Question minimizing oxidation for bottled Hazy IPA

[Dukeoprunz]

All:

I’m thinking about making a hazy IPA for my next recipe and understand that one of the things I want to do is minimize oxidization. However, I am not making the leap into kegging - it’s not practical given space limitations. So I’m strategizing how to purge O2 on a budget.

I ran across this inert gas bottle sparger in a couple of places on the web. I have a SodaStream with CO2 tanks - assume there is either a connector I can get or I can find other CO2 tank solutions that work. I have siphonless Big Mouth Bubblers (primary and secondary). CO2 is heavier than air. So here’s an outline of a procedure:

• If I have to open a fermenter to dry hop, squirt some CO2 into the headspace as soon as I open - should be a good insulation layer.
• If I have to transfer from primary to secondary (which I may not even have to?), squirt a layer of CO2 into secondary and run a hose from the spigot to the bottom of the secondary - there should be a blanket of CO2 insulating the beer as it transfers.
• When I bottle, first purge the bottles with the CO2 and I should be OK - if I wanted to be a maniac, I could still connect a bottling wand from the spigot to have the first contact with the outside be inside the CO2 layer.

Does this sound like this would do the trick? Has anyone found a better way?

Eric.

 

[Craigerrr]

If you dry hop while there is still active fermentation, I wouldn't worry about purging the headspace. In fact with a NEIPA, you want to dry hop during peak fermentation.

There is no need to transfer to a secondary, if you have a spigot in your fermenter, you could bottle from there if you add sugar or carb drops to the bottles. Transferring to a bottling bucket however, is an easy way to do a batch prime (add the required sugar to bucket).

Purging bottles prior to filling is a good idea with NEIPA.

The idea of a blanket of Co2 isn't really feasible. The Co2 will mix with the air if you just "squirt" some as you describe.

 

[Craigerrr]

Caveat
I have not done much bottling for a while. While I do brew NEIPA'S, I have never bottled one. I have read though that it is a good style to bottle condition, I think David Heath may have a video on this.

 

[Mark Farrall]

A lot of long time keggers forget about the O2 scavenging potential of yeast and assume bottling will create astoundingly oxidised beers. The yeast will absorb most of the O2 you introduce in bottling if you're fairly careful. That doesn't mean you can't introduce more oxygen than is helpful prior to bottling.

For the dry hop, Craig's suggestion is the approach I (and most people) use.

I only use a secondary if I'm doing something that requires weeks to months of fermentation on fruit or microbes.

Don't cold crash unless you've got some way to capture some CO2 during the fermentation as cold crashing will suck in atmosphere.

To avoid bulk priming and the use of a bottling bucket I make up a sugar solution and squirt 10 mL of it into each bottle with a plastic syringe. But I'm generally using larger bottles and smaller batches. I can see that getting annoying for a large batch and smaller bottles.

Instead of that inert gas bottle sparger I'd look at a counter pressure bottle filler or a bottling gun - https://www.morebeer.com/search?search=bottle+filler.

I've used the bottling gun in the past and I've stopped using it as it was a lot of hassle. I prefer to have a fermenter that can take some pressure. I connect the CO2 to the fermenter and keep the pressure at 1-2 PSI and use a bottling wand attached to the fermenter and a bit of gravity. So the only thing I'm missing is purging the bottle before filling and I'm more than happy with that trade off.

I also keg and when I'm kegging I'm now using keg conditioning as a way of scavenging the oxygen.

 

[Dukeoprunz]

Great feedback - as I look through all this the theme seems to be put priming sugar directly into the bottle rather than bulk priming (good tip), be careful and non-sloshy when I rack, and the yeast should take care of the rest? Perhaps easier than I thought it was....

Eric.

 

[Hawkbox]

I use 1/8tsp of Sodium Metabusulphite in my kegs to neutralize O2, not sure what that would do to your yeast though for bottling.

Edit: I think you can run on the assumption the yeast will handle the rest for you if you're careful.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

The most simple means whereby to avoid the ravages of oxidation is to begin with a LOX-Less base malt. Lipoxygenase (LOX) is a major oxidation culprit.

 

[Northshore]

I am in the same situation and my primary beer of choice these days is the NEIPA. For my last batch I tried fermenting in a bucket with a spigot in lieu of my glass carboy. The thought being that I won't introduce as much oxygen into the beer when transferring to a bottling bucket. The trade off is that you need to prime directly to the bottles rather than batch priming. I mixed up a measured dose of corn sugar to to get the desired CO2 volume per bottle and added it one bottle at a time. This was nerve wracking but it worked out okay.

I also filled the bottles to the top and left no head space that the bottling wand normally leaves behind. I am 5 weeks out from bottling and the beer looks as good today as it did the day I bottled them. This is in stark contrast to my previous batch where I did a batch prime in a separate bucket and left the 1" head space. It which was delicious for the first 2 weeks and murky and undrinkable by week 4. Lastly, I also moved the bottles to the fridge as soon as an acceptable level of carbonation formed.

 

[Craigerrr]

I recently bottled part of a couple of batches. I did a closed transfer to a keg, then filled the bottles with a bottling wand from the keg. I measured out the sugar for each bottle individually.
This only helps if you have the equipment mind you, but it sounds like you have Co2. If you do, you could also get a used keg pretty cheap, then you can batch prime too. I may just try this with a whole batch this spring, bottled beer for camping!

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

An example of a LOX (lipoxygenase) free base malt that is available at retail:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/viking-pilsner-malt-55-lb-sack.html

And a generalized summary of how a LOX free malt (potentially not the specific one mentioned above) performed.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1094/CC-83-0250

In fairness, other studies have indicated the presence of higher levels of acetaldehyde in beers brewed with LOX free malt.

 

[Nosybear]

An example of a LOX (lipoxygenase) free base malt that is available at retail:

https://www.morebeer.com/products/viking-pilsner-malt-55-lb-sack.html

And a generalized summary of how a LOX free malt (potentially not the specific one mentioned above) performed.

https://www.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1094/CC-83-0250

In fairness, other studies have indicated the presence of higher levels of acetaldehyde in beers brewed with LOX free malt.

Great if you're making Budweiser.... I haven't tried these malts, our LHBS doesn't carry them. I am intrigued by the idea of adding meta to anything I brew along the lines of an IPA or particularly NEIPA but otherwise have had little problem with oxidation from using common-sense handling and purging tanks before filling them.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

Great if you're making Budweiser....

Pilser malt can be used as the base malt for any style of beer.

 

[Nosybear]

Pilser malt can be used as the base malt for any style of beer.

I was referring to the acetaldehyde.

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

For those of you with a BYO subscription, Colin Kaminski has written a nice article on LOX-less malts.

https://byo.com/article/lox-less-malts-their-impact-on-staling-and-head-retention/

 

[Brewer #409343]

All:

I’m thinking about making a hazy IPA for my next recipe and understand that one of the things I want to do is minimize oxidization. However, I am not making the leap into kegging - it’s not practical given space limitations. So I’m strategizing how to purge O2 on a budget.

I ran across this inert bottle filling machine in a couple of places on the web. I have a SodaStream with CO2 tanks - assume there is either a connector I can get or I can find other CO2 tank solutions that work. I have siphonless Big Mouth Bubblers (primary and secondary). CO2 is heavier than air. So here’s an outline of a procedure:

• If I have to open a fermenter to dry hop, squirt some CO2 into the headspace as soon as I open - should be a good insulation layer.
• If I have to transfer from primary to secondary (which I may not even have to?), squirt a layer of CO2 into secondary and run a hose from the spigot to the bottom of the secondary - there should be a blanket of CO2 insulating the beer as it transfers.
• When I bottle, first purge the bottles with the CO2 and I should be OK - if I wanted to be a maniac, I could still connect a bottling wand from the spigot to have the first contact with the outside be inside the CO2 layer.

Does this sound like this would do the trick? Has anyone found a better way?

Eric.

Your strategy seems well thought out for minimizing oxidation in a non-kegging setup. Purging the headspace with CO2 during various stages is a good practice to create a protective layer. When dry hopping or transferring between fermenters, introducing CO2 will help displace oxygen. Purging bottles before filling is a smart move as well. Consider checking the connections to ensure a tight seal, especially when using the SodaStream CO2. Some homebrewers also use a blanket of CO2 from a controlled flow to maintain a protective atmosphere during transfers. Experiment with small batches to fine-tune your process and see how the beer turns out. It's great to see the dedication to quality even in a space-limited, non-kegging setup. Cheers to your hazy IPA brewing adventure!