I like using a secondary to naturally clear my beer (I dont want to filter). The downside to using a secondary is, as everyone has debated a thousand times already), risk of oxidation. That discussion is not the topic at hand
How do you guys minimize the risk of oxidation without purging the O2? I had a crazy thought about this the other day.. and I want some opinions. What if one were to put some kind of vegetable oil (or mineral, or something food safe, of course minimal flavor) in the bottom of your sanitized, ready to go, secondary fermentor about an inch deep. Then, you rack UNDER the oil from primary. As the beer flows under the oil, the oil being lighter than the beer, will float on top of the beer as the level rises in the secondary, maintaining a barrier between the beer and the air in the fermentor. In this way the beer never touches any air. However, it now has a layer of oil sitting on top of it. When it is time to rack from secondary to wherever, you siphon from the bottom (above the flocculated yeast / trub) until just before the oil reaches your siphon.
Do you suppose this would ruin the beer by imparting flavor? Kill the head by mixing in even a little? Do you have an alternate, similar idea that does not involve investing in a CO2 delivery system to purge with? How retarded is this idea?
How do you guys minimize the risk of oxidation without purging the O2? I had a crazy thought about this the other day.. and I want some opinions. What if one were to put some kind of vegetable oil (or mineral, or something food safe, of course minimal flavor) in the bottom of your sanitized, ready to go, secondary fermentor about an inch deep. Then, you rack UNDER the oil from primary. As the beer flows under the oil, the oil being lighter than the beer, will float on top of the beer as the level rises in the secondary, maintaining a barrier between the beer and the air in the fermentor. In this way the beer never touches any air. However, it now has a layer of oil sitting on top of it. When it is time to rack from secondary to wherever, you siphon from the bottom (above the flocculated yeast / trub) until just before the oil reaches your siphon.
Do you suppose this would ruin the beer by imparting flavor? Kill the head by mixing in even a little? Do you have an alternate, similar idea that does not involve investing in a CO2 delivery system to purge with? How retarded is this idea?