DMS: A Corny Culprit
Who here likes creamed corn? It's ok, go ahead and raise your hands, I just want a general count...
Now, who here likes the smell of creamed corn in their BEER?
Less hands, I see.
Chances are that if you get a beer that smells strongly of creamed corn, it wasn't intentional. Dimethyl Sulfide, (DMS) is the corny culprit and it's only generally acceptable in very tiny amounts. Anything beyond that is marked as a flaw; another off flavor to add to your list.
DMS naturally occurs in the brewing process and can be harder to circumvent in styles that use a lot of Pilsner malt. The good news is that it's pretty easy to keep it at bay: boil your wort vigorously and without a lid, then cool it fast and subject it to a healthy fermentation.
If you're particularly sensitive to DMS, you may get a slight whiff of it from our Traction Control cream ale but it's well within the acceptable threshold for the style. Check out this page of the BJCP 2015 Style Guidelines for more info.
Again, if you're interested in joining us for a class where we doctor samples of something like Bud Light with well-known off flavors, send us an email to whitewall@whitewallbrewing.com. It'll be FUN!
This post is a follow up to our post on the off flavors. Click here to check it out.