Terry08

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I have spent time reading how to posts and would like to know why my method achieves great results when according to the experts it should fail.

The one thing I do do correctly is sanitation.

1. I have a lead through the grommet of the fermentation drum which allows a foot of air space above the wort. No airlock.

2. In Australia the temperatures change drasticly and other than in winter when I use a fish tank heater (aka the lead through the grommit) my last brew fermented in 40deg c temperatures.

3. I did change to use a secondary.

4. I use beer kits with a kilo of Dextrose, do not bulk prime and use sucrose to prime each bottle.

I keep reading of beer oxidising and have read of dissapation etc but after brewing an estimated 15000 litres over 30 years with bottled beer stored for over 2 years in some cases (Caps limit storage) I have never experianced oxidation although I did have one bottle break which could have been by doubling the prime.

I still believe that as Air can can only absorb a very small amount of CO2 and as CO2 is heavier than air it will sink to the bottom and prevent oxidising. I read that purging of vessals prevents oxidisation which I do believe is insurance. I do not purge my drums and pouring ingrediants into the fermentor and later the secondary has never caused a problem.

Wanting to check this out in some way I thought of this test. I filled my secondary with a nice flavoursome ale kit by Tooheys. Lit a match and lowered the lit match slowly to the liquid. It went out about 50mm 2" from liquid I tried this several times. The last time it went out about 75mm from the liquid. To me this explains why in all these years I have never had issues with oxygen contamination.

To add to this when I started to brew closed fermentors where not available and I used a garbage bin, open fermentation with a muslin over the top to keep flys out. To bottle I used a funnel and scoop always using sugar. Did try sultanas, grapes and honey to prime but that was a bummer.

An interesting trial I conducted once and may again. I brewed a batch using 25% of the water and fermented and stored the concentrate in old wine flagons. I consumed the 6 litres over some time by using as a beer cordial by adding chilled soda water. The result was quite good but slightly inferior to beer bottled correctly.

So, I am not disputing the collective knowledge here but consider this, for the thousands like me who do not purge their fermenter and leave the ferment sometimes as long as 4 weeks and at the end of fermentation air pressure works both ways and even with an airlock air can be sucked in. In fact some of the fermentation drums cannot be sealed perfectly making a airlock iffy.

As far as I know air absorbs CO2 not the otherway around. If CO2 absorbed Oxygen we would not brew using the equipment we have at the moment.

CO2 is blamed for global warming but it is the food of plants otherwise we would suffercate, No CO2, No Plants, No us. heavy, need more beer

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Scimmia

Recipes 

This is the main part where your logic is faulty. "Air" is just a term used for a collection of gasses, it doesn't absorb other gasses or get absorbed into other gasses. Diffusion of gasses WILL let oxygen in, which will oxidize your beer.

From what I know of the brewing community in Australia, though, the "kit and kilo" beer may be more than enough to cover up any effects of oxidation. Let alone fermentation at that high of temp. Unless those kits have improved remarkably lately, they aren't known for making much beyond a drinkable beer.

GNBrews

Recipes 

Do your beers win competitions? It's all well and good to say that your beer tastes great...to you.

malkore

Recipes 

I've never entered a competition either. Not competing doesn't mean I don't make award winning beer.

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Malkore
Primary: English Mild
On tap: Pale Ale, Lancelot's Wheat, English Brown Ale, Steam Beer, HoovNuts IPA
Bottled: MOAM, Braggot, Raspberry Melomel, Merlot, Apfelwein, Pyment, Sweet mead, Cabernet
Gal in 2009: 27, Gal in 2010: 34, Gal in 2011: 13, Gal in 2012: 10

Trevor57

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I totally agree. You need awards on your beer to prove that it's good. Miller Lite has them displayed proudly on every can.

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Acronyms are FS

GNBrews

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LOL..you fellas know what I meant. At the end of the day, it's *your* beer and you're the only one that needs to be impressed. However, just because *you* think your beer tastes good, doesn't mean it's anywhere near as good as it could taste.

Proper technique ensures consistency.

FlyGuy

Recipes 

I am not sure why doing these things make you such a brewing 'rebel'!

You aren't really bucking the convention much. You should read a little deeper here on what other people are doing to defy the conventional wisdom.

Although, I must say that if you can ferment at 40 deg C (104 F) without getting any off flavours, that is indeed an accolade. I don't know of anybody that could pull that one off, even with some very specialized yeasts.

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WillPall

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Alright, I'll be the only one on here so far to not bash your methods and say well done!

Sounds like you've rediscovered the art and fun of beer-making, and if it works for you, it works for me. I'm glad you don't listen to all these scientists on the board

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Life is a carnival, believe it or not.

Trevor57

Recipes 

Consistent technique ensures consistency.

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Acronyms are FS

osagedr

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If your beer hasn't won any awards then you don't make award winning beer...