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**unionrdr** · 02-03-2013, 09:27 PM

My thoughts as well. But hoppy beers seem to retain there hop qualities a couple weeks longer in my observations. As long as mine last after 2 months work...

eric19312 · 02-03-2013, 09:28 PM

Anybody know if you can sanitize oxygen scavenging caps in star San and not ruin the oxygen absorbing capability?

**unionrdr** · 02-03-2013, 09:31 PM

We had this discussion in one of the forums down below. What I do with them now is count out enough for the average number of bottles I know I can get. Then dunk the in starsan before placing on the bottle. I figured this would save the o2 barrier disc from going nutral before they're crimped. I get 8-12 bottles filled then crimp the caps. I then invert the bottle twice bfore placing in the box.

**PhelanKA7** · 02-03-2013, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eric19312

Anybody know if you can sanitize oxygen scavenging caps in star San and not ruin the oxygen absorbing capability?

I'm not sure on the science behind it but I have aged a beer for 2 years and my caps were certainly soaked in StarSan and the beer was only marginally oxidized as in the first sip had that oxidized flavor but after it warmed up and "breathed" the off-flavor dissipated.

**unionrdr** · 02-03-2013, 09:36 PM

that's one of the things I changed about sanitizing the o2 barrier caps. Just a quick dunk in starsan rather than soking seems to keep the o2 barrier disc from nutralizing from soaking too long.

tackett · 02-03-2013, 09:47 PM

I have to hold my opinion until I see any imperical data on their functionality.

But given the physics behind it, I have to call bs.

**unionrdr** · 02-03-2013, 09:49 PM

Not BS,they just don't make a bad beer good. They work a bit better,but that's it.

cklages · 02-03-2013, 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tackett

O3 is ozone.
O2 is dioxygen
O is oxygen.

If you remember high school chemistry correctly, then you will know that of the six types of reactions, a synthesis reaction is the one that's easily broken. (Which is what c+o2(2)--->co2 is)

It's impossible to absorb gaseous o2, and leave the co2 untouched.

Well I wouldn't say it's impossible, but I highly doubt a cap can do a differentiation decomposition. There's about as much chance of that as me growing an extra 8" down south.

That must have been an absolutely fascinating science class. Perhaps as taught by an english or geography major.

Oxygen absorbing caps contain a material (likely iron or another metal) held in a resin behind a membrane which is permeable to oxygen, but not to the oxides of whatever material are held in the resin. When wetted the material oxidizes, thus removing oxygen from the beer, drawing it across the membrane.

If you are bottle conditioning anyway, I would think that the yeast would take care of that anyway, although perhaps the caps do it a little more quickly, I'm not sure.

For a short lived beer they wouldn't make a difference but perhaps they can delay staling a little in a beer that's being put up a while. They aren't really expensive anyway, so why not I guess....

tackett · 02-03-2013, 09:55 PM

Well I'm not going to get into a pissing match over education.

So I'll bow out of this discussion.

logan3825 · 02-03-2013, 09:59 PM

I believe that the O2 absorbing caps took long enough to activate that soaking them in Star San didn't prematurely activate them as long as you used them in a reasonable amount of time. It only takes me about 20m to actually fill and cap a batch once setup. They should be ok in that time.