What Is ..second Fermentation In The Bottle?

[Liam_snorkel]

Why do Coopers ales have Best After dates instead of Best Before dates?

Under Australias food laws, any product that lasts more than two years in the bottle does not require a best before date. The best after date was introduced to ensure that the minimum two weeks required for secondary fermentation has expired before the bottles are distributed for sale.

 

[tallie]

- they either want to keep their proprietary yeast to themselves (ie so we can reculture it)

In case there's any confusion, I'm sure citymorgue2 meant to say

- they either want to keep their proprietary yeast to themselves (ie so we can not reculture it)

Cheers,
tallie

 

[brettprevans]

In case there's any confusion, I'm sure citymorgue2 meant to say


Cheers,
tallie

yup. got it in one. thx

 

[Wortgames]

Anyway back to the question..how can force priming bypass the maturation process that is required when we pime with sugar?

The 'maturation' process that you are talking about is actually two separate processes:

1. A second entire fermentation - with new sugars, and a whole new yeast lifecycle;

2. A scrubbing process, where the yeast metabolise many of the nasty flavour and aroma compounds these new fermentation processes generate, which this time are trapped in the bottle.

If you force carbonate, you can skip this 'maturation' process because the beer actually tastes pretty good after its primary fermentation. Most of the nasties that were produced in primary either escaped through the airlock or were scrubbed out during settling. All you are adding is clean fizz, not a whole new fermentation process to achieve it.

 

[Truman42]

The 'maturation' process that you are talking about is actually two separate processes:

1. A second entire fermentation - with new sugars, and a whole new yeast lifecycle;

2. A scrubbing process, where the yeast metabolise many of the nasty flavour and aroma compounds these new fermentation processes generate, which this time are trapped in the bottle.

If you force carbonate, you can skip this 'maturation' process because the beer actually tastes pretty good after its primary fermentation. Most of the nasties that were produced in primary either escaped through the airlock or were scrubbed out during settling. All you are adding is clean fizz, not a whole new fermentation process to achieve it.

Thanks for that explanation, it makes a lot of sense. If you dont bottle condition your not adding a new fermentation process which will introduce nasty flavours that need to be removed in the scrubbing process.

 

[Wortgames]

Thanks for that explanation, it makes a lot of sense. If you dont bottle condition your not adding a new fermentation process which will introduce nasty flavours that need to be removed in the scrubbing process.

Exactly. It's scary how quickly you can be drinking your brew when you force carbonate it - easily within a few days of brewday if you're keen. Obviously it benefits from further conditioning, but it can do this in the keg while you're drinking it.

Beer that's been bottled with yeast will normally have a longer shelf life, at least for your average home brewer. After they've cleaned up the beer they kind of stand guard, scrubbing oxygen and making life hard for other organisms that try to gain a foothold. Filtered or pasteurised beer doesn't have this protection so it relies entirely on the sterility of the beer and the impenetrability of the bottle.