Oxidation Is Real

[AZCoolerBrewer]

This keep your beer away from oxygen business has always seemed like hocus-pocus to me. I mean anchor brewing uses open fermentors.

So I filled a beer with my gravity sample and the last bubbling beer that came out of my syphon. Also the head space in this beer is about 1/4 of the bottle. I never intended to use this beer as a “good” beer, but just to check my carbonation and make sure that nothing went terribly wrong. It has been just over two weeks in the bottle and the taster bottle has really darkened compared to the other ones.

Its funny, I’m kind of excited to be able to test and find out how I will experience an oxidized beer. Maybe the flavor will be unaffected, but there is for sure a visible difference.

I took a picture and even though you can’t tell the beers have similar clarity, but the color difference is obvious.

So headspace, agitation and aeration do make a difference as far as oxidation is concerned.

 

[Sadu]

I always thought oxidation was the boogeyman too. Then one day I force carved a keg of IPA by setting the reg at 30psi and shaking 2 mins. But I forgot to purge the headspace after transfer. The taste difference between that beer and one from the same batch that went into a proper purged keg was crazy. My friends are usually polite but with this one they straight up hated it. Since then I've been much more careful and the beer has gotten very good ever since.
I think every little step you can take will make a difference.

 

[IslandLizard]

This keep your beer away from oxygen business has always seemed like hocus-pocus to me. I mean anchor brewing uses open fermentors.

Oxidation in beer, wine, mead, etc. is always bad, due to oxygen exposure at the wrong times. Now aeration or oxygenation is only needed when pitching yeast, but not before (during the mash or boil), or after fermentation has started.

Open fermentors are fine because as soon as fermentation starts, the beer is capped with a thick layer of (sticky) krausen and protected from air. The coolships get emptied into closed vessels right before krausen drops, and the brewers make sure there's no air exposure during transfer or afterward.

 

[homebrewer_99]

Oxidation in beer, wine, mead, etc. is always bad, due to oxygen exposure at the wrong times. Now aeration or oxygenation is only needed when pitching yeast, but not before (during the mash or boil), or after fermentation has started.

Open fermentors are fine because as soon as fermentation starts, the beer is capped with a thick layer of (sticky) krausen and protected from air. The coolships get emptied into closed vessels right before krausen drops, and the brewers make sure there's no air exposure during transfer or afterward.

I've known for decades that air is responsible for spoilage. When I make pudding/jello (eliminates the thick dried out skin), chicken salad, tuna salad, etc., I put a layer of plastic wrap right on it (in contact with) to keep the air off.

You can do this for almost anything that you put into a larger container before putting the lid on, even a bowl without a lid. Works every time.

 

[bbohanon]

Yup..tis real and why I tend to to all my racking post fermentation in a closed system as much as possible/rack into a CO2 purged keg, etc.
It matters in the end product.

I will also say this..alot of hocus pocus chatter with the LODO stuff, but the best Octoberfest I ever made was made using LODO methods but it was a total PITA to make and follow all the LODO rules on both the hot and cold side. I still dream about that beer from time to time.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

OMG, I just drank this beer and it was in the top 3 beers I’ve ever had. Every BJCP style guideline except one thing. Chill haze like crazy. I’m going to start instituting a protein rest.