methode champeniose/disgorging beer?

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

Sounds weird, never tried it or seen/tasted any examples, but what are some thoughts on doing this? Riddling and aging sur lie any big bold beers? I imagine disgorging the yeast would have a negative effect since most beers like that are notable for their yeast sediment on the bottom, but I was thinking about champagne that's aged sur lie, riddled etc, and disgorged after a decade or so and my thoughts tend to wander.

Anybody else share my bizarre obsessions and musings?

 

[dinnerstick]

these guys have:
http://www.maltosefalcons.com/tech/methode-champenoise-beer

 

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

And there you have it! Brilliant! I had speculated that the possibility of disgorgement would produce a different flavor profile. Not superior, but different. I'll have to see if I can track that stuff down. Only about 450miles away from L.A. and I have connections in the "Republik of Kalifornia"! (love CA climate, hate CA law)

 

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

One thing to note after reading the article... DON'T I repeat DO NOT use acetone for freezing the necks of your champagne bottles. Dry ice and ethanol (everclear or somesuch, pricey yeah but hey, think of the gain) plus you don't have potentially poisonous chemicals getting into your fine beverage on accident. Ethanol freezes around -114 degrees F. More than adequate when you apply dry ice.

 

[torstensson]

I did something I called a champagne beer 2011 and used disgorging to get rid of yeast sediment.
I poured most beer into champagne bottles and saved some of it in a keg.

Before disgorging you need to get your bottles down to almost freezing and then you put all bottles in an ice bath to get the neck (neck down) with yeast to freeze.
When you open the bottle the yeast pops out and probably some beer as well. This is where you use the keg to add up the lost part.

With real champagne, the added part usually makes the champagne less dry depending on what kind of champagne it is.
This could probably been done with beer as well.

It is really tricky the first times and you do not want to do this by yourself.
I cant say that it did much to the flavour but the looks of the beer got 100% better. Since its 75 cl and 150 cl bottles its not really something you would pour up at once.

 

[RachmaelBenApplebaum]

Yeah, in the linked article their dosage is fortified with herbs, thus adding to the overall finished profile. Cunning trick or sound strategy? Guess it depends on the desired effects in the final product. I'm sure disgorging a champagne beer really improved the look for the picky folks who don't like the "stuff in the bottom of the bottle" or appealing to the flat-out perfectionist. As far as champagne rating such as "extra brut, brut, demi sec, sec" etc goes I think it'd be up to interpretation with a beverage that still has a good portion of unfermented sugar in it.

 

[torstensson]

+1

Since I still had the beer kegged as well I did some a/b testing and there was some difference in taste. Not big enough to go through all the trouble.
If I'm doing it again it's just because it's fun.

 

[BrasseurGeorges]

The reason this is done for Champagne is to remove the yeast before sweetening with dosage. For me the most interesting application in beer would be something you want to sweeten without pasteurization, maybe a Kriek or Rodenbach-ish Flanders Red. I'd say crash out the primary yeast, gelatin, and repitch so you control the amount and select something with good flocculation (like Prise de Mousse). Picturing the horror of trying to riddle/disgorge some powdery Belgian or farmhouse strain...

 

[BrasseurGeorges]

...I'm actually going to take back "wild" ales as a good application. The bacteria (and in all likelihood some brett) would remain and continue to work on the sugars. It might be nice for a fruit beer though, leaving the sweetness and character intact. Something like Founders Rübæus would be really tasty.