Fizzy, soda, pop, big bubbles, little bubbles. Even a little bit of sparkle can make a drink more exciting. Opening a 750ml bottle and seeing the bubbles rush to the neck of the bottle, fizzing with anticipation, pleased to see you.
Today we’re going to talk about how we make our beer sparkle!
I want to preface this by saying that: there are many methods to make a drink carbonated, and carbonation can be a contentious topic across all fermented drinks categories. The important thing to remember is that there is no right or wrong way, and different producers will use whatever method works best for them and their products.
At Wilderness, all of our beer is carbonated by conditioning in packaging– I wish there was a nicer catch-all term for that, but what I mean is…
All of our canned beers are conditioned in can
All of our bottled beers are conditioned in bottle
All of our kegged beers are conditioned in KeyKeg
All of our cask beer is… well I don’t need to explain that one
This means that there is live yeast in each individual container.
Why?
We do this for a variety of reasons. It is a tradition that we’d like to engage in and be a part of, but also it is low tech, which is perfect for a brewery of our size in both space, kit and team.
Lots of our beers rely on subtle flavours, and refermentation in packaging allows the various yeast strains we use to add some further flavour development. Plus it’s a naturally preservative process because the active yeast consumes oxygen in the packaging.
Method
Usually we achieve this by way of secondary fermentation, once the beer is ready to be packaged we will chill it down to allow the majority of yeast and hop material to settle to the bottom of the tank. We then measure how much residual sugar we have, and calculate how much more fermentation we expect to be possible.
We then prime the beer with enough extra sugar and yeast– usually champagne yeast due to it’s neutrality and the fact that it is highly active, to generate the desired carbonation level. Then it is bottled, canned or kegged.
Except…
Last year we brewed a petite saison called Love Me More, as part of the Independent Salford Beer Festival. This is a beer we really loved and decided that we’d like to do it again for this year.
Brewed with a malt base of heritage pilsner malt and wheat, and dry hopped with Nectaron and Nelson. However instead of the beer going through primary fermentation in tank, and secondary fermentation in can, we decided that we would package the beer just as it gets to the end of primary fermentation.
In other industries, this process can be described as Pétillant Naturel (colloquially known as pét nat) which translates to: naturally bubbling.
That’s why Love Me More 2023 is called a pét-nat grisette!
(A grisette is another name for petite saison. We felt it was easier to say than: pét-nat petite saison… there’s only so much time in the day)
This process captures the bubbles inside of the can, keeping the beer's natural sparkle. This was also a gamble because some pét nats can come out wildly fizzy, or they can have just the hint of sparkle. But we are able to calculate how much residual sugar there is left in the beer when we package it, and calculate how much fizz will be generated. Saisons are super dry beer styles, as the yeast strains we like to use, ferment essentially all of the available sugars, given enough time, which makes it a little easier to calculate.
Serving Our Beers
We suggest that as you get closer to the end of your beer to pour with caution, and maybe leave the last few centimetres in your can or bottle.
If you’re into that sort of thing you’re more than welcome to give your can or bottle a gentle turn before opening, allowing the yeast to fall back through the product.
If you’re serving one of our beers in a hospitality venue, make sure that your team is aware of how our beers are conditioned, and perhaps encourage them to let the customer know as they’re serving it. Make them aware of the yeast at the bottle of the container, and suggest the gentle turn if they’d like it to be a part of the drink. In my experience, I have found that customers tend to be less alarmed by yeast at the bottom of a bottle, but they are definitely not expecting it with a can.
If you have any more detailed questions about our production methods, feel free to get in touch with James at hello@wildernessbrew.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help!