Half Full Partially Empty

Nine bottles down with two remaining the mini-cellar smelled like beer. The night of my arrival disaster had struck in the most unusual way. The farmhouse ales I stored in wines bottles had lost their corks. Yet the bottles remained half full. Imagine a cork worming for freedom in the cobra position. I smiled surprised there was no broken glass. The lateral wine storage I'd designed worked —to some degree! The corks compressed against a notched cutout but I had not accounted for vertical bowing like a rainbow.

Sad I must discard precious craft, two were salvaged. Their corks partially dislodged. Their bottles partially empty. I poured a dry Farmhouse Saison whose head dispersed fast. The flavor was rustic I suspected cork-taint. I liked the dry essence of malt with Belgian yeast. The phenols had faded and the hops were low leaving a golden candied sweetness. The aroma was less than desired. Somewhere between rotten wood and smoke and cheese I drank with caution. The spill was proof things go wrong even for the well prepared.

Cold Beer Cellar

"Every purchase from Craigslist is a gamble" said the refrigeration technician during my visit. His words were scornful as if I should have visited his repair shop first. I was shopping for a cheap garage fridge while also seeking advice.

Leaving empty handed I resolved to continue searching online. The next find must be running and cooling on arrival was the lesson for the day. The freebie fridge I had picked up before was trash. It ran but would not cool. The refrigeration lines leaked freon; a costly repair.

My next CL sighting was promising and for $20 I had little to lose. When I arrived the owner assured me it worked when unplugged for their kitchen remodel. Pressed for time he offered a refund if the unit didn't freeze. I found everything worked as promised. The old rusting unit would finish life as a beer cellar.

I removed internals replaced the door shelving with covers of insulated sheathing. I installed an external temperature controller and a wooden pallet for beer. As the unit cooled the temperature would fluctuate. My guess is convection heat was causing the various readings. I wired the circulation fan to remain on. The trouble with temperature stabilized by adding a mass of plumbers putty around the probe. I closed the door switch with a screw then reinstalled the drain so condensation flowed out.

The beer cellar will house everything from homebrew to commercial. I would like to utilize the freezer for horizontal bottle storage but that's another project. I felt safer installing locking hinges to keep the doors closed.

Mini-Cellar

Long term beer placed in wine bottles are not intended for high pressure storage. The space under the sink has served as a test base for explosives. There is no spill prevention or evacuation plan. A flying cork is pressure relief and cause for hazard materials cleanup. I've lost three bottles to date two farmhouse ales and one cider. Since activity has subsided the firing squad has been laid to rest. I built a proper shelf for lateral storage. When the time comes for celebration each bottle will be mined with care. I know this is life on the edge but when disaster strikes you can be the first to comment. In the interim I have a growing collection of Champagne & Belgian bottles rated for 60 pounds per square inch or 4.5 atmospheres. They shall offer safe refuge for home brewed beer.

Corked Warriors

Bottling day is easier with wine bottles and corks. The day still begins with washing but it ends quickly requiring twenty bottles. The trouble I have is getting the corks to seal and stay. I primed as I would standard beer bottles and ended up with cork pushing out some bottles. I sanitized the corks by stem which has also presented a sealing problem. Apparently there are different camps of corkers some soak in a sulfate solution others boil or steam. I am switching to agglomerated corks and inserting them dry next. I trust they are sanitary. Paraffin waxed natural corks would be best.

As for the corked warriors from my first battle, they have been given the Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi treatment. Each bottle was ribboned, wired, and waxed. The soldiers are an army of elegance prepared by hand. The corks are secure. The ale is a wild rice honey brew I'll keep around long term.

Works Cited:
http://www.jingdaily.com/en/culture/chinas-terracotta-warriors-set-for-singapore-debut/

Bottle Conditioning

I’m still giddy about the portability of bottled homebrew. The real exercise is preparing the bottles: de-label, wash, rinse, and sanitize. When filling from kegs I adjust the pressure and filled with a party tap. Bottled conditioned beer gets additional priming sugar for natural carbonation and in some cases a small dose of yeast. This means stronger cleaner beer with less body.

My recently bottled Kolsch has taken new life. Bottled from the same batch; the beer is lighter and smother than its kegged twin. The bottle's advantage is also cleaner beer. The kegged beer has more fruity notes and is fuller in body with a tart finish. I like both!

Works Cited:
http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/beer/whats-the-deal-with-bottleconditioned-beers-beer-sessions-111288

Beer Bottle Bomb

Under the bathroom sink are a couple of bottles of homebrew I've set aside for aging. The flip top bottles where dusted with sugar and filled with beer. The beer is 7.5% ABV and soon be drinkable after 6-months to a year. Assuming they remain bacteria free I should be enjoying some tasty farmhouse ale in October!

Error #1: "dusted with sugar"
Adding priming sugar to previously carbonated beer will crate a bottle bomb. The yeast in suspension will carbonate the beer even more increasing the pressure and ABV.

Error #2: "flip top bottles"
Flip top bottles are not a bad choice for beer storage if the glass can handle the pressure. Also you want light resistant brown or green bottles.

Error #3: "Under the bathroom sink"
The bottles should be stored in a water tight plastic bin not hidden with additional rolls of toilet paper.

I shall be wiser next time I'm bottling beer for storage. At the time I was reading about priming sugars. Since I am keging the bottles are for storage should be prepared first.

This means if I want aged beer I should leave it in the keg.