Avoiding Oxygen

[Modix]

Been reading through the Palmer book, and for several chapters he stressed avoiding getting oxygen passed the initial fermentation.

I know the beer is going to contact air when racking, there's no way to avoid this. So what do you need to do to prevent oxygen getting in your beer?

Is this just avoiding getting air stirred into your beer? The empty secondary/bottling bucket cannot be a vacuum, so basically avoid splashing as much as possible? I'm curious what techniques could be used to avoid getting air in your beer.

Thanks,

Modix

 

[Orfy]

Don't worry about it.
Once fermentation starts the CO2 will purge any oxygen.

 

[TexLaw]

so basically avoid splashing as much as possible?

Yep. That's the best thing you can do after fermenting. Be gentle with it. When racking, use a hose that is long enough to reach the bottom of your recepticle. When adding priming sugar solution, stir gently. When bottling, put your hose or filler at or near the bottom of the bottle.

On that last bit, keep in mind that your bottling hose or filler takes up volume in the bottle, so overfill your bottle a bit. When you remove the hose or filler, your fill level might be right where you want.

When you have kegging equipment, it's not as much of an issue, since you can purge vessels with CO2.

Before fermentation, of course, you can be as rough as you want without making a mess.


TL

 

[jdoiv]

Pretty much just avoid splashing it or agitating it. Don't shake a carboy after fermentation. Don't fan out the beer or try to strain it when racking to a secondary or bottling bucket. Etc. etc.....

Some people devise closed systems that allow them to move the finished beer through their brewery using CO2. Makes transfers really easy, but does mean you have to have all the gear.

I keg, so I purge my kegs with CO2 then rack into the keg and purge again. Before, when I bottled, I just transfered into my bottling bucket and never had a problem with oxidizing the beer.

 

[Got Trub?]

Before fermentation, of course, you can be as rough as you want without making a mess.


TL

Except when it is hot as you can get off flavours from "hot side" aeration.

 

[Orfy]

Except when it is hot as you can get off flavours from "hot side" aeration.

Lots of people think/say that is a myth.

 

[mrkristofo]

Don't shake a carboy after fermentation.

Now, in the case where you have a long-standing fermentation...say a high grav brew, if the carboy is purged with CO2 and airlock/blowoff hose is secure...why can't you shake the hell out of it to rouse the yeast up?

 

[malkore]

Lots of people think/say that is a myth.

true, but lots of people don't.

besides, hot wort holds less air/O2 than cold wort...just like CO2 works.

i'd still say its decent advice to avoid whipping it up until its 90F or cooler. it doesn't have potential to cause harm, while trying to oxygenate 'could' be a problem and is hard to do as well.

 

[dinks]

This was something I was thinking about last night. Since I am planning on going from the carboy to growlers and I want to avoid as much oxygen as possible. Couldnt you put some dry ice and a little bit of water in a measuring cup and let the dry ice melt for a bit. Then pour (the heavy gas) into each bottle to remove the oxygen?

I guess a tube coming off a co2 tank would accomplish the same thing but dry ice is cheaper.

I'm fairly sure it would work but I am more concerned if its even worth the effort.

 

[Brew Runner]

Something easier to get decent amounts of CO2 from would be vinegar and baking soda. Both are fairly cheap and there aren't any special handling considerations like with dry ice.

And no, neither are really worth the trouble.