Over a year after it was shipped from San\u00a0Diego to Copenhagen, an older keg of Mikkeller\u2019s \u2018Finger Guns\u2019 was unexpectedly spotted in their Warpigs (Copenhagen) taproom. Coincidentally, Amir Behdarvand (formerly of Mikkeller SD) was working at the same establishment at the time. Amir knew that his San Diego team had treated that very keg with Brew\u00a0Shield several months before. Although the San\u00a0Diego-brewed hazy NEIPA would never have gone on tap in Denmark so long after its arrival, the former Special Projects Brewer\u2019s curiosity got the best of him. He recounts tasting the beer and everyone being quite content with it. \u201cIt still tasted really nice,\u201d he told us. Does he normally drink year-old beer? No. \u201cI won\u2019t recommend that, but it was a cool data point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leading up to their first encounter with Brew\u00a0Shield, shelf life and quality were indispensable to Mikkeller SD where as much as 60 % of production fed into wholesale distribution. \u201cWe were constantly on the prowl for something new and innovative to make sure the quality of our beer was consistent, and that the beer was as shelf-stable as we could get it.\u201d Amir explained that the brewery upheld precise QC standards, working hard to deliver good beer. Their kegs and bottles were shipped all over the world. They knew they had limited control over the wider supply chain, so the brewing team prioritised technical aspects to retain freshness. \u201cWe did our absolute best to maintain tight standards.\u201d This chance tasting in Copenhagen finally expanded on the positive outcome of their Brew\u00a0Shield trial (see Part 1)<\/strong><\/a>. The beer remained palatable much longer than expected.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div> With a background in microbiology and biochemistry, Amir loved the intersection of science with beer brewing. In the brewery environment, he liked to combine his technical background with his brewing passion. Our basic Brew\u00a0Shield trial setup is simple, but that did not stop this inherently precise, inquisitive brewer from delivering a wealth of insightful feedback. We outlined Mikkeller\u2019s simple-to-replicate Brew\u00a0Shield trial setup in Part 1 of this case study.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> \u201cBrew\u00a0Shield was extremely simple to use. We put hops in at whirlpool, too, so it made a lot of sense. We put everything we could in at the hot side, so the fact that we could add Brew\u00a0Shield at whirlpool made a lot of sense. It was the easiest solution for the way we brewed our beers.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div> At the time, Mikkeller SD were making 90 bbl of beer per day. They wanted to see real results and tested Brew\u00a0Shield in their flagship hazy and bestseller, Windy\u00a0Hill. Notes of lemon, mango, lemongrass, and papaya needed to outlive long supply chains in a completely opaque, matte golden 7\u00a0% abv, 70\u00a0IBU NEIPA. The recommended Brew\u00a0Shield dosage was added at whirlpool, and so was a more economical \u2018half dosage\u2019. A negative control was also evaluated. Amir\u2019s team was maximising their data points to ensure a fair conclusion. They stored cans in every practical warm location, including their boiler room. The brewers finally subjected all beers to triangle tests.<\/p>\n When asked about the trial outcome, Amir indicated that \u201cit was quite impressive.\u201d The batch with half the recommended Brew\u00a0Shield dosage outperformed the control sample. It was noticeably different from both<\/em> other samples. The recommended dosage delivered the best outcome. \u201cConsidering what we did on those beers forcibly to really challenge them, Brew\u00a0Shield did a great job,\u201d he told us. The results were so convincing that Mikkeller\u00a0SD carried the protocol over into other hoppy beers, adding 5\u00a0L of Brew\u00a0Shield to each 30\u00a0bbl brew.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> \u201cWe eventually started using Brew\u00a0Shield in most of our hoppy and hazy beers. We added Brew\u00a0Shield to anything that would oxidise more easily to help those last.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div> \u201cWe had to bargain with finances,\u201d Amir confessed, because the brewery was working to cut costs. He shared a telling anecdote on \u2018negotiating\u2019 for purchasing approval: a logical argument is easily won and Windy\u00a0Hill happened to be one of their controller\u2019s favourite beers. Amir chilled some Windy Hill from a fresh batch, but also some from the Brew\u00a0Shield trial, to convince their Windy\u00a0Hill-loving head of finances. He admits he did not choose the samples from the warmest spot, but assessed this as fair because the beer was several months old already. Then, he challenged his colleague to try both. When they could hardly tell the difference between the two, the deal was sealed.<\/p>\n From the above experiment, it extended that Brew\u00a0Shield can lead to financial savings for Mikkeller\u00a0SD. They can brew more beer and have more time to send it places. \u201cThe result justified the price point.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div> \u201cYou can\u2019t taste the product either, not in the fresh or in the older beer after it was left to age, so there was absolutely no change in colour or flavour.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div> We thank Mickail Murawski and Amir Behdarvand for graciously agreeing to discuss their Brew\u00a0Shield trial experience with us and for letting us share their story with others.<\/p>\nInterrogating Brew\u00a0Shield dosage and performance<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/h3><\/div>
Shelf-life means financial savings<\/h1>\n<\/div><\/h3><\/div>
Acknowledgements<\/u><\/h2>\n
References<\/u><\/h2>\n
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