6 Beer Off-Flavors and How To Fix Them

Part of becoming a brewmaster is developing the ability to identify and address flavors and aromas that are not intended to be in your beer. We typically call these “off-flavors.”

From the infamous skunky smell to hints of canned vegetables, Drew Beechum (Simple Brewing, Experimental Brewing) walks us through 6 of the most common beer off-flavors.

And remember! You can always turn a less-than-drinkable beer into malt vinegar or use it as paint

Common Beer Off-Flavors

oxidation - Beer Off-Flavors — **Oxidation**
*wet cardboard, sherry, musty*

skunk - Beer Off-Flavors — **Lightstruck**
*skunk spray, sulfur*

DMS - Beer Off-Flavors — **Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS)**
*creamed corn, cooked vegetables*

diacetyl - Beer Off-Flavors — **Diacetyl**
*buttered popcorn, butterscotch*

acetaldehyde - Beer Off-Flavors — **Acetaldehyde**
*green apple, fruity, solvent*

chlorophenol - Beer Off-Flavors — **Chlorophenol**
*Band-Aid, mouthwash, medicinal*

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Common Beer Off-Flavors

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