Bottling with the Help of Dry Ice

[TheZymurgist]

Any product (including dry ice) that is used with food must be food grade.

I think it's any product that's used in food must be food grade, but I'm curious what your source is.

 

[hunter_le five]

Dry ice generally doesn't come in direct physical contact with food, when used for food purposes.

 

[steveoatley]

" Food Grade "

Also allows for a certain amount of 'bug' parts per million.

I did use Dry Ice a while back to mix a Cider with a Mead.

I did find in my research that Food Grade means what you might think and
There is Medical Grade Dry Ice - I could not find a supplier for it anywhere

I took five pounds of Dry Ice, pounded it into small chucks, dropped most of
chucks into a Carboy, then gently poured my mead & cider into the carboy to
make a Cyser.
I figured I have made at least 5 gallons of CO2 - more than enough to purge a
Carboy of O2

I did notice small "darker" partials in the CO2 chunk ( visible )- they just seemed darker, not like dirt, no partials/dirt or chucks of "stuff" were found later, when I racked into a keg.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/dry-ice-prevent-oxidization-during-racking-225825/


just my 2 cents

 

[PlinyTheMiddleAged]

I think it's any product that's used in food must be food grade, but I'm curious what your source is.

TheZymurgist,

If you check the FDA website, there's a flowchart that describes the decision process for approving food additives - the first decision point is something like: "is it reasonable that the product will become a component of food given its intended use". I'd say that since lots of folks use dry ice to cool food, it would be reasonable that as the dry ice sublimates, any contaminants could be deposited in or on the food. Plus, since it is not uncommon for people to put dry ice in punch bowls (for a "witch's brew" kind of thing) it is reasonable that dry ice (and anything in the dry ice) will become a component of food.

That's the way I read it, at least.

Cheers!

 

[PlinyTheMiddleAged]

I tried this method on a dry hopped saison I brewed a couple months ago. The hop aroma was there, but behind the saison aroma. In the end, the saison came more hoppy than my IPAs.

I will brew an IPA this week and intend to use dry ice again. I experience all the problems you list with my hoppy beers. Must be O2.

rafaelpinto,

Let us know how it works out for you! I bottled a great tasting Pliny the Elder clone yesterday using this method. Hopefully, when I pour it in two or three weeks, it'll still taste great. I know that the last time I brewed and bottled this, the beer was bad within days of being carbonated. That great, bitter, enamel etching hoppiness that Pliny the Elder is known for was not there.

I'm guessing that by using dry ice to flush the bottling equipment, and by using oxygen absorbing caps, this batch will have will a LOT better flavor, aroma, and shelf life.

And, I'm looking for a CO2 bottle and kegging equipment too. Probably going to ask Santa to see if he can swing it.

I'll let you know how mine turns out in a few weeks.

Cheers!

 

[PlinyTheMiddleAged]

Double post

 

[testingapril]

As you said, WITH ice cream, not in ice cream. I've read other sources that state dry ice is fairly dirty. It's not made to be consumed.

Penguin Brand Dry Ice would disagree. This is the brand that is sold in most grocery stores and their website actually provides recipes and the like for using it in cocktails and punch.

http://www.dryiceideas.com/more-safety-tips-for-using-dry-ice-in-beverages/

Also, FAQ says it's not toxic:

http://www.dryiceideas.com/faq/

Food grade doesn't mean sanitary, but -79C and pure CO2 environment is extremely unlikely to harbor beer infectors.

 

[fantomlord]

2 comments:

1. I deal with dry ice all the time at work...I would not put it into my beer. (a halloween punch, maybe, but as a novelty)
2. The word you guys are all looking for is "sublimes" {steps off soap box}

 

[rafaelpinto]

1. I deal with dry ice all the time at work...I would not put it into my beer. (a halloween punch, maybe, but as a novelty)

Is it unhealthy?

 

[kh54s10]

The main problem I have with all this overkill is that it might determine if oxidation is the problem, but does not determine how it is happening. So, you are stuck using co2 to bottle or you will have to go back and have oxidized beers.

When you say that other styles do not show the problem it says to me that oxidation is NOT your problem. At least not introduced during the bottling process.

 

[PlinyTheMiddleAged]

When you say that other styles do not show the problem it says to me that oxidation is NOT your problem. At least not introduced during the bottling process.

I've really focused on IPAs. Unfortunately, the flavors of an IPA are very sensitive to oxygen- they fade rapidly with exposure. And as I stated earlier in the thread, the brewery that talked to me about IPAs stated that oxygen is the enemy of any good IPA.

The only other beers that I have brewed were darker - ambers and stouts. These beers cover up a lot of sins.

I'm actually pretty happy that a lot of you folks can brew and bottle pretty tasty IPAs without problems. I can not - I brew them just fine but something horrible happens between fermenter and bottle. I strongly suspect (but have not confirmed) that it is oxidation. I do know that the CO2 treatment solved the problem as I simply added the step of flushing my bottles with dry ice and then flushing the headspace with additional dry ice. I changed no other part of my bottling process and I have no further issues with off flavors.

Cheers!

 

[fantomlord]

Is it unhealthy?

no. CO2 is CO2. dry ice (in my experience) is just dirty