Cold Crashing

[Scott Shenanigan]

Cold crash question:

I’ve always cold crashed using my Big Mouth Bubbler plastic fermenter that has a spigot near the bottom. After fermentation is complete, I just replace my drilled bung and blow off tube for a solid bung. I then keep the fermenter in my kegerator for roughly 36 hours at around 39-41 degrees before transferring to my keg and force carbing. I’ve always noticed after cold crashing that the sides of my Big Mouth Bubbler plastic fermenter with the spigot caves in on the sides. I just thought it was caused by the temperature change.

I recently got a new Big Mouth Bubbler plastic fermenter WITHOUT a spigot. I just finished cold crashing using the new fermenter without the spigot and a with a solid bung and the sides never caved in.

Do you think that oxygen was getting in through the spigot of my old fermenter while it was cold crashing causing it to cave in?

Do you think my new fermenter WITHOUT the spigot is allowing oxygen in, which is why it didn’t cave in?

I’ve fermented and cold crashed in my old fermenter with the spigot roughly 10 times and never noticed any oxidation. Thoughts?

 

[RPh_Guy]

You had a leak this time which is why it didn't collapse.

 

[Scott Shenanigan]

You had a leak this time which is why it didn't collapse.

Well that’s not good then. During fermentation everything seemed to go well and as normal. I had plenty of bubbles through my blow off tube during active fermentation. When I squeezed the sides of my BMB fermenter to ensure a sealed lid, it pushed bubbles out of the blow off tube. I wonder if any oxygen entered my fermenter during fermentation or just during cold crashing with the temperature change?

 

[RPh_Guy]

When I squeezed the sides of my BMB fermenter to ensure a sealed lid, it pushed bubbles out of the blow off tube.

That doesn't guarantee it was air-tight otherwise.

I wonder if any oxygen entered my fermenter during fermentation or just during cold crashing with the temperature change?

Either way, the effect is the same -- air got in.

I don't cold crash because there's too much potential for oxidation.
Hope it turns out all right! Cheers.

 

[Scott Shenanigan]

That doesn't guarantee it was air-tight otherwise.

Either way, the effect is the same -- air got in.

I don't cold crash because there's too much potential for oxidation.
Hope it turns out all right! Cheers.

Thank you

 

[cswant88]

You remove the solid bung before racking or transferring through spigot don’t you? Even if you keep oxygen from getting in during the crash, it’s going to go rushing in the second you break the vacuum.

Check out this article for ways to counteract it.

http://brulosophy.com/2018/05/10/7-...side-oxidation-when-brewing-beer/#more-114934

 

[day_trippr]

I distinctly remember that first attempt to differentiate between "oxidized" keg transfers and laughing about how ineptly it was carried out. Pretty much put me off on anything to come out of that site...

Cheers!