Weasel Rodeo

BK1017 · Aug 27, 2012

jesterkingbeer said: ↑

There's no denying that we've struggles at times to achieve carbonation levels in our beers that are as consistent as we'd like, and we're certainly willing to accept fair and constructive criticism when it comes to this issue. At the same time, though, it's also important to understand that we're producing hand-crafted, naturally-conditioned beers, which we're currently bottling by hand, as well, and that beer that's made in this way is never going to have the same level of consistency as mass-produced,pasteurized, force-carbonated beer. This isn't to say that the beer shouldn't fall within certain parameters, which it should, but the fact that there is a certain degree of batch to batch and even bottle to bottle variation is not something that we would change.

Each batch of beer that we brew spends is bottle, keg, or cask-conditioned for at least 3-5 weeks in the case of our "clean" beers up to several months in the case of our sour, barrel-aged beers (and over a year for the recently released of Bonnie). We have no means of telling how every individual bottle from a given batch is going to pour, but, in addition to sending samples for full laboratory analysis, we pull cases at random throughout the course of conditioning to test the carbonation levels and to see how the beer is coming along. If we're not happy with how a batch is coming along, we won't release it until we are, and if that time never comes, then neither will the release.

Weasel Rodeo was a bit slow to carbonate, and there was a bit more bottle to bottle variation than we would have preferred, but in spite of the variation, we felt that all of the sample bottles that we pulled presented well when we made the decision to release it. Some may have been on the softer side of the the carbonation spectrum, and when poured very cold, may develop only a small collar of foam, but if any were truly "dead flat", meaning that there was no hiss when the bottle was opened, no dissolved CO2 detectible in the mouthfeel, and even agitating the beer failed to produce any foam, then this obviously isn't right, and in that instance, we'd ask that you contact us directly, so that we can replace the defective bottle.

If, on the other hand, there was perhaps some carbonation, but maybe not as much as you there should have been...well, that's a perfectly valid criticism and one that you're more than welcome to express in your reviews. For me, personally, carbonation tends to be somewhat secondary to the interplay of flavors and overall character of a given beer, and I'd much prefer a beer that's well formulated and executed but somewhat undercarbonated to one carbonated to factory specs, but lacking in other regards.

Regarding Bonnie the Rare, our goal in making this beer was to explore the traditional process that was once used to make this type of beer, and the flavor profile that can develop through extended bottle aging with lactobacillus. It's not the sourest Berliner Weisse on the market, nor is it intended to be. We also realize that its not necessarily going to be to everyone's taste, but it's something that we happen to love, and hope to keep brewing on a semi-regular basis.

Cheers,
Ron Extract
Jester King
Click to expand...

I listened to the most recent 'The Session' episode from the Brewing Network, on which they had Garrett Oliver from Brooklyn Brewery. They were talking about Local 2, which is also bottle conditioned (but with champagne yeast). Garrett was saying that to achieve uniformity with bottle conditioning, the brewery will filter the beer after it has finished fermenting out and then add the bottling yeast and priming sugar for bottle carbonation.

How do you guys at JK handle this process? Are you stopping the primary fermentation a few points higher than the desired gravity, then adding the farmhouse yeast/wild yeast to finish the job? Or are you adding priming sugar at bottling and letting the primary yeast (in solution) do it's thing? Any info would be appreciated.

Keep making great beer.
BK

j3oomerang · Aug 30, 2012

Bought some Weasel Rodeo today. It was flat. Flavors were there though. However, I feel it would have been amazing with proper carbonation.

Weasel Rodeo

BK1017 Initiate (0) Nov 9, 2009 Texas

j3oomerang Aspirant (236) Apr 26, 2012 Texas

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