I have recruited a new beer nerd to our brewing ranks. Like many, the first kit he chose was a hop bomb (NB’s Pliny kit). I was thinking about how to make sure his beer would retain as much hops aroma/flavor as possible, and my thought turned to oxidation. He doesn’t keg (yet), but would it do any good to stick a flame of some sort into the carboy and burn up all the o2? I’m thinking like a long wooden skewer?
Or this could be the dumbest idea ever.
Interesting idea, but probably more risk than its worth. I’d feel worried about ash/soot falling in. Anyway, CO2 will come out of solution, displacing oxygen. Although, now that you have me thinking, one could flush CO2 into the carboy… If a guy didn’t keg, he could use a canister with a bike tire inflator or something. Still probably of little benefit, though.
Once the beer starts fermenting, it’s protected by CO2 - where you mostly need to worry about oxidation is in post-fermentation transfers and handling. Proper siphoning technique, flushing the receiving vessel, either a secondary or a keg, with CO2 prior to transfer, and blanketing the transferred beer with CO2 will minimize any oxidation.
right, no i understand that its not a concern when fermenting, but my mind turned to him minimizing chances for oxidation when transferring to brite or bottling bucket. He doesn’t have a kegging setup (nor a CO2 tank), so i was thinking of other ways to displace (or exhaust) oxygen in the bottling bucket or carboy subsequent to fermentation.
If you are careful enough in your transfers, bottling etc (i.e. not splashing around all crazy) is there really a problem to solve?
I’m kind of paranoid about oxidation, particularly with hoppy beers, so I personally purge every vessel I transfer to.
However, being that this is the guy’s first batch, and regardless of whether he decides to CO2-purge, he will have 5 gallons of hoppy beer…so yeah, there may not be a problem to solve…
I think you have a solution in search of a problem.
I don’t think this is anything to worry about. Oxidation, if it’s even present, takes a while to show itself and the beer will most likely be consumed before then.
I haven’t tried this, but it seems like a better/cleaner way to introduce CO2 than a flame (provided you don’t pour the mixture into the beer!) if that’s what you really want to do.
http://youtu.be/b_qdkKnftt8yes if consumption is the problem THEN that I can help out with…
