Help me perfect my Low Oxygen IPA process

[sryan]

So I finally made (in my opinion) a proper NE IPA. I've struggled with this one for a long time and I believe it came down to cold side low oxygen tactics and reducing dry hop time. It was also a total pain in the @$$ and I want to improve my process.

I'd like some good suggestions on how to streamline this low oxygen process aside from buying a bunch of new equipment.

This was my fermentation to packaging process and it was not that fun.

1. Temp controlled bucket fermenter. I applied keg lube to the seal to make sure it was totally air tight. This worked great.
2. Did not cold crash because I did not want to suck in O2 into the bucket,
LODO transferred to a corny keg using a purged corny keg: Beer disconnect to the spigot on the fermenter and gas disconnect to air lock. All the tubing was purged and the beer trades places with the co2 in the keg in a closed system. () This took frikin forever but its pretty easy.
3. Soft crashed to 55 degrees
4. Added entire dry hop bill (6 oz) at one time for 2 days only. Purged keg after addition. Way less grassy herbal flavors.
4. Dropped temp to 39 degrees and bumped CO2 to 30 PSI overnight.
5. Keg dip tube clogged and so I racked it over to another keg and it's fine. The keg had a thick layer of yeast that was clogging the dip tube.

What can I do better that still maintains the low oxygen exposure? This didn't go well despite the outcome.

Things that come to mind:

1. Floating pickup tube for the keg.
2. CO2 filled mylar balloon to attach to the air lock for cold crash with bucket and then transfer to a keg.
3. Fermenatsaurus so I never have to transfer it and keep it under pressure.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Jtvann]

One quick observation is not cold crashing in the brew bucket. You’re already set up to push the beer with CO2 when kegging. You can cold crash and push CO2 the same way. Just hook your system up and slightly pressurize it. You should see the lid blow up a little bit with the pressure. As you’re crashing, the lid will start to collapse back down. Periodically give it another shot of CO2 to blow the lid back up. You’ll only need to do that once or twice.

Cold crashing in the bucket will prevent clogged tubes like you experienced.

 

[str1p3s]

My approach is similar to everything you described except I have a floating dip tube in the keg and haven't had any problems. I never cold crash any beer now because of the floating dip tube. Also, I put SS mesh around the dip tube in the fermentation vessel because I was getting clogs trying to transfer to the keg.

 

[chipmunk]

This took frikin forever

If you increase the height/elevation difference between your fermenter and your keg it should speed up the flow rate considerably.

 

[marc1]

When purging with CO2, make sure that you do enough to reduce oxygen to negligible levels, which is 13-15 purges at 30PSI. There's a chart here somewhere that shows the O2 vs purge cycles for various pressures.
Low headspace is your friend for this. You can fill your keg with StarSan, purge the tiny headspace, then push the StarSan out.

I have several Clear Beer floating dip tubes with the hop screens. They are pricy, but work well.

You could also try smaller batches and ferment in a corny with a Clear Beer and some Fermcap. During fermentation, you run a jumper from the fermenter to the serving keg to purge O2 without using up your CO2 tank. You could try a spunding valve to relieve pressure at low PSI. Hydro samples are taken with a picnic tap without opening anything. When you're a few points from finished, close off the spunding or set it high, and your beer will carbonate (just be careful dry hopping carbed beer - I've done it without problems, but some people have had foam geysers).

 

[doug293cz]

When purging with CO2, make sure that you do enough to reduce oxygen to negligible levels, which is 13-15 purges at 30PSI. There's a chart here somewhere that shows the O2 vs purge cycles for various pressures.
Low headspace is your friend for this. You can fill your keg with StarSan, purge the tiny headspace, then push the StarSan out.

...

Chart & table:

Brew on

 

[sryan]

That is very very helpful. I was struggling with the idea of dry hop and adding gelatin. I figured that the small head space in the keg was better than the large headspace in the fermenter. I do about 5-6 purges but I'll just to 10-15 and that way I only need to expose the beer to O2 one time. I'll pick up a floating pickup tube with a screen for my kegs too, seems like the best way to go anyway. Total investment to correct my problem, $27.

Thank you very much for the suggestions.

 

[marc1]

That is very very helpful. I was struggling with the idea of dry hop and adding gelatin. I figured that the small head space in the keg was better than the large headspace in the fermenter. I do about 5-6 purges but I'll just to 10-15 and that way I only need to expose the beer to O2 one time. I'll pick up a floating pickup tube with a screen for my kegs too, seems like the best way to go anyway. Total investment to correct my problem, $27.

Thank you very much for the suggestions.

I wouldn't recommend dry hopping and adding gelatin at the same time.

Where did you find a floating dip tube with a screen for $27? That's a great price!

 

[sryan]

Morebeer is 26 for both plus shipping. so more like 35 out the door.

SO more about that gelatin addition. I don't really need to but I've read that it helps smooth out the beer. It certainly won't make it clear. When would you add it?

 

[marc1]

Morebeer is 26 for both plus shipping. so more like 35 out the door.

SO more about that gelatin addition. I don't really need to but I've read that it helps smooth out the beer. It certainly won't make it clear. When would you add it?

Gelatin is to help clear it up faster.

When the beer is done, crash it down cold and then add it. Dissolve a teaspoon or so in some water (I put a couple oz of water in a glass ramekin and microwave it. I've found that if it boils in the microwave it smells weird, so I usually bring it to the 150-170F range and then stir it up to dissolve). It can take a week or more to really clear everything up after addition.

I usually do it in the serving keg, but people also use it in the fermenter.

 

[marc1]

Morebeer is 26 for both plus shipping. so more like 35 out the door.

Also, I haven't seen the screened ones at morebeer, I'll check them out.

 

[acidrain]

My $.02...
If you cold crash, no need to use gelatin.
Consider using a tall 1/4 keg for fermenting using the spunding valve/cap hardware. If you do that, and use one of Bobby's no-weld bungs with a SS racking cane, the cane will slide up and down on the o-ring for manual adjustment of the dip tube during transfer. That's what I do. That way, the beer never see's the light of day or any random oxygen until poured into a glass.