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Packaging

6,245 bytes removed, 21:07, 20 October 2016
Moved corking to its own page
'''Packaging''' is the transfer of your mixed fermentation/sour/funky beer from a fermentation or aging vessel into the the final package (e.g. a bottle or a keg). This page will discuss various things one should consider such as when to package, how to package and what final package to put the beer into. For information on packaging with corks and in large format bottles, see the [[Corking]] page. See [[Aging and Storage]] for storage information.
==When to package==
(in progress)
Many sour/funky/mixed fermentation beers are highly carbonated. It is recommended to package highly carbonated beers in bottles of thicker glass which can better withstand higher pressure (e.g. many Belgian and German bottles, corkable Champagne-type or 'fat-lipped' Belgian-type bottles, etc.). This is especially true if you feel the beer may continue to carbonate in the bottle from residual carbohydrates beyond the priming sugar you added. Be careful when carbonating your beer to high volumes to ensure that your chosen package can handle this pressure.
 
For information about corking, see the [[Corking]] page.
* '''Crown caps (26 mm)''' - A variety of thicker glass/high-pressure bottles are available in the standard 26 mm cap size. No special equipment, beyond a normal capper, is necessary to fill bottles of this type. It may be necessary to swap the metal plates on cappers such as the Emily capper to accomodate the wider neck on some bottles taking a 26 mm cap (such as champagne-style bottles with 26 mm caps (e.g. Logsdon, Goose Island, some Upright) and the [http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/375-ml-belgian-style-beer-bottles-crown-finish 375 mL crown finish bottles] modeled after the 'Vinnie' 375 mL bottles).
* '''Crown caps (29 mm)''' - For capping bottles with 29 mm openings (such as Champagne-style bottles and 375 mL half-Champagne bottles), you will need to source a 29 mm bell and 29 mm caps, which are non-standard. Many 29 mm bottles are both capable and corkable. For cork and capping, see below.
* '''Swing tops''' - Many swing tops are thicker glass and are therefore well suited for higher carbonation beers. Swing tops also allow for easy venting of carbonation if the beer carbonates more than desired/anticipated. Due to the soft gasket (and possibly plastic top piece holding the gasket for some bottles), the same concerns regarding cleaning difficulty and cross-contamination apply to swing tops as to other plastic parts used after the hot side when brewing both normal and 'funky' beers. If you don't want your normal beers exposed to the micro-organisms in your funky beers, we recommend not using the same swing tops for bottling both types of beer, jusrt as we recommend keeping seperate sets of plastic equipment used for fermentation and transfer of fermented beer when brewing both clean and 'funky' beers. Some express concern about long term aging in swing tops and the possibility of swing tops not being as impermeable a barrier to O2. If you are concerned about this they it may be better to not use swing tops for long aged beer. At this time we are unaware of any comparisons of swing tops and other closure mechanisms regarding their susceptibility to O2 transfer during extended aging to give a firm answer as to whether swing tops allow more O2 ingress than other closures or not .
* '''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. Some corkers may leave a crease or indentation in the cork from the compression mechanism. This is generally not a problem but it if severe enough it may result in leaking of gas or liquid <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1441897779171765/ Mitch E's MTF post]</ref>
* '''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 [[Packaging#Re-yeasting|Re-yeasting]] section above), use 10% of the yeast you would normally use to for a primary fermentation. For example, use around 2 grams of dried champagne yeast re-hydrated to naturally carbonate 5 gallons of beer <ref name="priming_calc"></ref>. 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''' - Deciding between corks and caps will depend on the specific beer and the brewer's goals with the beer. Caps are a cheaper closure and are also easier to apply. Aside from aesthetics, you may choose corks when intending to age or store beers lying down in order to keep the beer from interacting with the cap. Some producers have observed that crown caps contribute to an off-flavor in their beer, especially if the beer is acidic. Pierre Tilquin closes some bottles of every blend with crown caps in order to test carbonation levels. He has noticed that the crown capped bottles have an off flavor not present in the corked bottles <ref>Conversation between Pierre Tilquin and Dave Janssen, 24-Oct-2015</ref>. Other producers regularly package their acidic beer with crown caps (e.g. the Rare Barrel, Boon Geuze in 25 cl bottles) and have not mentioned a problem with doing so.
* '''Large format bottles''' - To cork large format bottles (1.5 L and up) without specialized equipment for large format corking, you will have to modify a corking process and/or possibly create some new equipment. For 1.5 L (magnum) bottles, standard floor corkers leave slightly too little room between the pedestal and the cork compressing section such that magnum bottles will not fit with the corker unless it is modified. Shortening the spring or finding an alternate shorter spring will provide enough clearance to cork magnum bottles with standard floor corkers<ref name='MTF Large Format Corker 2'>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1364964486865095 MTF discussion on corking large format bottles 2]</ref>. Other methods which MTFers have used include compressing the corks in a corker and then ejecting it and quickly inserting the cork into the bottle by hand <ref name='MTF Large Format Corking'>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1207333129294899/ MTF Discussion on corking large format bottles]</ref> as well as hammering the cork in with a machined piece of wood and then mushrooming with a drill press<ref name='MTF Large Format Corking'/>. Hand corkers may also work but with them it is difficult to control cork depth. Vinnie from Russian River reports mushrooming the corks with 2x4 and his body weight<ref>[http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/post1835/ Vinnie Cilurzo on the Brewing Network 15-Jan-2006]</ref> (1:22:30 in). 75 cl and 150 cl bottle have the same size opening and 3-9 l bottles have a larger, but consistent, opening. Some MTFers have used normal beer corks in large format bottles while others recommend sourcing larger corks<ref name='MTF Large Format Corking'/>.
==Equipment==
* [http://www.gwkent.com/6-spout-gravity-filling-machine.html GW Kent 6 head filler (non-carbonated).]
* [http://www.gwkent.com/4-spout-sparkling-filling-machine.html 4 Spout Sparkling Machine (can bottle uncarbed or carbed liquid)] <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1324183294276548/?comment_id=1414105878617622&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22%7D Conversation with Chris Anderson on MTF. 9/22/2016.]</ref>.
 
===Cork and Cage===
* [[Floor Corker]]
* [http://www.thevintnervault.com/product/4117/Champagne-Corker-Rapid-49.html Champagne Corker Rapid 49 for small commercial producers]. The bottle seats would have to be changed out though ([https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1324183294276548/?comment_id=1324294004265477&reply_comment_id=1413971871964356&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D see Jeff Porn's comments here on MTF]).
==Mobile Canners==
* [[Tetrahydropyridine]]
* [[Floor Corker]]
* [[Corking]]
* [[Mixed Fermentation]]
* [[Funky Mixed Fermentations]]
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1244463818915163/ MTF Thread on 4-6 spout gravity-fed bottling lines.]
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1368944336467110/ MTF Thread for advice on how commercial brewers use blending/bottling tanks.]
* [https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/wp-content/uploads/MJzym06_Champagne.pdf "Et Tu, Brut: Brewing the Champagne of Beers," by Drew Beechum.]
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1324183294276548/ MTF discussion on commercial bottle fillers.]
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