Closed System Bottling

[CodeSection]

I only bottle since I give away 95% of what I brew. I have no plans to keg. I'm posting here since I desire to reduce O2 as much as possible.

My current bottling process involves racking into a bottling bucket; pouring in priming solution after a couple of gallons are in the bottling bucket; once five gallons are in the bucket, give it some stirs with a very large spoon to make sure priming solution is mixed well; place clear plastic plate that floats on top of beer to reduce O2 exposure; put lid on bucket; start filling up bottles with a filler tube; fill bottle and place cap loosely on it after dipping cap in Starsan solution; and finally cap bottles once I have bottled five bottles. Then repeat filling bottles steps....

In my search to try to find ways how to reduce potential oxidation, I found this http://brulosophy.com/2018/05/10/7-methods-for-reducing-cold-side-oxidation-when-brewing-beer/. More importantly, I found near the bottom of the article: Closed System Bottling.

What are your thoughts of the setup and process described in the article? In the past, I wanted to avoid using a beer gun like Blichmann's Beer Gun because it appeared to me a very slow process when bottling 104-108 bottles at a time. I have had no oxidation issues thus far and I'm guessing the beer is consumed within a week or two of when individuals receive it. Though, it may be a month to six weeks after bottling before the individuals come by and get them.

Is using a closed system bottling method worth it? Is the Blichmann's Beer Gun easy to use? Are the benefits just too small as compared with the cost of additional equipment and possible extra time involved in bottling?

As always, I appreciate your insights.

 

[RPh_Guy]

I kinda doubt there's a huge amount of O2 picked up actually in the bottling bucket, assuming you use tubing to fill from the bottom. I also use a plate as a cap, but I add it right when I start transferring. (I add the priming sugar right at the beginning).

The other main things (some of which you're doing already):

• O2-absorbing caps activated immediately before or after capping.
• Bottling wand.
• No leaky connections.
• Minimizing or purging bottle headspace. (I leave only a couple mililiters of headspace by pulling out the wand and then pressing the tip against the side to fill it further.)

If you have a healthy amount of yeast in the beer, it'll consume the oxygen very rapidly.
I also accelerate carbonation by rousing the yeast a few times a day for the first couple days. Bottles carbonate in 2-3 days.
"Krausening" is another good option to help with priming and rapid oxygen-uptake.

There's also an option to "bottle spund" whereby you bottle with just enough residual sugar to carbonate. Do a FFT to know where it will finish. Personally, that seems like too much work & risk but it's worth mentioning.

What I'd really like is a better seal for the bottles. Unfortunately oxygen leaks through the seal on the cap.
You'll see plenty of commercial beers that use extra methods to avoid this:

Waxing seems like too much of a pain but maybe there's something else we could use.

Hope this helps

 

[Vale71]

Is using a closed system bottling method worth it? Is the Blichmann's Beer Gun easy to use? Are the benefits just too small as compared with the cost of additional equipment and possible extra time involved in bottling?

In short order: yes, no and only you can decide if it's worth the extra effort for you.

IMHO a Beer Gun is a waste of time and money, there's no reason not to use a real counterpressure filler since the auxiliary equipment needed to make it work is the same you'll need with a Beer Gun anyway.

 

[tektonjp]

From what I understand of the process of bottle carbonation, because you are cranking up the yeast again with additional sugar, what oxygen that has been introduced will be consumed by the yeast doing their thing. No need to get over involved in the process.

 

[Vale71]

From what I understand of the process of bottle carbonation, because you are cranking up the yeast again with additional sugar, what oxygen that has been introduced will be consumed by the yeast doing their thing. No need to get over involved in the process.

No it won't, you will still get oxidation.

 

[CodeSection]

In short order: yes, no and only you can decide if it's worth the extra effort for you.

IMHO a Beer Gun is a waste of time and money, there's no reason not to use a real counterpressure filler since the auxiliary equipment needed to make it work is the same you'll need with a Beer Gun anyway.

I agree and the costs are about equal. When viewing YouTube, I thought the process was faster with the Blichmann Beer Gun as opposed to what I watched regarding a true counter pressure filler. Both methods look like it would add considerable time to bottling.

I kinda doubt there's a huge amount of O2 picked up actually in the bottling bucket, assuming you use tubing to fill from the bottom. I also use a plate as a cap, but I add it right when I start transferring. (I add the priming sugar right at the beginning).

The other main things (some of which you're doing already):

• O2-absorbing caps activated immediately before or after capping.
• Bottling wand.
• No leaky connections.
• Minimizing or purging bottle headspace. (I leave only a couple mililiters of headspace by pulling out the wand and then pressing the tip against the side to fill it further.)

If you have a healthy amount of yeast in the beer, it'll consume the oxygen very rapidly.
I also accelerate carbonation by rousing the yeast a few times a day for the first couple days. Bottles carbonate in 2-3 days.
"Krausening" is another good option to help with priming and rapid oxygen-uptake.

There's also an option to "bottle spund" whereby you bottle with just enough residual sugar to carbonate. Do a FFT to know where it will finish. Personally, that seems like too much work & risk but it's worth mentioning.

What I'd really like is a better seal for the bottles. Unfortunately oxygen leaks through the seal on the cap.
You'll see plenty of commercial beers that use extra methods to avoid this:
View attachment 645426
View attachment 645427
View attachment 645428
Waxing seems like too much of a pain but maybe there's something else we could use.

Hope this helps

I do use a bottling wand, I just described it incorrectly. I like the idea "Minimizing or purging bottle headspace. (I leave only a couple mililiters of headspace by pulling out the wand and then pressing the tip against the side to fill it further.)" I have not tried that before.

As @Jag75 and @Silver_Is_Money, posted in another thread, filling the bottles directly from the fermenter and using Domino Dots will help avoid O2 as a bottle bucket is not needed. Though, in one recipe, I make a tea to add to the bottling bucket. Maybe bottling directly from the fermenter is enough change by itself to make a difference in reducing oxidation.