By Josh Noel, Chicago Tribune

If you spend more than a few minutes picking out your beer, you’ve probably seen the words on a label or two: bottle-conditioned.

But what is it? And why do some well-loved breweries swear by the practice (Sierra Nevada) while others don’t touch it (Lagunitas)?

First of all, bottle-conditioning — also known as refermentation — is quite simple. It amounts to bottling beer while still flat with a last-minute addition of yeast and sugar. In the bottle, the yeast eats the sugar, creating carbon dioxide — better known as bubbles. (The process can also take place in a can, but is less common and more difficult to pull off.)

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