Hop Randal experiments not good

[Danscraftbeer]

So this is kegmented beer that's finished naturally carbonated, then chilled, then transferred to serving kegs that's in the pic. Dry hopping with pressure fermented/carbonated technique is limited to dry hopping in the serving keg IMO which works quite well (as long as you put the hop sock in the serving keg before its filled, and remove it after 5 to 7 days) but I had to try the Randal technique and have to say I'm disappointed. The picture above I used 60g Gallaxy flowers that I also chopped up to help release the lupilin etc. Filled one of the two serving kegs via the Randal. The beer that wasn't run through the Randal was good.
In theory this is the same as running your beer through the Randal to the tap.
I also tried the Randal inline to the tap as well and was disappointed. One thing you cant seem to purge it of gas bubbles. So when fizzy beer goes through it releases bubbles and flattens the beer somewhat. Lots of froth inside the randal etc. very slow transfer too.
As for flavours it was not complimentary. It was kinda grassy, vegetal flavour.
I tried it with Victoria flowers too but I'm not a great fan of Victoria hop flavour anyhow but it was kinda gross.

Anyway we cant always share successes. I've quickly read through older threads on this but they go back years now.

Any more recent development or tricks on this technique for success?

Cheers
Dan

 

[Danscraftbeer]

To add I used the standard silicon hose fits into the outflow hole inside the Randal so it draws from the bottom which gets a less frothy outflow.
I also switched this to try it the other way around as well so the beer enters at the bottom and pushed out the top. Neither way got good results.
The Galaxy power flavour just did not come through. Were did it go? I just don't know. :unsure:

 

[Coldspace]

Watching with interest....

 

[malt junkie]

So this is kegmented beer that's finished naturally carbonated, then chilled, then transferred to serving kegs that's in the pic. Dry hopping with pressure fermented/carbonated technique is limited to dry hopping in the serving keg IMO which works quite well (as long as you put the hop sock in the serving keg before its filled, and remove it after 5 to 7 days) but I had to try the Randal technique and have to say I'm disappointed. The picture above I used 60g Gallaxy flowers that I also chopped up to help release the lupilin etc. Filled one of the two serving kegs via the Randal. The beer that wasn't run through the Randal was good.
In theory this is the same as running your beer through the Randal to the tap.
I also tried the Randal inline to the tap as well and was disappointed. One thing you cant seem to purge it of gas bubbles. So when fizzy beer goes through it releases bubbles and flattens the beer somewhat. Lots of froth inside the randal etc. very slow transfer too.
As for flavours it was not complimentary. It was kinda grassy, vegetal flavour.
I tried it with Victoria flowers too but I'm not a great fan of Victoria hop flavour anyhow but it was kinda gross.

Anyway we cant always share successes. I've quickly read through older threads on this but they go back years now.

Any more recent development or tricks on this technique for success?

Cheers
Dan

At the last swap Yob brought along a keg of highly hopped IPA and I mean right on the edge of way too bitter, he then hooked up the randal (chinook from memory) to the same keg. The difference was like night and day, from something most would near turn their nose up at; to something that was more than quite drinkable. The randal has it's place; learning where that it is is key to it's use. I've been to 2 Vic swaps and both times Yob's randal improved a beer, saying that I don't believe it improved a few others it go hitched to over those week ends.

2c

I'll be building one soon happy to share experiences.

Mike

 

[Mardoo]

Very interesting point Malt Junkie. I'm in the process of trying to jam some extra bits I have lying around into a hop torpedo/randall combo. I'll be watching too.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

I have to add the Hop Flowers I used were good. All the part of the loss in this experiment.
Can Co2 release in the hop leaf mass be bad? I thought it may be good but no..
I'm thinking the trick is a good water lock so to speak. Excuse my lack of vocabulary's.
May be you need in and out stems to be submerged? To reduce friction that disrupt the carbonation?
I just couldn't get a good priming in the brakes yuno. Air in the fuel line or sumpin and it turned the flavour to ****.
It cant be oxygen, or can it? I purged as much as possible but I thought just running through some beer will be the purge of oxygen anyway.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

Is there reference to Yobs Randal set up? haha, that could sound so bad. :lol:
But seriously I must be missing something here. I consider having to dry hop with 6g/l is excessively crazy and surely not what some of the best craft brewers could afford to do is it? Its about Hop efficiency really.

 

[malt junkie]

Yob did post some pic's in the Hopdealz thread, he got some fresh local flowers in late last week, should be on the last page or 2 of that thread.