Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: Bananas and Stale Beer?  (Read 936 times)

Offline Phil_M

  • Senior Brewmaster
  • ******
  • Posts: 1760
  • Southern Maryland
Bananas and Stale Beer?
« on: July 14, 2017, 05:45:50 am »
Ok, so this has been bugging me for a while. Many times, with stale but not totally oxidized beer (it doesn't taste like cardboard or sherry yet) I get a definite banana flavor.

I find it's more common in pale lagers, but I do get the same thing from some ales, SNPA being a definite one.

Anyone else ever get this? Or am I just mis-identifying another flavor? We aren't talking Weißbier levels of banana, just kinda enough to know it's there.
Corn is a fine adjunct in beer.

And don't buy stale beer.

Offline pete b

  • Official Poobah of No Life. (I Got Ban Hammered by Drew)
  • *********
  • Posts: 4133
  • Barre, Ma
Re: Bananas and Stale Beer?
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2017, 06:23:58 am »
In a beer that's supposed to be hoppy that isn't fresh or is improperly stored I get a more general fruity sweetness sometimes. I could see this presenting as mild banana for sure. I chalk it up to loss of hops aroma through oxidation unmasking a combination of not perfectly clean fermentation and specialty malts coming to the forefront. I once had a Bell's Two-day Hearted that someone brought me from the Midwest that had this.
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.