One last Cold crash Question

[sherwicf]

Couldn't find this one answered anywhere:

While cold crashing, if you are sucking in air into the carboy is this not an issue? Or is CO2 heavier than air so it wont disrupt the CO2 bed on top of the fermented beer?

 

[tektonjp]

I don't think there will be that much air moving around that you'll need to worry about.

 

[youreanimpulse]

I've seen folks post about possible oxidation from cold crashing. It definitely sucks in air, and in an open system this air mixes with the CO2. I don't do it now for that reason.

 

[AnOldUR]

 

[tektonjp]

Well, use your visual imagery skills. Cold crashing takes hours. It's a slow process. Whatever air might get sucked it is not moving fast, not so fast that it would probably mix up the heavier layer of co2 and sneak into the beer. And, after all, it's just beer, not plutonium. Relax.

 

[day_trippr]

Whatever air that gets in will mix with whatever CO2 was already in there - the mythical "CO2 blanket" is just that - a myth. Whether that air will cause issues is debatable...

Cheers!

 

[number40fan]

Have you never popped the lid off of a fermenter and stuck your head down in there and took a sniff?

Not O2 burning your nostril.

 

[day_trippr]

And that's relevant - how?

Introduce air into that fermenter and the CO2 will be diluted by the air in short order. It's called kinetic motion, and gas molecules are full of it

Cheers!

 

[biochemedic]

funny, I was just thinking about this tonight...trying to think how you could work out a ball lock input attached to or integrated into a stopper, and you could put this to 1-2 psi on a paintball co2 canister...should keep the airspace of the carboy filled/pressure equalized as the liquid contracts during cooling...