Started my first lambic recently and was debating on good ways to get the micro-oxygen in there that from what I've read makes a big difference in the amount of sourness in the finished beer. I basically saw two camps that are red oak dowels from home depot or long term storage in plastic fermenters.
Well both have risks either from a harsh oak flavor or over oxygenation in plastic and I decided to do something else. I got chopsticks from my favorite chinese carry-out. Drilled a hole in the side of the rubber stopper with a small drill bit. I found it easiest to put the pointy end of the chopstick in the bottom of the stopper so you don't have to fight all the length of the chop stick trying to force it through rubber. Then I left a quarter inch of chopstick above the rubber stopper in the air.
The bamboo will have a totally neutral flavor and is small enough that you don't have to worry about it cracking the neck from swelling while also still allowing you to have airlock in place so pressure doesn't force beer out of the wood stick. And if I want oak flavor I can always add cubes. It isn't as long as a dowel would be but I was able to get it under the first half inch of liquid in a half filled one gallon jug that I have some topping off sour beer in.
I haven't seen this idea posted anywhere and I have a good feeling that this is going to work awesomely. Happy bugging.
Well both have risks either from a harsh oak flavor or over oxygenation in plastic and I decided to do something else. I got chopsticks from my favorite chinese carry-out. Drilled a hole in the side of the rubber stopper with a small drill bit. I found it easiest to put the pointy end of the chopstick in the bottom of the stopper so you don't have to fight all the length of the chop stick trying to force it through rubber. Then I left a quarter inch of chopstick above the rubber stopper in the air.
The bamboo will have a totally neutral flavor and is small enough that you don't have to worry about it cracking the neck from swelling while also still allowing you to have airlock in place so pressure doesn't force beer out of the wood stick. And if I want oak flavor I can always add cubes. It isn't as long as a dowel would be but I was able to get it under the first half inch of liquid in a half filled one gallon jug that I have some topping off sour beer in.
I haven't seen this idea posted anywhere and I have a good feeling that this is going to work awesomely. Happy bugging.