Some of the Trendiest Craft Beers Are Exploding. Huh?!
Popular Mechanics South Africa|May/June 2022
When brewers add fruit purees or extracts just before canning, they're feeding active yeast a ticking time bomb.
By Claire Porter
Some of the Trendiest Craft Beers Are Exploding. Huh?!

We all know the sound: tschhhk followed by a fizzy hiss. It's the sound of cracking open a crisp, cold beer. But there's another, much less inviting sound you might have been unlucky enough to hear the loud and definitive pop of an exploding beer can. This explosive phenomenon gained notoriety in 2018 when cans of craft beer, often made with fruit, were spontaneously erupting. In February 2021, one US craft operation voluntarily recalled one of its sour ales for the same reason. The good news is breweries go to great lengths to ensure that these bad batches are the exception, not the norm.

Whether it's beer, seltzer, or soda, as carbonated beverages warm up - from cold refrigeration to room temperature and beyond - the carbon dioxide becomes less soluble, leaving the liquid and moving to the air space at the top of the can. Aluminium cans are built to withstand this normally slight increase in pressure, but at excessive carbonation levels, they're likely to burst at the seams.

This becomes a problem with beers that are prone to refermentation, a process in which yeast and microbes continue to process sugars, expelling additional carbon dioxide. It's most common with increasingly popular fruited or flavoured beers because they have both active yeast and fermentable sugars.

Denne historien er fra May/June 2022-utgaven av Popular Mechanics South Africa.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra May/June 2022-utgaven av Popular Mechanics South Africa.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA POPULAR MECHANICS SOUTH AFRICASe alt
Can a retired rocket engine take us to Mars?
Popular Mechanics South Africa

Can a retired rocket engine take us to Mars?

The space shuttle's main engine was mothballed with the programme in 2011. Now NASA believes it's the future of interplanetary travel.

time-read
9 mins  |
January/February 2023
6 metre waves. All engines on fire. 1 500 Km from land.
Popular Mechanics South Africa

6 metre waves. All engines on fire. 1 500 Km from land.

How Flying Tiger 923 and its 'miracle pilot' made an impossible ocean landing.

time-read
10 mins  |
January/February 2023
Land Rover Discovery D300
Popular Mechanics South Africa

Land Rover Discovery D300

A FEW MONTHS ago a $2 billion lottery jackpot was won in the United States. It’s fun to sometimes ponder outrageous winnings like that, and how I’d spend it, even if it’s completely detached from reality.

time-read
3 mins  |
January/February 2023
Volkswagen Taigo R-Line 1.0 TSI
Popular Mechanics South Africa

Volkswagen Taigo R-Line 1.0 TSI

The compact proportions make this a delightful daily commuter.

time-read
2 mins  |
January/February 2023
Mazda CX-5 2.2 L De Akera AWD
Popular Mechanics South Africa

Mazda CX-5 2.2 L De Akera AWD

Floor the pedal and overtaking is achieved easily and safely.

time-read
1 min  |
January/February 2023
Making the most out of your grinder
Popular Mechanics South Africa

Making the most out of your grinder

THE HUMBLE BENCH GRINDER IS A STAPLE of the handyworker's home shop, largely due to its versatility. But, while you can employ one to remove metal from just about anything, the traditional kind may not provide the precision you need for every grinding operation. Here, we shed light on the best ways to use the different types of grinders, gleaned from our testing.

time-read
4 mins  |
January/February 2023
Unlock your devices' full potential with a USB-C hub
Popular Mechanics South Africa

Unlock your devices' full potential with a USB-C hub

AS NEW TECH SHRINKS EACH YEAR, essential ports such as USB-A, HDMI, and ethernet are being replaced by the slimmer USB-C.

time-read
5 mins  |
January/February 2023
WE BUILT THE WORLD'S FIRST V-8 TESLA
Popular Mechanics South Africa

WE BUILT THE WORLD'S FIRST V-8 TESLA

THE RICH REBUILDS TEAM HAD A DEAD MODEL S. THEY FIXED IT WITH A CAMARO ENGINE.

time-read
9 mins  |
January/February 2023
I bought a GHOST TOWN
Popular Mechanics South Africa

I bought a GHOST TOWN

This abandoned California mining village once had 400 buildings. Now I'm restoring the 20 that remain.

time-read
8 mins  |
January/February 2023
F1 taught me that speed starts with comfort
Popular Mechanics South Africa

F1 taught me that speed starts with comfort

AS A FAN OF MOTORSPORT, I'M ALWAYS fascinated with the finer details that go into Formula One racing. Piloting the fastest racing cars on the planet subjects drivers to savage forces - up to 6 G's under braking which has led to an almost endless pursuit of comfort.

time-read
2 mins  |
January/February 2023