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8.17.2011

Recapping Experiment, the Final Phase

Previously on BottleMark, the Boring Bottle Cap Slayer...

"Can you recap a beer without it going bad?"
"Oxygen's the big bad, Haley, don't you see? There's no way beer can survive this! Some of them aren't going to make it."
"But shouldn't we let beer fight for the right to a cooler cap? Isn't that something worth risking a few hops for? We've got to give it a chance. So I say we change the rules. I say my cap...should be its cap. Tomorrow we will change bottling's destiny."
"Haley, what you said, it flies in the face of everything we've ever...every generation has ever done in the fight against flat beer. I think it's bloody brilliant."
*Haley and Cameron suddenly whip around and dust an onslaught of Pabst Blue Ribbon cans*
"Lets do this."

SERIES FINALE: TWO WEEKS
Procedure: Third verse, same as the first.
(Blue balloon for recapped beer, red balloon for control. )

Results:
BALLOON
Following three enthusiastic shakes, the bottles produced comparably sized balloons.

HEAD
To quote Keanu Reeves: whoa.
We've got a big difference here. The control beer (left in this photo) has lots more carbonation. Here's some more evidence...
The recapped beer (left) is weak compared to the fluffy thickness of the control beer (right)
Both still beautiful in my eyes, though.

TASTE
While the control beer tasted like all the other Independence Pale Ales we've enjoyed, the recapped beer was clearly missing the aggressive bite of the hops. Hoppiness was present but somewhat muted. It was very drinkable (and drink it we did, without regrets), but it didn't have quite the same punch.

FINAL CONCLUSIONS
Time matters. Day four was without difference, day seven showed a weaker head but no real taste change, and day fourteen is simply a different beer: weaker head, weaker taste. (Also I think the balloon test was not terribly helpful. So I conclude against getting ideas from elementary school science fair projects.)

THE RECAPPING COMMANDMENTS
Recapping a commerical beer with a custom cap for a special event is totally do-able, but you need to follow a few ground rules...
1. Thou shalt choose a date close to thy special occasion. Four days or fewer before the event shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be four, for four or fewer days is holy in Beer's sight. Seven shalt thou not count. Fourteen is right out.
2. Thou shalt sanitize the custom caps.
3. Thou shalt uncap and recap the beer swiftly, exposing it as little as possible to the demon oxygen, naughty in Beer's sight.
4. Thou shalt enjoy an awesomer bottle among friends on thy special occasion.
Thus spaketh the Science.
Planning on recapping a beer with a BottleMark cap? Share your experience and results with us! Use the comments or email me, for science's sake!

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