Mr. Wizard
Topic: Bottling
Scavenging Oxygen
Oxygen is a problem for beer at all stages of the process following the early stages of fermentation because many of the flavor-active compounds created by yeast are changed, i.e., chemically oxidized,
The Intricacies of Shelf Stability
Wow, this is quite the rabbit hole of a question. Let’s start out with why a fermented beverage, be it beer, wine, seltzer, cider, or some other tasty tipple, may be packaged
Bottle Bombs
Bottle bombs are really scary because glass shrapnel can cause severe injuries. The first question that always comes to my mind when hearing about this problem is “how old is your glass?”
Bottle-Condition Like A Champ
I am not sure how Affligem goes about bottling their beers, but your question generally applies to bottle-conditioned beers, especially those that have very little yeast sediment in the bottle. There are
Maximizing Honey Flavor and Aroma
Joe, thanks for the good two-part question about using brewing sugars like honey for special flavors and the question about how to bottle condition beers that may contain fermentable sugars. These are
Yeast Dosing Specifics
The basic method for this process uses a carboy and plastic bottling bucket, and begins with relatively clear beer. If you want maximal clarity, cold crashing definitely makes a big difference; this
Bottling Temperature
If this beer was properly fermented, it should have been completely fermented before you chilled it. The most reliable method to know whether a fermentation is done is to compare the specific
Bottle Bombs
This question has a rather short, but important answer. Most breweries in the United States use “one-way” glass bottles for packaging. These bottles are lighter in weight compared to returnable bottles and are not intended
Bottle Conditioning Lagers
Since you are new to brewing lagers, I would focus 100% of my attention to primary fermentation and how the yeast behaves when fermented at cooler temperatures. Ale brewers are accustomed to
Bottle Bombs
Bottle bombs are really scary because glass shrapnel can cause severe injuries. The first question that always comes to my mind when hearing about this problem is “how old is your glass?”
Oxygen Absorbing Caps
Earlier this year Ashton Lewis participated in an “Ask Mr. Wizard” Q&A on BYO’s Facebook page where questions flew in over a two-hour timeframe. He provided quick and concise answers to over
Bottle Conditioning Brett Beers
Brettanomyces yeast strains are so-called super attenuators because they secrete enzymes that break down carbohydrate dextrins that remain in wort following mashing. The products of these enzymatic reactions are fermentable. So in
