13,691
edits
Changes
added "Keggin" info
* '''Cork and cage''' - Corking and caging can be used for both champagne-type bottles and the brown glass 'fat-lipped' Belgian bottles, both of which are generally thicker glass and rated for higher CO2 pressure. Generally corking and caging is used for bottles with 29 mm openings, though some have cork and cage finished bottles with 26 mm openings. Make sure your bottle can take corks before using it. Corking and caging does require some more special equipment. Most wine corkers are designed to push the cork all the way into the bottle, which is not what you want. Brewers will at least want a [[Floor Corker|floor corker]] for standard wine bottling, which can be modified to control the cork depth. Bench corkers such as the Colonna capper/corker work as well. Champagne floor corkers are available and make this easier, though they are more expensive. It is difficult to control the exact depth of the cork with a two arm corker, and we do not recommend this for corking and caging. The following gives a step by step process for corking and caging with a non-champagne floor corker. For a more detailed description with pictures, see [http://horscategoriebrewing.blogspot.com/2013/11/corking-your-homebrew.html Dave Janssen's blog post about corking]. The more common floor corkers work by both compressing the cork and pushing it into the bottle with the movement of the arm. In order to leave the cork partly exposed, and to control the exposed cork level, place a standard carboy bung on the rod which pushes the cork. This positioning can be adjusted as needed. Push the cork into the bottle until you reach the bung, then bring the arm all the way up. Remove the bung and lower the spring-loaded pedestal holding the bottle. Then, while holding the bottle with one hand, lower the corking arm completely and bring the bottle down, letting the cork be pushed fully out of the compression section of the corker. Play around with cork depth to find the right amount for you for ease of removal based on your corks, bottles and carbonation levels. The amount of cork sticking out should be more than how it appears when it is caged, as the cork is vertically compressed or 'mushroomed' during the caging process. This mushrooming can be accomplished by hand, though be aware that flaws in the bottle may cause the neck to break, which would be a very dangerous situation if you are applying the downward force by your hand. It can more easily and safely be applied with a bench capper. Put the cage on the cork and compress both with a bench capper. Hold the bench capper arm in place with your shoulder/armpit, leaving both hands free to orient and twist the cage. Special cage twisting tools are available, though sharpies or some interchangeable screwdrivers are about the right size. You could also use twist lock pliers if you have them around.
* '''Cork and cap''' - Corking for cork and cap closures can also be used on champagne-style bottles, which are a good source of high-pressure bottles for brewers. Corking and capping is much more straightforward as the cork is pushed entirely into the bottle. Generally cork and cap closures are used on bottles with 29 mm openings, though some have done this with 26 mm bottles. Make sure your bottle can handle corks before using them for a cork and cap finish. Although the cork depth is not as important as in corking and caging, the cork still must be far enough into the bottle to not interfere with the cap. Bench corkers are recommended for corking and capping as they allow better control of cork depth than two arm corkers and bench corkers allow the cork to be easily depressed further if it is not far enough into the bottle. For 29 mm bottles, you will also need a 29 mm bell and 29 mm caps for capping.
* '''Kegging''' -Kegging offers the benefit of being able to force carbonate or naturally carbonate with adding priming sugar and (optionally) re-yeasting. If force carbonating, follow the same procedures that you would for any other beer. Consider the [https://www.reddit.com/r/Homebrewing/comments/hfzuh/how_to_properly_carbonate_your_homebrew_in_kegs/ "set and forget"] method of force carbonating, which requires 1-3 weeks. This will allow the beer to settle while also dialing in the carbonation level. Priming in the keg often produces great results with sour beers. Generally, use 1/2 of the priming sugar that you would normally use, or excessive foaming can occur <ref>[https://byo.com/hops/item/954-keg-your-beers Don Million. Keg Your Beers! Brew Your Own Magazine. 2003.]</ref>. If re-yeasting, which is generally recommended (see the "Re-yeasting" section above), use 10% of the yeast you would normally use to for a primary fermentation. For example, use around 3 grams of dried champagne yeast re-hydrated to naturally carbonate 5 gallons of beer. Priming in the keg will result in a little more sediment at the bottom of the keg, but this will be pulled out on the first pour from the keg. Allow at least three weeks of conditioning at room temperature, and then a week at refrigeration temperatures before serving. If the keg is not re-yeasted, it might take considerably longer than three weeks to carbonate the beer depending on the vitality of the yeast in the beer. The brewer should consider keeping plastic kegging equipment such as serving lines and taps separate from kegs that serve clean beers.
* '''Green glass v Brown glass''' - Some bottle types, especially champagne style bottles, may be more available in green glass compared to brown glass. Green glass does a worse job shielding the beer from UV spectrum light, which can interact with hop compounds to produce 'skunky' or lightstruck flavors and aromas. Many classic Belgian mixed fermentation beers are found in green glass, and some producers in North America seek out green glass over brown glass for their beers<ref>[http://jesterkingbrewery.com/jester-king-in-green-bottles Jester King blog post about green bottles]</ref><ref>[http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/the-sour-hour-episode-15/ Jester King on the Sour Hour, pt 2]</ref> (~11 minutes in) (also, Bob Sylvester).
* '''Crown caps v corks''' -