I want to move my beer off the trub for bottling but I don't want to risk oxidation. I'd also prefer to bulk prime which seems impossible without racking but willing to forgo it depending on what standard practice is. What's the lesser evil here?
Rack to secondary for bottling?
- Thread starter yoboseyo
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You'll need a bucket with a spigot for bottling to attach the tubing for the bottling wand to. Bulk prime in there with sugar/water solution while racking the beer from primary. With the racking tube wound half-way around the bottom of the bottling bucket, it'll induce a swirl to stir it all together as it racks over. Then bottle away!
I have all that equipment and can do that. I take it that oxidation is time dependent and racking to bottling bucket just for priming and bottling isn't going to cause beer to be exposed to much oxygen? Are concerns about oxidation in secondary is all to do with leaving beer sitting with headspace for prolonged periods of time?
No, it's the splashing, etc that mixes oxygen with the fermented beer. Thus why a racking tube is used, if the fermenter has a spigot. Or an auto siphon from fermenter to bottling bucket. pour priming solution into the bottling bucket & rack beer onto that. Or start racking beer into the bottling bucket, then, when a couple inches worth has racked over, pour in priming solution & finish racking the beer in.
If you have CO2 available, you can purge the bottling bucket before you pass the beer into it. Just pump some CO2 into the thing to displace the bulk of the oxygen. Probably doesn't actually prevent much oxidation, but it makes me feel better!
flars
Well-Known Member
The beer can be oxidized in the bottling bucket because of the large surface area exposed to the air. This will take multiple days in the bottling bucket though. Oxidation will not happen in the time frame it takes to rack to the bottling bucket and fill the bottles.
+1 on flars reply. It won't oxidize in the time it takes for the racking tube to fill the bucket while bulk priming & bottling.
The CO2 actually won't displace the air it will just mix with it.
I've never bottled... however, with the natural carbing you have a little more leeway than the guys kegging on O2 levels as the yeast will consume some of it rather quickly
Yep, your being paranoid. Just don't splash, do an nice gentle transfer and you'll be fine.
Kerrbrewer
I just wanna brew!
If I plan on bottling a full 5 gallon batch of beer, i always rack to a 5 gallon secondary for at least a week. I know many here say it's unecessary, but we drink right out of the bottles and I have very little bottle trub when I do it that way. Ive gotten it to the point that we can drink the whole beer. Be sanitary and careful and you will not infect or oxidize your beer. YMMV
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