Using Wine Gadgets For Beer- Part 1

Vacu-Vin Wine Saver

I hate bombers. "Bombers" are those 22 ounce bottles that many breweries use to bottle their special release and high gravity beers. Why? Because they usually contain too much beer for one sitting. For example- Stone Russian Imperial Stout. It is a great seasonal that we can purchase here in Nashville, but only in bombers. A bomber packs around 600 calories and 10.8% abv. Too many of those and I will end up looking like pre Subway diet Jarrod.

If you can relate to that predicament, The Vacu-Vin Wine Saver is neat solution. Although it's designed for wine, it does a respectful job with beer.  The device pulls a good amount (but not all) of the oxygen out of the bottle. The beer stays carbonated for at least 24 hours, with just a very slight amount of oxidation (but not enough to distract from the overall flavor profile). To get the maximum effect, I recommend you follow these guidelines:

• Use with high gravity beers that have a bold malt base, like barleywines and imperial stouts, as the stronger flavors help mask the oxidation. Oxidation will be more evident in beers with pale malt base, so I recommend just finishing the bottle in those cases.
• Leave the bottle at least half full. Otherwise there is too much head space resulting in less carbonation and  more oxidation.
• Drink within 24 hours. Beyond that, the beer will taste oxidized and stale.
• Avoid using the Vacu-Vin on those rare or prized beers. Drink those under prime conditions to get the full experience.

Now I can enjoy a nice barleywine or an imperial stout as a night cap, and save the other half for the following night. I am finally able to casually drink down my beer cellar, and I owe it all to the Vacu-Vin. Stay tuned for part two, where I unveil another cool wine gadget. I'll give you a hint- it solves another problem associated with bombers.

Cheers!

Smitty
"If it's not craft, it's crap"