Franconia Beer Message Board
Gushers |
| Posted by FredW on 2016-03-28 06:52:01 |
| Gushers are usually caused by an infection of wild yeast. Beer yeast can only digest relatively simple sugars - though bottom fermenting yeasts can digest more complex sugars than top fermenting ones. One reason lagers are "drier" (in addition to the lagering). When the beer yeast is done, there are still residual sugars that it can't digest (Dextrins). The provide much of the body for beer. But "wild" yeasts are more ferocious and can digest these sugars, which in the bottle causes a gusher from over carbonation. If you tasted the beer, you'd probably find it thin. Of course, baterial infections can also cause gushers but they are rarer in commercial beers (outside the Payottenland, that is) |