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z987k

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Now I think this has got to be a load of crap but I read something today.

"exposing wine or liquor to strong magnetic fields accelerates the aging process."

Um how?


Reason I ran across it was because I'm getting a neodymium magnet for my motorcycle. Damn stoplights will not change around here.
 
an old barkeeper friend of min came back from the bartenders show in vegas with a high stregnth magnet stand for this process. it looked like a tripod that you'd set a glass of whiskey or wine in to instant age it. He had me blind test some whiskey and you really could tell the diffrence. It was quite suprising, i was a bit pesimistic going into it.
 
Going from memory

H2O forms weak hydrogen bonds with other water molecules that will break over time. H2O after breaking these bonds will form new bonds with tannins and whatnot, breaking them down into smaller units. The individual water molecules also create a more even diffusion throughout the beverage.

The magnetic fields seem to break and redistribute the bonds over a very short period of time, breaking down tannins and mixing the ethanol.

While the science of aging is widely debated about what is and is not a factor, this does seem to work. I don't know if I will ever use it on my beer/wine, but the application seems to have favor for wine-makers who want a quicker turn around from fermentation to sale.
 
Here's one of the original papers. A lot of interest in the area now because of the big push for biofuels. A number of other references are listed. This does not smell of snake oil. Bipophysics and Chemical Engineering departments from a major university.

http://www.ufpe.br/biofisica/bp034263j.pdf

Just as a personal IMHO, it's really a shame that we here in the US are having corn based biofuels literally shoved down our throats. The sugarcane based production in Brazil is vastly more efficient on an output per acreage basis. Also we (US) are penalizing imported ethanol fuel with large import duties. Here, as acreage is switched to fuel corn, it's just driving up food and brewing malt prices!
 
I recall a similar discussion starting earlier on HBT and using the papers someone actually tested it.

In the end, it's uses a LOT of human energy and gives very little output.

My suggestion: Double up on your next three batches.. By your fourth batch you'll have enough to drink to let your NEXT batches age "properly". :mug:
 
I don't have a problem with letting my beers age now, but hey if something works, why not use it? I'm going to read that paper next time I have an hour on my hands.
 
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