Willoughby Brewing, Willoughby, Ohio - Sept. 5

Finished bottling Pub Ale for judging. All of our judged beers are bottle-conditioned, so timing is everything. We filter the beer and rack into 1/4 barrel, a Hof-Stevens keg, (before carbonating) that has been dosed with yeast and sugar (sorry, can't tell you the secret amounts). Once in the bottle, the yeast metabolizes the sugar and the result is a naturally carbonated beer. The advantage, theoretically, is that the yeast scavenges any oxygen that may have found its way into the package, thus preventing oxidation/deterioration of the beer. We'll see how it works out this year!