Writer: Will Lovell
There’s proof to recommend that beer was initially saved in ceramic vessels, although as brewing data progressed, wooden grew to become the fabric of alternative, adopted by glass, aluminum, and chrome steel. Whereas polyethylene terephthalate (PET) was patented in 1973, it appears brewers have solely not too long ago begun to view this sturdy plastic as a viable choice for beer storage.
One legitimate concern brewers have in terms of storing beer has to do with oxygen ingress, which might result in speedy staling, therefore the overwhelming desire for chrome steel kegs. Whereas normal PET isn’t as impermeable as metal, when handled is for certain methods, it’s a relatively efficient oxygen barrier that’s able to holding sufficient strain to keep up a beer’s carbonation. A comparatively new product by Kegland, the Oxebar Mono Keg, presents brewers an reasonably priced PET storage resolution that’s mentioned to have “excessive oxygen barrier properties with 3x higher gasoline transmission than conventional PET.”
I’ve traditionally opted to bundle my beer in glass bottles or chrome steel kegs, each of which have confirmed efficient at protecting oxygen and beer spoilage microbes out, and I tended to keep away from any kind of plastic vessel. Nevertheless, with the current recognition of Oxebar Mono Kegs, I did some analysis and was curious sufficient concerning the claims of decreased impermeability to select a number of up. Whereas my expertise with these kegs has been fairly optimistic, I used to be to see how they examine to plain stainless kegs and designed an xBmt to check it out.
| PURPOSE |
To judge the variations between a pale lager saved in a PET keg and one saved in a chrome steel keg.
| METHODS |
Easy sufficient to disclose any flaws, I went with a pale lager recipe for this xBmt.
Duplicitous
Recipe Particulars
| Batch Measurement | Boil Time | IBU | SRM | Est. OG | Est. FG | ABV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5 gal | 60 min | 19.9 | 3.4 SRM | 1.047 | 1.006 | 5.38 % |
| Actuals | 1.047 | 1.006 | 5.38 % | |||
Fermentables
| Title | Quantity | % |
|---|---|---|
| Llano Pilsner | 10.75 lbs | 100 |
Hops
| Title | Quantity | Time | Use | Kind | Alpha % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amarillo | 11 g | 60 min | Boil | Pellet | 7.8 |
| Amarillo | 10 g | 30 min | Boil | Pellet | 7.8 |
| Amarillo | 10 g | 5 min | Boil | Pellet | 7.8 |
Yeast
| Title | Lab | Attenuation | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| World (L13) | Imperial Yeast | 77% | 32°F – 32°F |
Notes
| Water Profile Ca 53 | Mg 0| Na 0 | SO4 58 | Cl 50 |
The night time previous to brewing, I collected the complete quantity of RO water, adjusted it to my desired profile, then weighed out and milled TexMalt Llano Pilsner malt.
The next day, I heated the water earlier than incorporating the grains and checking to make sure the mash was at my desired temperature.
In the course of the mash relaxation, I ready the kettle hop additions.
When the 60 minute mash was full, I eliminated the grains, sparged to gather the correct pre-boil quantity, then proceeded to boil for 60 minutes, including hops on the instances acknowledged within the recipe.
When the boil was full, I rapidly chilled the wort then transferred it to a sanitized Kegmenter.
A refractometer studying confirmed the wort was at my goal OG.
11.6 ˚Bx = 1.047 OG
After transferring the wort to a sanitized fermented, I direct pitched a single pouch of Imperial Yeast L13 World.
The beer was left to ferment at 64°F/17°C for every week earlier than I took a hydrometer measurement confirming FG was reached.
1.006 FG
With fermentation full, I cold-crashed the beer then pressure-transferred it to a CO2 purged chrome steel keg that was positioned in my kegerator and burst carbonated in a single day earlier than the gasoline was diminished to serving strain. As soon as the beer was carbonated, I transferred roughly half of it to a CO2 purged Oxebar Mono Keg, which was saved on gasoline subsequent to the stainless keg.
The beers have been left alone for 10 days earlier than they have been able to serve to tasters for analysis.
Left: PET keg | Proper: chrome steel keg
| RESULTS |
A complete of 28 individuals of various ranges of expertise participated on this xBmt. Every participant was served 2 samples of the beer saved in a PET keg and 1 pattern of the beer saved in a chrome steel keg in several coloured opaque cups then requested to establish the distinctive pattern. Whereas 15 tasters (p<0.05) would have needed to precisely establish the distinctive pattern so as to attain statistical significance, 11 did (p=0.31), indicating individuals on this xBmt have been unable to reliably distinguish a pale lager saved for 10 days in an Oxebar Mono Keg from one saved in an ordinary chrome steel keg.
My Impressions: Out of the 5 semi-blind triangle exams I tried, I accurately recognized the odd-beer-out simply as soon as. Regardless of the simplicity of those beers, they smelled and tasted similar to me, each that includes a delicate but current Amarillo hop character supported by scrumptious crackery malt.
| DISCUSSION |
Whereas plastic storage vessels have been quite common for non-alcoholic drinks, they’ve largely been averted within the beer trade on account of issues about points like oxygen permeability, amongst different issues. Nevertheless, extra sturdy PET choices have been proven to be relatively efficient limitations to oxygen, which has led to elevated use of this materials. The very fact tasters on this xBmt have been unable to reliably distinguish a pale lager saved for 10 days in an Oxebar Mono Keg from one saved in an ordinary chrome steel keg suggests any qualitative variations have been minimal sufficient as to be largely imperceptible.
The aim of this preliminary xBmt on PET kegs was to see what influence storage over a reasonably restricted period of time may need, and whereas the outcomes recommend it was minimal, there’s a risk prolonged lengths of time would result in bigger variations. Primarily based on these findings, it will appear the Oxebar Mono Kegs are efficient sufficient at blocking oxygen to permit for temporary storage of beer.
I’ve used these PET kegs a handful of instances previous to performing this xBmt and located them to be a really handy solution to take beer away from my house. These findings verify for me that utilizing them in such a way probably has minimal if any influence on beer high quality, making them an reasonably priced choice for beer storage and transport. Whereas I positively plan to repeat this xBmt with an extended storage period, I’ll relaxation a bit of simpler now when utilizing these PET kegs for taking beer on the highway.
You probably have any ideas about this xBmt, please don’t hesitate to share within the feedback part beneath!
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