is this to much headspace for secondary

[olotti]

RIS on bourbon oak cubes meant to be aged for 4-6 months. The pic is not my actual beer but that's about how much headspace I have for comparison. Its been in secondary for about 1 month. I plan on tasting once a month but will this also then introduce more o2 into the secondary. Its a 5 gal batch into what is a 5 gal carboy but I'm prob 1 1/2 gal short of hitting the top so Idk I premeasured the volumes with water and marked off the gal on the side of the carboy so I knew how much in had in there so I figure my volume should've reached the neck of the carboy but it didn't leaving this headspace. Any opinions on what I should do so I don't ruin this batch would b great.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&....com%2Fwine-making-questions-maria%2F;375;500

 

[Kee]

RIS on bourbon oak cubes meant to be aged for 4-6 months. The pic is not my actual beer but that's about how much headspace I have for comparison. Its been in secondary for about 1 month. I plan on tasting once a month but will this also then introduce more o2 into the secondary. Its a 5 gal batch into what is a 5 gal carboy but I'm prob 1 1/2 gal short of hitting the top so Idk I premeasured the volumes with water and marked off the gal on the side of the carboy so I knew how much in had in there so I figure my volume should've reached the neck of the carboy but it didn't leaving this headspace. Any opinions on what I should do so I don't ruin this batch would b great.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&....com%2Fwine-making-questions-maria%2F;375;500

That much headspace is certainly not ideal. I don't know if you would consider this option but a 3 gallon carboy is not expensive and if there is any beer remaining it could be placed in a small container. I've done that before.

Having said that, I rarely do long secondaries. I cannot say how likely it is that you will have problems with oxidation.

 

[Yooper]

Yes, way too much.

 

[olotti]

Yes, way too much.

​

So now what. I have 5 gal in the fermenter what about buying a small 20oz bottle of CO2 and hitting it with that to form a barrier layer. Or is bottling to hopefully save it my best option and I still have some bourbon left over that I soaked the oak cubes in so I could add that when bottling and just bottle condition it for say 4-6 months. I really don't want to lose this beet it was made a week after my son was born so its supposed to b drank on his first bday in August.

 

[Yooper]

​

So now what. I have 5 gal in the fermenter what about buying a small 20oz bottle of CO2 and hitting it with that to form a barrier layer. Or is bottling to hopefully save it my best option and I still have some bourbon left over that I soaked the oak cubes in so I could add that when bottling and just bottle condition it for say 4-6 months. I really don't want to lose this beet it was made a week after my son was born so its supposed to b drank on his first bday in August.

I have no idea. The "right" answer is to always make 5.5 gallons so you have 5 gallons in the carboy, but of course that is way too late now.

I'd hate to see mold or brett or lacto growing in an oxygen rich environment like in that much headspace, and ruin the beer. I wouldn't add oak cubes to bottle- that would make it tannic and overoaked.

I'd say to oak as much as you want, and then bottle. I would have added more oak to the secondary, and bottled after a couple of weeks at most if I had that much headspace, but I'm not being very helpful as that is also too late now.

 

[olotti]

I have no idea. The "right" answer is to always make 5.5 gallons so you have 5 gallons in the carboy, but of course that is way too late now.

I'd hate to see mold or brett or lacto growing in an oxygen rich environment like in that much headspace, and ruin the beer. I wouldn't add oak cubes to bottle- that would make it tannic and overoaked.

I'd say to oak as much as you want, and then bottle. I would have added more oak to the secondary, and bottled after a couple of weeks at most if I had that much headspace, but I'm not being very helpful as that is also too late now.

I think were getting closer to an answer. Lol. I did have 5.5 gal into primary and had a very violent fermentation from my 5l starter and lost .5 gal to blowoff hence the 5 gal into secondary. It's sitting on 2oz of oak cubes right now which I understand is about the Max for 5 gal. I don't want to add oak cubes to bottling just the extra bourbon. I'm learning a 5 gal fermenter really isn't 5 gal and next tome I do a beer This big to take more into fermenter to account for blowoff loss. Hope Thia helps us or me figure out what to do with this. I'm leaning on letting it sit for another week then bottling and long teem bottle conditioning/ageing.

 

[olotti]

Any other thoughts would b much help. Where do I go from here. Bottle This now and long term bottle condition? ???? Or leave it and risk it a little longer.

 

[sloanfamilydsm]

Nothing wrong with bottle conditioning. Once you've got enough oak flavor, or a couple weeks tops have passed, bottle it up! I did a spiced ale that I let sit 2-3 weeks in the wrong size secondary and still turned out great

 

[SHbrewing]

Is this to much headspace?

 

[LeftyRighty]

why not just add a Tbsp or two of sugar when first moved to the secondary - that should generate enough CO2 to prevent oxigenation.

 

[Yooper]

why not just add a Tbsp or two of sugar when first moved to the secondary - that should generate enough CO2 to prevent oxigenation.

No, it won't. Not long term anyway- the laws of physics mean that the c02 and the other air in the headspace will mix equally, and the c02 will still dissipate. Short term, it's fine.

For long term aging, either very little (no) headspace is necessary, or bottling. Beer ages just fine in a bottle.

 

[olotti]

No, it won't. Not long term anyway- the laws of physics mean that the c02 and the other air in the headspace will mix equally, and the c02 will still dissipate. Short term, it's fine.

For long term aging, either very little (no) headspace is necessary, or bottling. Beer ages just fine in a bottle.

So Yoop with this amount of headspace I have how long would you risk keeping this in secondary. I dble checked and I only have 4.5 Gal in the secondary not the 5 I thought. I know I won't be able to age it the 4-6 months as planned with the headspace I have but is there as much risk with shorter term 1-2 months ageing or should I just not even play with fire and just bottle it, age it and chalk it up to a learning process.

 

[Yooper]

So Yoop with this amount of headspace I have how long would you risk keeping this in secondary. I dble checked and I only have 4.5 Gal in the secondary not the 5 I thought. I know I won't be able to age it the 4-6 months as planned with the headspace I have but is there as much risk with shorter term 1-2 months ageing or should I just not even play with fire and just bottle it, age it and chalk it up to a learning process.

If it's oaked enough (you are oaking it, right?), then I"d bottle. If it still needs more time on the oak, I"d consider adding more and then bottling it when it's enough oak.

If you look at all the "is this infected?" photos on this forum, it's always a beer with a ton of headspace. There are a lot of oxygen loving microbes out there, from mold to lactobacillus and I think aging long term in a carboy with a lot of headspace is playing with fire. Of course, I'm an old winemaker, and I have about 15 carboys right now of wine that has been in carboys since last fall, over a year. They are all topped up and covered with a towel to block light, and are fine.

 

[olotti]

If it's oaked enough (you are oaking it, right?), then I"d bottle. If it still needs more time on the oak, I"d consider adding more and then bottling it when it's enough oak.

If you look at all the "is this infected?" photos on this forum, it's always a beer with a ton of headspace. There are a lot of oxygen loving microbes out there, from mold to lactobacillus and I think aging long term in a carboy with a lot of headspace is playing with fire. Of course, I'm an old winemaker, and I have about 15 carboys right now of wine that has been in carboys since last fall, over a year. They are all topped up and covered with a towel to block light, and are fine.

Yes its sitting on Bourbon soaked dark char oak cubes. So u think if the oak presence is not there another month would b ok without worrying to much about oxidation killing this beer that's what I'm more worried about, oxidation zapping the flavor from this. I'm set to do a taste next week at the 4 week mark so maybe ill try it and go from there.