Beer Forum

After listening to the most recent brewcaster challenge I am wondering if my beers are being exposed to oxygen. I have always crashed my beer in glass carboys with s shape air locks at 34 degrees for a few days prior to kegging/bottling. Is this method ok or should I skip this and just crash in the keg? I was concerned about clogging the dip tube on my kegs if I didn't crash before kegging especially with an ipa or dipa.

rossiski wrote:After listening to the most recent brewcaster challenge I am wondering if my beers are being exposed to oxygen. I have always crashed my beer in glass carboys with s shape air locks at 34 degrees for a few days prior to kegging/bottling. Is this method ok or should I skip this and just crash in the keg? I was concerned about clogging the dip tube on my kegs if I didn't crash before kegging especially with an ipa or dipa.

disclaimer....I have not listened to the most recent episode. I currently cold crash in kegs. But i used to only cold crash in carboys. I cold crashed about 20'ish batches in carboys and lost one to oxidation, and that was a double IPA.

My opinion is:
1) cold crashing in the keg is better, but your probably fine doing it in a carboy.
2) Hoppy beers are more prone to oxidation
3) If i dry hop in the carboy i use pellets, and leave enough beer on the bottom to insure i don't suck up any hop matter.

2nd disclaimer.....I'm drunk and this may not make since....

The oxidation comes frm the airlock being emptied right? So what about haveing a blow off tube rigged to the carbouy when you crash chill?

The oxidation comes frm the airlock being emptied right? So what about haveing a blow off tube rigged to the carbouy when you crash chill?

The blow off hose will suck up the sanitizer, or whatever the other end is submerged in, unless it long enough to hold the volume that the beer contracts. I think I heard 4% thrown out on the show. (Of course, that would vary with how cold you drop it.) 4% of 5.5 gallons is almost a quart. If the blow off hose couldn't hold a quart, the balance would end up in the beer.

I too was of the opinion that my cold crash method was ok until I heard JZ say "oh, no, no, no" (gasses mix). I usually crack the seal of my lid before CC thinking that the fermentor's CO2 blanket on the beer will protect my brew from O2. Seems like I may be wrong.

love

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Personally I only crash under pressure.

Im trying to figure out why cold crashing would cause a large amount of air to be sucked into the carboy?? Are we saying Boyle's Law causes this? I think it is a very small amount of air movement and oxygen contact, especially compared to the transfer of the fermented beer to bottles or a keg. Hoppy beers are more likely to be oxidized because of the oxygen introduced during late hop additions right... I seem to remember Palmer and JZ downplaying this effect when talking about transferring to a bottling bucket if done with minimal splashing. I guess need to listen to this podcast now...

crashlann wrote:Im trying to figure out why cold crashing would cause a large amount of air to be sucked into the carboy?? Are we saying Boyle's Law causes this? I think it is a very small amount of air movement and oxygen contact, especially compared to the transfer of the fermented beer to bottles or a keg.:

Just had this happen. 2 quarts of sanitizer into the conical. 1/2" line that is 30" long (5.9 cuin). Drained the bucket of those 2 quarts. Damn it!!!!

Will still keg and try it though