Quick Orval Alcohol Content Question

Reads 4487 • Replies 20 • Started Sunday, June 13, 2010 11:53:43 PM CT

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Message 17thfloor beers 2444 º places 19 º 23:53 Sun 6/13/2010 So, I know we’ve been over this a few times in the past... I used to think my labels said 5.2%, but now I looked and our imported American bottles say 6.9%. I could have sworn they read 5.2 before. The orval website has a picture of a label that says 5.2%. I know we’ve basically figured out that it seems almost impossible to bottle this at 5.2% and have it shoot up to 7+ (at least I think that’s what we figure based on sugar and co2 volumes) So what is the alcohol content of my Orval? 6.9% like the label says? What do your Euro labels say? 5.2%? Which raises another question, how long do they keep the bottles at the brewery before release? in other words, what’s the freshest possible bottle one can buy? Maybe degas that take a gravity of a super fresh one and then degas a 6/12 month old bottle and see the difference. I don’t know, just thinking out loud.
Message 17thfloor beers 2444 º places 19 º 23:57 Sun 6/13/2010 and of course I don’t mean degas the whole bottle, just enough for a gravity. However, I would gladly drink degased orval anytime. Also, it’s been way too long since we’ve had an Orval thread on here... so voila!
Message eManu beers 573 º places 43 º 00:05 Mon 6/14/2010 My Orval label has 6,2%
Message MagicDave6 P beers 1 º places 1 º 00:13 Mon 6/14/2010 It is 6.2%, iv had people tell em that its 5.2% before they bottle it but goes up by 1% in the bottle. However i find this very hard to believe, as for it to rise by a whole % would sure just not be possible in a 330ml bottle.

Message 17thfloor beers 2444 º places 19 º 00:21 Mon 6/14/2010 that makes more sense. Also to answer my other question, Orval is conditioned in bottle for 3-5 weeks before it ships. http://www.orval.be/an/FS_an.html some very sexy pictures on there too.
Message Danko 06:25 Mon 6/14/2010 Orval is 6.2% ABV when shipped. However, due to the fermentation in the bottle it can go up to around 7% ABV. According to the brewmaster this will happen within nine months and from then on the ABV will not increase further. In Belgium, the actual alcohol content in the bottle must be within +-1% compared to what’s stated on the bottle. In the US, IIRC, it needs to be +-0.3%. Hence, by writing 6.9% ABV on the bottle in the US the importer is safe even if the content goes up to 7.1% ABV. I don’t know if it’s still handled this way nowadays, but Orval used to have an agreement with importers that they should store the bottles for a while before selling them (the exact amount of weeks eludes me).
Message Danko 06:27 Mon 6/14/2010 Originally posted by Danko Orval is 6.2% ABV when shipped. However, due to the fermentation in the bottle it can go up to around 7% ABV. According to the brewmaster this will happen within nine months and from then on the ABV will not increase further. In Belgium, the actual alcohol content in the bottle must be within +-1% compared to what’s stated on the bottle. In the US, IIRC, it needs to be +-0.3%. Hence, by writing 6.9% ABV on the bottle in the US the importer is safe even if the content goes up to 7.1% ABV. I don’t know if it’s still handled this way nowadays, but Orval used to have an agreement with importers that they should store the bottles for a while before selling them (the exact amount of weeks eludes me). ...and with 7.1% ABV I evidently mean 7.2% ABV. :)
Message mtoast beers 336 º places 13 º 06:28 Mon 6/14/2010 Originally posted by Danko Orval is 6.2% ABV when shipped. However, due to the fermentation in the bottle it can go up to around 7% ABV. According to the brewmaster this will happen within nine months and from then on the ABV will not increase further. In Belgium, the actual alcohol content in the bottle must be within +-1% compared to what’s stated on the bottle. In the US, IIRC, it needs to be +-0.3%. Hence, by writing 6.9% ABV on the bottle in the US the importer is safe even if the content goes up to 7.1% ABV. I don’t know if it’s still handled this way nowadays, but Orval used to have an agreement with importers that they should store the bottles for a while before selling them (the exact amount of weeks eludes me). 95% of this. The importer thing is the only thing I’m not 100% sure about, I think they have it down to a science with the shipping, holding it a few weeks at the brewery and then planning on it taking 3 weeks to get from brewery to shelf.

Message phredrik beers 1024 º places 31 º 15:33 Mon 6/14/2010 Orval?! What is that?
Message mkade8883 beers 250 º places 28 º 16:32 Mon 6/14/2010 Originally posted by MagicDave6 It is 6.2%, iv had people tell em that its 5.2% before they bottle it but goes up by 1% in the bottle. However i find this very hard to believe, as for it to rise by a whole % would sure just not be possible in a 330ml bottle. I’m not sure if they’re flat when they’re shipped, but that doesn’t much affect these simple calculations. For everyone one molecule of ethanol that is made, one molecule of CO2 is also made. Adding 1 volume percent in a 330 mL bottle is 3.3 mL, or 2.60 g. This is 56.7 mmol, which at STP will become 1.27 L of gas, which in a 330 mL bottle is 3.84 volumes of CO2 added. Clearly Orval is very highly carbonated, and maybe 3.84 volumes of CO2 in the bottle is believable, but that’s based on the assumption that it’s flat when shipped. However, it seems that the beer must contain at least 1 or 2 volumes of CO2 (as can be attested by people who have drank it very fresh) when it’s shipped. Therefore, if the abv does rise 1%, we’re talking about a final product with on the order or 5-6 volumes of CO2. To me, this seems high but it’s just my two cents. ((330mL.01) .789g/mL)/46.02g /mol)*22.4L/mo l/0.330L = 3.84
Message Danko 03:29 Tue 6/15/2010 Orval is, along with Duvel, one of the highest carbonated beers in Belgium. 5 v/v CO2 as an estimation is probably way to low.