Cold crashing and oxidation

[Kbar]

I've often wondered if filling a large party balloon with CO2 would do the trick..

Yes - May be a big balloon. That is essentially an Aperiodic Membrane then.

[Afterlab]

For those interested you could use items typically used for creating Cask Conditioned Real Ale:

Cask Air Filters are used to prevent unsterile cellar air to enter cask when dispensing ale from cask. It fits in the hole in the Shive where the Spiles are inserted.
or
Cask Breathers add carbon dioxide or nitrogen to cask as beer is being dispensed. It also fits in the hole in the Shive and replaces the air which normally enters as ale is removed.

Find the right bung to fit into your Carboy or Conical and hook up the appropriate size tubing and I would think you should be set.

[Ceejay]

I too started freaking out about this after the DIPA brewcaster challenge. I mainly brew West Coast style APA, IPA etc, and I bottle all of my beer, using a bottling bucket and wand, old school style.

Based on the discussion on the SS, it sounds like I really should omit the cold crash step (which I do before bottling) and just bottle straight after dry hopping & D-rest are done. Any cold crashing can be done after carbonation in the bottle. OK, so we're going to get more yeast and other particle matter into the bottle, but that is less important than eliminating oxidation, right?

Does anyone who bottle conditions use CO2 to flush the bottles first?

[Afterlab]

Based on the discussion on the SS, it sounds like I really should omit the cold crash step (which I do before bottling) and just bottle straight after dry hopping & D-rest are done. Any cold crashing can be done after carbonation in the bottle. OK, so we're going to get more yeast and other particle matter into the bottle, but that is less important than eliminating oxidation, right?

Unfortunately it's hard to avoid on a homebrew scale because the same fluxes in pressure that take place in the airlock and headspace of a carboy take place with the crown cap and neck space of a bottled beer. I wouldn't skip the cold crashing step because the more organic particles you leave floating in your beer bottle the more particles you have that are subject to oxidation and bacterial contamination. Yeast won't do anything with that sediment but bacteria most definitely will if given the chance. Not to mention you brewed a beer because you wanted to taste Malts, Hops, Yeast and Water, not proteins, lipids and miscellaneous colloids. I say do what you can to get the beer cleared up, carbonate warm and then store the bottles in a cold temperature-stable environment. Or simply the process by kegging

Something worth looking into is dry hopping with a portion of aromatic hops that have a high percentage of Beta Acids. Beta Acids oxidize quickly and could theoretically "take a hit" in place of other compounds you don't want to oxidize.

[Ozwald]

Personally I think it's being made way too complicated & adding all sorts of unnecessary equipment. If you're kegging, let it settle in the fermenter as best as possible. Give it an extra day or two, it won't hurt anything. Purge your keg with CO2 & transfer warm. Put a bit of pressure on it. Done. When you crash, the head pressure will drop, but you won't create a vacuum to suck anything in even if there was a way. Your biggest risk of oxidation at that point is the tubing.

If you're just drinking it at home, pour off the first pint which is what you'd be leaving in the bottom anyways. If you have to take the keg somewhere later then I would transfer to another one.

If you want to mess around with all sorts of different equipment & whatever, that's cool, but if you're just looking for an easy way to crash with out sucking in air or sani, there's no reason to reinvent the bright tank.

[Ceejay]

Ok, thanks AL.

One thing that intreagues me, is I'm listening to the brew strong episode on bottling & kegging. At the back end of the show, Jamil states "you have to really mistreat a beer for oxidation to be a problem". So, in order for oxidation to be the main thing that was wrong with Moscow's beer, does that infer that cold-crashing in the fermenter is tantamount to mistreatment? Or was there something else which caused major oxidation in Moscow's beer that hasn't been discussed?

[Afterlab]

So, in order for oxidation to be the main thing that was wrong with Moscow's beer, does that infer that cold-crashing in the fermenter is tantamount to mistreatment? Or was there something else which caused major oxidation in Moscow's beer that hasn't been discussed?

Keep in mind Moscow has only been homebrewing for a short while so inexperience and/or lack of understanding of post fermentation processes likely played the largest factor. I'm sure if he were to brew the same IIPA a year or two down the road oxidation wouldn't be an issue.

[Stinkfist]

Anyone know of a solution somewhere between a large balloon and a $120 dollar cask Breather? I can't find a regulator that will go that low that isn't $300+ dollars...Doesn't seem like it would be a very difficult part to make...I would think something would already exist that would serve this purpose...that isn't crazy expensive?

Can someone tell me what makes that piece of plastic $120?