Mystry Homebrew

[lexuschris]

While cleaning out some stuff around my home office/den this weekend, to make room for all this new brew gear I've been accumulating, I found a case of mystery homebrew! Yippee!


Unlabeled. Plain bottles. I'm sure its at least a year or two old.. mabye longer. Have no idea what to expect, but just put one in the fridge for tasting tomorrow!

I have to agree with everyone who has suggested it ... stash away a few bottles from each batch to be found later ... its always fun finding them!!

Have a great week all!
--LexusChris

[JonGoku]

Ok, I'll be the one to ask the million dollar question.

How'd it taste?

[lexuschris]

Ok, I'll be the one to ask the million dollar question.

How'd it taste?

ummm.. well... that's not the point!

Where's your sense of ADVENTURE!
--LexusChris

p.s. turns out it was the band-aid batch I was trying to hide ... too much bleach sanitizer without proper drying.... pouring it out now..

p.p.s. But last time I found mystery homebrew, it was a nice stout that tasted AWESOME!

[JonGoku]

I wouldn't pour them all out. Maybe the one you just opened, but not the others.

I would LABEL them though and try again in a few more months, or years.

[lexuschris]

v2.0

I was packing up the Xmas decorations this past weekend, and finding new places to stuff the dozen large bins in my garage, when I came upon a single bottle box (12 x 22oz). Thinking it was just old bottles, I was about to throw it away... but it had a little bit of weight to it.

Surprise homebrew! Yeah! 1 capped 22 oz, 2 grolsh bottles of mystery homebrew. And, 1 tiny bottle of Thomas Hardy vintage ale... 1993.

So here is the scary part. When I moved back to California in 2002, I made sure to pack my current homebrew in my car for the drive from Vegas. No way was I going to leave it in a moving van for a week of summertime tempatures!

Seeing as this box was stashed in the garage's nether region, it must have been grabbed by the movers and put on that moving van. Ugh. Not to mention that sitting for 7 years in my garage without temp control is bad news.

So... do I dare try to take a sip of this stuff?

I must say.. I want to try ... but...

I have the fear...

--LexusChris

[JonGoku]

The only thing to settle fear is alcohol. So what are you waiting for? Drink up!

Cheers!

[dhempy]

Hey Chris:

If I were a betting man, I'd bet against any aging miracles (unless those were really "BIG" beers). That said, let your nose be your initial guide. Chill 'em down, take a whiff or two, and see how it goes. Or even better, chill 'em and bring 'em to a BC meeting and share the joy (grief) with your clubmates .

Dan

[oc eric]

I found a 22 oz bottle of my homebrew from 15 years ago. I bet it tastes terrible. I *might* be brave enough.

Unless...Hey Chris, you want to trade old brews?

[lexuschris]

While staring at this old bottle in front of me, I found a relevant post on HBT.

Turns out, we have nothing to fear, but beer itself!

When I open this bottle, it will be beer inside. It may not be good beer... but it will be consumable.

--LexusChris

[lexuschris]

fast forward 10 months ...

I've had those 3 bottles in the fridge, and gathered up the liquid gumption to give one a go today. (Hey .. its raining like mad .. what else am I to do!)

After 8 years in the bottle, and the last 10 months in the fridge, the brilliant clarity & ruby-brown color on this was amazing!

But, that was the best to be said about it. Very under carbonated. Thin, watery and a bit cidery. This was definitely an extract beer, probably with no or little crystal. No hop presence at all.

I was suprised it was kinda drinkable, or at least not infected. I only drank a few oz. and decided to put the aged beer to rest.

Wonder what is in the grolsh bottles?
--lexuschris

[ScottK]

Sounds like something to put in the club Christmas party beer exchange?!

[maltbarley]

Scott, let me know which bottle you put in the exchange.