Fermenter / Batch Fermentation

Question: What is a "live" beer? i.e. fermentation in the bottle?

(Posted by: Not the Fallen on 2009-03-29 17:33:33)

I'm going to a Beer Festival next weekend and one of the Brewers that is going to be there says their beers are "Live ". How does that affect the taste? Should I expect more carbonation and 'bubbleosity' in their brew? I've had wheat ales before (thanks for the tips) so I guess I should've mentioned that I'm familiar with "swirling " the bottle before the pour. So I guess Wheat Ales & lagers are considered live beer? Interesting.

Posted by: Wtfcats on 2009-03-29, 17:57:48

I would expect it to be cloudy and have sedimentation. It has been some time since i had one of those myself, so i cannot really remember the taste... it was not displeaseant though. One i had was not any more or less carbonated than any other beer, in fact to try one go buy some Hoegaarden... pour half into your glass, swirl half from your bottle and pour the remainder into the glass... the sediment wont hurt you if you drink it.

Posted by: MasterPython on 2009-03-29, 18:22:46

It means that the carbonation comes from yeast rather than compressed gas. It can be in a bottle or keg. If you pour them right they won't be cloudy. A lot of them have a kinda spicy taste that filtered artificial carbonated beers don't have.

Posted by: Gabrio on 2009-03-29, 18:59:30

The grains are now washed in a process known as "sparging ". This washing allows the brewer to gather as much of the fermentable liquid from the grains as possible. The process of filtering the spent grain from the wort and sparge water is called wort separation. The traditional process for wort separation is lautering, in which the grain bed itself serves as the filter medium. Some modern breweries prefer the use of filter frames which allow a more finely ground grist.[23] Most modern breweries use a continuous sparge, collecting the original wort and the sparge water together. However, it is possible to collect a second or even third wash with the not quite spent grains as separate batches. Each run would produce a weaker wort and thus a weaker beer. This process is known as second (and third) runnings. Brewing with several runnings is called parti gyle brewing.[24]

Posted by: Inveigler on 2009-03-29, 21:17:56

Master Py has the correct answer here. "Live " beer just means that it is naturally carbonated rather than artificially. Yeast, turns wort (the sweet fluid that develops from converting malt starches into sugars) into alcohol. During this process, CO2 is developed as an off-shoot. After the conversion from sugar to alcohol has completed, there are two primary ways to introduce carbonation into the lager or ale game: 1. Force carbonate: Any liquid (beer, wine, soda, etc.) can be carbonated by putting it under pressure ... normally CO2. Big breweries, like Anheiser-Busch, filter their beers after fermentation and then force carbonate prior to packaging (kegging, bottling, canning.) The filtering process removes the yeast (the "live " part of the beer - after all it is a microorganism.) 2. Naturally carbonate: In this process, the brewer takes advantage of the yeast and introduces additional sugar prior to packaging. For instance, once in the bottle the yeast eat the new sugar and produce additional carbonation. Many consumers, especially in Britain, consider a filtered, force-carbonated beer to be dead. Because there is no longer any organic processes occurring in this beer. Naturally carbonated beer, on the other hand, contain live yeast (or at least dormant depending on how long since the sugar was added) that can live for years. Many people contend that naturally carbonated beer provides superior flavor. Additionally, it can change over time as the yeast evolve in the bottle. As a previous poster noted, "live beer " generally is cloudier than force carbonate beer -- primarily because it has not been filtered. Additionally, you would expect more sediment in a bottle of naturally carbonated beer. As a homebrewer, I would say that I have produced beers both ways. And, I don't really see natural carbonation as a huge flavor advantage. I have actually split batches where I force carbonated 1/ 2 and naturally carbonated the other. There is a difference of flavor, but I don't find one preferable to the other. That said, there are many diehards who feel that live beer is significantly better than "dead ". I met a guy in London who could (and I verified this) tell the difference between the two. Either way, your beer festival should be a blast! Have fun!

Posted by: oikos on 2009-03-30, 10:33:27

Unless you are drinking a wheat beer, do not drink from the bottle and do not pour out the last ounce of beer. It won't hurt you if you do but the sludge is unsightly. If it is a wheat beer, roll the bottle to suspend the yeast cells before opening it. Do not shake the bottle. There should be no difference in carbonation, if everything has been done properly. Enjoy yourself.