Issues with aged beer

[matt5]

Back in July of 2012, I made a batch of NB’s Oud Bruin de Table (http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/oud- … n-kit.html)

It has aged undisturbed since, and I was thinking that now might be a good time to bottle, etc.

However, when I went to look at the carboy, there’s a nice 2 inches of some sort of sludge on the top of the beer. I’ve never worked with an aged beer, and was wondering if this means it’s so shot that a taste test to figure out if it’s shot is not advisable.

I’ve never really worked on any sort of aged beer before, and I’m kinda bummed that after nearly 2 years I might lose the batch. I really appreciate any advice.

[pietro]

Can u post a pic? Sounds like a pellicle, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing for an OB…

[belpaire]

The Roeselare blend contains bugs that can produce some funky pellicles. Do a google search on beer pellicle and see if any look like what you have.

Keep in mind that a fermented beer will not have any pathogens in it, so tasting won’t hurt you.

[dmtaylo2]

If it tastes good, drink it. I have beers that have been in my cellar for 4 years. Do they taste good? Well, taste is subjective. If they were really great, I might have drunk them all by now. If they were really bad, I probably would have dumped them all by now. I think they’re still good. I keep them around for education, to see how they evolve over time. Every beer has its peak. But for some beers that need age, you’ll never know when that perfect moment is if you always drink it all up in the first 6 months. Taste it. It’s probably good. Maybe not, but you won’t know until you taste it.

[matt5]

Yes, it looks like a pellicle – thanks for all the replies! I’ll get to bottling (and tasting!) this weekend.