SOLUTION: oxidizing beer when crash cooling

[BigRedBrewer]

Ladies and Gentlemen--I present you with my patented (not really!) method for preventing the oxidation of your beer during crash cooling. Disclaimer: this is not a super cheap or DIY solution. You will have to purchase a couple things but with less than $100 you can totally eliminate this concern.

Now, we all know that air is sucked into our fermentors when we cool beer from fermentation temps down to refrigeration temps. Most people worry about the oxygen that is being sucked in, and causing bad off flavors in the finished beer.

Solution: A couple years ago I got really into English cask ales, and serving my own with a beer engine just like they do in England. I purchased a no-kidding Angram beer engine from UK Brewing in Pennsylvania. With that, I also had to purchase a cask breather, which allows you to hook up a CO2 tank to a cask, and deliver 1 atmosphere of pressure to the cask (the cask is supposed to just be open to the air, but this prevents staling). Anyway, I used the cask breather to deliver unpressurized CO2 to my fermentors while they are crash cooling. In this picture I've got my nitrogen tank hooked up to the cask breather, but you can actutally use a paintball tank if you don't have a kegging set up. This has worked really well for me, but like I said it comes at a slight cost. If you really want to be sure there is no oxygen getting into your fermentors, this method works great.

 

[MikeInMKE]

I use a mylar baloon, held onto the airlock with a rubber band. It collects CO2 during fermentation, which is then sucked back in during the cold crash.

 

[The_Bishop]

I use an ultra-complicated large ziplock baggie with a 3/8 hose attached. Fill with CO2, stuff hose in drilled stopper in carboy. As the pressure in the carboy drops while cold crashing, all that's drawn in is the CO2 in the baggie.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I use a spunding valve and crash under pressure. I do realize that isn't practical for a carboy.

Nice work. It is a simple device and it looks effective!

 

[Gavin C]

I use a mylar baloon, held onto the airlock with a rubber band. It collects CO2 during fermentation, which is then sucked back in during the cold crash.

What stage during ferment do you attach the balloon? Late on in the process I'm guessing. Any particular type of mylar balloon. Would love to see a pic if you have one.

 

[schematix]

I wouldn't worry about getting a patent on this, there is plenty of "prior art" for this exact method.

 

[day_trippr]

I wouldn't worry about getting a patent on this, there is plenty of "prior art" for this exact method.

Yup. Been covered extensively in this very forum...

Cheers!

 

[Natdavis777]

I use a stopper and saran wrap when cold crashing. Air doesnt make its way into the carboy until I pull the stopper for kegging. Even then, Co2 is heavier than o2, so the Co2 still blankets the beer. Even if it doesnt, its only exposed for a few minutes while the beer is siphoned to a keg, where it is immediately purged with Co2. Havent had any oxidation issues with this method. And its incredibly cheap

 

[brew_ny]

dump the starsan out of the three piece airlock and cold crash for 3 days then keg

never had a problem

all the best

S_M

 

[SC_Ryan]

I use a blowoff rig up when I plan to cold crash. It pulls some of the sanitizer about a third of they way up the tubing but no air gets in

 

[Zippox]

So I've recently learned about when cold crashing it will suck the starsan and CO2 into the carboy. Is there any reason I shouldn't just rip off the bung and airlock and replace it with a solid bung before throwing it into the fridge for a couple days?

 

[BigFloyd]

I cold crash a week at 35*F. S-airlock with StarSan. It hardly pulls in any sanitizer at all. The small volume of air being sucked back into the bucket via the airlock combines with the CO2 fog inside and I've not had the slightest hint of oxidation in any of my beers/ciders.

I'm afraid that this is a rather involved solution to a perceived problem that doesn't really exist.

 

[Flakk]

I also put some fresh StarSan in the airlock prior to crashing, haven't had any issues though I do like your solution.

 

[beersk]

So I've recently learned about when cold crashing it will suck the starsan and CO2 into the carboy. Is there any reason I shouldn't just rip off the bung and airlock and replace it with a solid bung before throwing it into the fridge for a couple days?

This is what I did when I fermented in carboys. Now I ferment in kegs and add co2 before crashing.

 

[Psylocide]

I've always used aluminum foil with some StarSan on it... I crash in the keg now though, so, non-issue.

Never known it to be a big issue anyway.