Wax Seals: Why?

I hate them more than I can put into words!!! Especially the damn Terrapin special releases

 

Maybe I'm just not as seasoned but opening a wax seal is a nightmare

 

You folks are looking at this all wrong. The wax is a feature. You light it on fire, and the heat blows the cap off. And maybe the neck.

 

Why is it a nightmare? Take about any metal opener and use that buff physique to push it through the wax and open as usual.

 

To be redundant with everyone else - It obviously works as an aid for both product differentiation and alliance... and primarily functions as a signal to the consumer, boosting perceived value...(just like a 16oz can with a sticker or shrink sleeve label)
BUT - many people here seem to be responding as if all crowns prevent oxygen ingress. They do not.

 

Others have said this - but its definitely an attempt to "up-charge".

Same thing applies to corked & caged bottles.

Fuckin' breweries and their lame attempts to make more money...

 

I don't like to fart around with wax, but I don't think you can deny that it creates a better seal vs just a normal crimped cap. Better for shipping as well, they damn well won't leak, but why we bitch about them is why they do what they're intended to do. It keeps thecap on, the oxygen out

 

In the article below, the author looked for any proof that it seals, and he couldn't find any. Wax is malleable and soft, and I suspect it wouldn't withstand the pressure of carbonation, if the cap ever allowed the carbonation pressure or contents to reach the wax, which sounds unlikely. Some folks are quick to recall that wax was used for canning, but it never had to maintain pressure.

http://draftmag.com/wax-beer-seal-caps/

 

I've said this before, but here it is again. Y'all must be getting bottles with just a thin layer of wax if ya can just push an opener through. A lot of the bottles we seem to get have wax so thick that there are times when you can't even see the where the cap is.

 

Notice that the author clams no one has written scientifically about whether about whether wax seals prevent oxygen from leaking through caps and corks.

He’s wrong.

It has been, and shown that a proper wax seal prevents oxygen ingress.

 

I've had a number of waxed beers from a number of brewers, and have not had any issues. That said, they've all been opened with the specific opener I posted a picture of. I can't imagine it's that unique in getting through the wax though. Metal vs. wax, I'll bet on metal every time.

 

fuck that, if i can't open it within 5 seconds i'm not interested.

Julian can use his muscles to open the wax tops for me

 

It's a "wine" thing that made it to the beer scene...suffice it to say...it "looks" cool.

 

Yes it does and I'm surprised any knowledgeable author would raise the question. The technology has been around for thousands of years since the ancients figured out sealing Amphora with wax preserved the wine. An added bonus was an impressionable surface upon which to mark providence along with early marketing phrases such as "genuine Falnerian Wine for Real Romans".

 

They're a pain in the ass to open, but usually wax sealed beers are usually pretty good from my experience. I'm sure they're being waxed sealed to sell for more, but a brewer isn't going to wax seal something less than excellent in my opinion. Probably not necessary for any technical reasons though.

 

Harry Truman is reported to have said, “The only thing that’s new is the history you haven’t read yet.”

I’d say the real issue with waxing bottles these days is whether that old preservative technology still serves a useful purpose when combined with other, more modern but also imperfect, technologies designed to replace it.

Sometimes it does.

 

My dad waxes his collection of special Jack Daniels bottles, waxing it pretty much prevents the Angles from taking their share. They've been like that for 40 years.

 

Unless the beer is bottle conditioned and/or shipped a fair distance, then it becomes a potential safety issue for the customer.

Bottle conditioning isn't an exact science. Also a bottle can be exposed to warmth and/or agitation during shipping/handling.

Both of these can result in an increase in CO2 pressure in the bottle's head space. That pressure can get high enough to blow a crimped crown right off the bottle.

Even with a cork and cage there's a bit of a safety issue for the customer. If the internal pressure is enough when the cork is being removed, the cork can suddenly pop/fly out at high speed. There are folks who have lost an eye to a flying cork.

 

Hmmm, had an error message so thought this didn’t get here.

 

All this scientific rot... these bottles are coming from some brewers who can't even afford (or don't see the need for) a decent QC lab. It's all marketing for beer.