Oxidation from dry hopping with Brew Bucket

[Muz]

Hi all,

I've just tapped my latest IPA which I put a lot of effort into and... it's oxidised as f@*k. Gutted.

Still, trying to see this as a opportunity to improve my process. It's either than or crying.

The main thing that was different with this brew was that I was using my new Brew Bucket (BB) rather than my old glass carboy. I use a CO2 filled balloon when transferring to a purged keg so I'm confident minimal O2 exposure is happening there.

I'm pretty sure the cause was when I opened the huge lid to the BB to add my dry hop at 7 days. When I did this in the carboy the opening was pretty small so I'm guessing far less O2 gets in that way compared to opening the BB lid.

I've read that I can avoid this by dry hopping while primary fermentation is still active as fermentation continues to utilise O2 and produce CO2. However, I've also read that dry hopping while fermentation is still active isn't anywhere near as effective.

I'm considering transferring my beer to a purged keg with the dry hop already in it but I'm going to need to buy another keg to make this work. I also wondering if adding an extra transfer is just another way of getting O2 exposure. How is everyone else dry hopping to avoid oxidation? - particularly those with brew buckets.

Cheers,

Brian.

 

[beer gut]

I’ve been using Ss brew buckets since March, I have 2 now. I dry hop just by taking the lid off normally and I don’t pressure transfer to my kegs, I just use a bit of 8mm hose to a beer disconnect onto the out post into a purged keg.
So far I haven’t had any problems with oxidation.... touch wood.

 

[TwoCrows]

Dry hop one day before the end of fermentation and the Co2 displaces the O2 .

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Hi all,

I've just tapped my latest IPA which I put a lot of effort into and... it's oxidised as f@*k. Gutted.

Still, trying to see this as a opportunity to improve my process. It's either than or crying.

The main thing that was different with this brew was that I was using my new Brew Bucket (BB) rather than my old glass carboy. I use a CO2 filled balloon when transferring to a purged keg so I'm confident minimal O2 exposure is happening there.

I'm pretty sure the cause was when I opened the huge lid to the BB to add my dry hop at 7 days. When I did this in the carboy the opening was pretty small so I'm guessing far less O2 gets in that way compared to opening the BB lid.

I've read that I can avoid this by dry hopping while primary fermentation is still active as fermentation continues to utilise O2 and produce CO2. However, I've also read that dry hopping while fermentation is still active isn't anywhere near as effective.

I'm considering transferring my beer to a purged keg with the dry hop already in it but I'm going to need to buy another keg to make this work. I also wondering if adding an extra transfer is just another way of getting O2 exposure. How is everyone else dry hopping to avoid oxidation? - particularly those with brew buckets.


Cheers,

Brian.

I have posted Peter Wolfes thesis on dry hopping several times on this forum, Google and you will find. Here is Braukaiser's response.
http://braukaiser.com/blog/blog/2012/12/12/interesting-paper-on-dry-hopping/

 

[Peter can box]

Dry hop one day before the end of fermentation and the Co2 displaces the O2 .

Not quite,
CO2 is denser than O2, yes. But the gases particles mix together as soon as they come in contact with one another.
ie you open the lid, oxygen from the air (a small amount albeit) will enter the fermenter.
If the wort is still fermenting the O2 should be consumed in the reaction and produce CO2, so nothing to worry about.
If fermentation’s finished then oxidisation will occur leading to degradation of flavour.

 

[TheSumOfAllBeers]

Once you open the lid you will create a large vortex that will mix the air and co2 quite well.

A carboy has a small port (as does any FV with a dry hopping port etc) so this mixing does not happen to the same degree.

Your options are limited, but you could transfer bright beer to the carboy (purged) and dry hop in that.

 

[Schikitar]

If fermentation is complete then you could add potassium or sodium metabisulfite as you dry hop, from my (very limited) understanding it will scavenge O2 and aid in the stability and shelf life of your beer. Don't crucify me for posting a Brulosophy link but I did find this interesting (and wasn't the only place I read about it) - http://brulosophy.com/2019/02/11/po...at-packaging-has-on-beer-exbeeriment-results/ - not sure if anyone here has any firsthand experience with this but I was planning to try it out on my next brew..

 

[huez]

interesting read @Schikitar i'm not a huge fan of brulosophy but that have some interesting articles sometimes.

@Muz can you post your recipe? A lot of homebrewers dry hop this way and win medals in comps, i wouldn't be blaming the process until checking the recipe.

 

[MikeHell]

I've never used CO2 when transferring/racking (often triple racking) wort, and have opened the lid througout fermentation more often then not, and have still made comp winning brews. We've been making beer for thousands of years with seemingly no issues, why does it seem such an issue now?

Hi all,

I've just tapped my latest IPA which I put a lot of effort into and... it's oxidised as f@*k. Gutted.

Still, trying to see this as a opportunity to improve my process. It's either than or crying.

The main thing that was different with this brew was that I was using my new Brew Bucket (BB) rather than my old glass carboy. I use a CO2 filled balloon when transferring to a purged keg so I'm confident minimal O2 exposure is happening there.

I'm pretty sure the cause was when I opened the huge lid to the BB to add my dry hop at 7 days. When I did this in the carboy the opening was pretty small so I'm guessing far less O2 gets in that way compared to opening the BB lid.

I've read that I can avoid this by dry hopping while primary fermentation is still active as fermentation continues to utilise O2 and produce CO2. However, I've also read that dry hopping while fermentation is still active isn't anywhere near as effective.

I'm considering transferring my beer to a purged keg with the dry hop already in it but I'm going to need to buy another keg to make this work. I also wondering if adding an extra transfer is just another way of getting O2 exposure. How is everyone else dry hopping to avoid oxidation? - particularly those with brew buckets.

Cheers,

Brian.

 

[donald_trub]

What characteristics are you getting that lead you to believe it's oxidised? Maybe you're looking at a different problem.