Topping Up With Carbonated Water In Secondary?

[Protos]

I'm fermenting a batch with a top-cropping yeast and plan to harvest the yeast soon. I usually ferment in carboys but this time I needed a bucket fermenter, and the only one I have is too small for the full batch, so I made a high-gravity wort planning to dilute it at the racking to secondary. Small top-ups at bottling (like 10-15%) is something I do quite often with no ill results, but this time the dilution rate is significant (about 30%), which increases the risk of Oxydation.
As I understand after reading brewing forums it's impossible to drive enough Oxygen off water just by boiling it at home.
Also I saw some suggestions to use Distilled Water for that matter, but I don't think it's true, I can't see how the lack of minerals may decrease the dissolved Oxygen level.

What do you think of Carbonated Non-Mineral Bottled Water?
Does it have a lower level of Dissolved Oxygen?
Is it safer for topping-up the wort in the secondary?

I'm not into Low-Oxygen-Brewing, just want to know if Carbonated water presents less Oxydation risk than the still water. And I can't find a definitive answer nowhere.

 

[Miraculix]

It might make your beer foam. And if the "once it foamed, it won't foam again" myth is true, you might decrease the head of the beer this way.

I would just add a bit of sugar like two or three hours prior to diluting it to get the yeast going again and then throw in the dilution water. The oxygen will be scavenged by the yeast this way.

 

[Protos]

Thanks! That makes sence.
That's why I was going to dilute at racking, not at bottling: I hoped the remaining yeast would use up the dissolved Oxygen. And then some knowlegeable guy on other forum noted that the yeast wouldn't use up much of Oxygen beyond the active multiplication phase.
But, if I cheer the yeast up with a bit of sugar as you suggest, that might work.

 

[Miraculix]

Thanks! That makes sence.
That's why I was going to dilute at racking, not at bottling: I hoped the remaining yeast would use up the dissolved Oxygen. And then some knowlegeable guy on other forum noted that the yeast wouldn't use up much of Oxygen beyond the active multiplication phase.
But, if I cheer the yeast up with a bit of sugar as you suggest, that might work.

Yes, it needs something to eat, otherwise it won't use up the oxygen. And I would give them a bit of time to get going again, otherwise the oxygen will do it's thing while the yeast hasn't even realised that there is food on the table.

 

[Protos]

Great, this problem seems to be solved.
Anyway, what do you think of Oxygen content of Carbonated water relative to Still water?
Is it same or lower?

 

[Miraculix]

Great, this problem seems to be solved.
Anyway, what do you think of Oxygen content of Carbonated water relative to Still water?
Is it same or lower?

Same.

 

[bwible]

Carbonated water may have different mineral content, high sodium, etc as its often used for mixed drinks. They can be labelled differently. Seltzer vs Tonic water. And I think there are other names they use for carbonated water.

 

[Protos]

I was thinking of using a plain non-mineral non-flavoured carbonated water. The particular brand I wanted to use is released in both flat and carbonated forms, same water. I used the non-carbonated version extensively before I started building water myself, it's quite good.