaneous gushing when opening a bottle. This leads to my question:
I have brewed and bottled many beers over the years with proper practices of sanitation, measuring priming sugars, etc with great success, never an infection or any over carbonation issues but one: A Northern German Altbier. Every bottle that was opened experienced spontaneous gushing that I have never been able to figure out.
I purchase my grains from the same LHBS for all beer and I know their supplies are consistent as I am friends with the owner. I am thinking that perhaps a batch of grain had elevated levels of DON that were used in this batch. I have not re-brewed this beer yet so I have no basis of comparison but never have I had this problem with any other beer I've brewed with ingredients coming from the same sources.
I was hoping perhaps someone could shed some light on this, had similar unexplained experiences or new how to get in touch with Mallett to pose the question. I am also wondering if there is a way to predetermine this factor when selecting grains. In reading COAs I have never seen this factor. Knowing also that the DON issue stems from fusarium diseases I'm curious to know how this information is provided to the malt houses or end users.
Curious to know if anyone else has ever experienced this with no known answer as to why it occurred.