what causes the ring in the bottle?

[Old Gil]

I've noticed on a few bottles in a couple of batches that have got a ring around the inside of the bottle at the top of the beer, any idea what does this? The beer still taste fine but i read somewhere that it should be drunk quickly, some of these beers have been stored for about 3 months but as i said, still tastes fine. I'm just curious as to what makes it happen.

Cheers Fellas

[KEG]

can be a couple different things - yeast scum etc, as you may get a tiny little mini krausen when you use priming sugar, but the first thing springing to mind is an acetobacter infection. look at the bottles in a bright light.. is there also a skin across the top of the beer?

acetobacter will convert alcohol into acetic acid - i.e vinegar.

[Old Gil]

I haven't noticed a skin but i'll have a close look thisarvo, i know there wasn't one in the fermenter, if it is acetobacter shouldn't all the bottles have it or is this critter very picky and only chooses some bottles?

Cheers

[Kevnlis]

Unless the infection was in the bottle itself. Could have been you had an infected batch and not properly washed the bottles out? Or maybe you did not sanatise them well enough and it was reinfected? Or perhaps like KEG said it is just a mini-krausen ring, though that is less likely IMHO.

[Old Gil]

Even though it is less likley, i'm thinking it may be a mini-krausen because the beer doesn't taste like vinegar, as i said some of the bottles are 3 months aged, i'm thinking surely it would taste a little like vinegar by now if it were acetobacter

[Ed]

I used to get a few like that and they ended up with no body after a short period. Mine was definitely infections in some bottles only. Never tasted like vinegar, but terribly thin and foamy after a while.

Cheers, Ed

[rwh]

Caused by improper bottle cleaning. All it takes is a sticky little bit of grime that you don't notice and you'll have a gusher; I still get the odd one from time to time. If it tastes nice, drink it, otherwise toss it!

[Old Gil]

I used to get a few like that and they ended up with no body after a short period. Mine was definitely infections in some bottles only. Never tasted like vinegar, but terribly thin and foamy after a while.

Cheers, Ed

Come to think of it one i drank last night had a massive head, looks like i'll be scrubbing the hell out of my bottle this weekend, all 500 of them

[Kevnlis]

Acetobacter needs air to convert alcohol to acetic acid (vinegar).

I have found with real bad infections I can detect a very slight green olive flavour. But mostly the damage will be minimal (because of the low levels of air in the wort/beer) and is completely harmless.

Flemish Sour Ales are purposely infected and it really does add a nice bit of sourness, nothing like a vinegar taste really.

[Old Gil]

Cheers guys, i'll just drink em' if they don't taste off, i'm still spewin' i'm gonna have to scrub my bottles. Damn infections Although 2 out of 86 is pretty good i think

[Kevnlis]

Just scrub the bottles with rings, and spot check the rest out in the sun.

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Periodically, I soak bottles in a solution of caustic or something like it for a couple of days. If you're a bacterium and can survive that, you're welcome to all the beer you can chew through.

[pacman]

Seem to recall seeing on this forum a year or two back that bottle priming with dry malt can have this effect. I primed like this a couple of times but never noticed any rings in the bottle necks.

[Trough Lolly]

My money's on acetobacter.....sorry.

Cheers,
TL

[Chris]

I used to get it when I primed with malt. Not every single bottle, but enough of them.

Just remember: It is better to have a ring in the bottle than a bottle in the ring.

I think that was Confucius.

[Trough Lolly]

Just remember: It is better to have a ring in the bottle than a bottle in the ring.

....interesting! An aussie variant on the tequila worm!!
Cheers,
TL

[Old Gil]

Just remember: It is better to have a ring in the bottle than a bottle in the ring.

I think that was Confucius.

Ouch , although I've seen worse on dvd's
back on topic, I don't prime with malt so I'm leaning towards acetobacter, I'm not too worried with this ATM because it still tastes good so I'm gonna down em' tonight (what's left). Drink up fella's it's Friday

[Tipsy]

I used to get it when I primed with malt. Not every single bottle, but enough of them.

Just remember: It is better to have a ring in the bottle than a bottle in the ring.

I think that was Confucius.

Confucius also said

"man with hand in pocket feel cocky all day"

Sorry Greg,
I know there is another thread for crappy jokes