Bottle Conditioning IPAs & Oxidation Prevention

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by Prospero, Aug 1, 2016.

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What method do you use to prevent oxidation?

Poll closed Aug 31, 2016.
  1. Fill and use oxygen barrier caps like usual

    3 vote(s)
    42.9%
  2. Keg and bottle wand when needed

    3 vote(s)
    42.9%
  3. Other, please reply

    1 vote(s)
    14.3%
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  1. Prospero

    Prospero Pooh-Bah (2,606) Jul 27, 2010 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    So I'm bottling an IPA and my normal process is to just fill and cap, assuming 50% or so of the oxygen will get utilized by the yeast to make alcohol and CO2 to force carb the bottle and condition. I also use oxygen barrier caps.

    My question is, would it help after filling and removing the bottling wand, to blow food-grade CO2 into the head space of the bottle before capping? Or is that residual oxygen/air needed for bottle conditioning? I'm trying to stave off oxidation as long as possible w/out going a full keg/bottling gun route.

    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    @Prospero as you likely already know the ‘best’ way to package a hoppy beer is via kegging whereby the beer is entirely moved (transferred) via a closed CO2 method.

    I have been homebrewing for over 20 years and hoppy beers are the single most prevalent style I make. I typically homebrew at least four batches of IPA a year; last year I produced six batches of hoppy beers (APA/IPA/DIPA). I bottle all of my beers so needless to say I do not perform a ‘best’ practice with respect to packaging here.

    My consistent experience is that my hoppy beer reach their peak of flavor around 4-5 weeks post the bottling date and then the beer slowly experiences a slow death due to hop fade. By the 2 month mark (post bottling) the hop aroma is noticeably faded. By the 3 month mark the hop flavor is starting to go. FWIW I notice this same progression in commercial IPAs (e.g., Stone IPA).

    I typically use regular bottle caps. I have ‘experimented’ with oxygen absorbing bottle caps a couple of times but frankly I did not notice much difference in terms of how the hoppy beers ‘evolve’ over time. Maybe they are a benefit but personally I am not convinced.

    Some technique/method suggestions:

    · Perform any transfers (e.g., primary to bottling bucket) as gently as possible. Avoid splashing.

    · If you have the ability to store your bottled hoppy beers cold, after bottle conditioning is complete, this will help extend your beer shelf life. Cold temperatures slow down oxidative processes (hop fade is an oxidative process)

    · Plan on drinking your hoppy beer batches as quickly as possible. I personally make sure that my hoppy beers are consumed in less than 3 months. I have no problems here since my wife is a hop-head and she very much likes drinking the hoppy beers I brew. Now, my Belgian Ales are something else altogether.:wink:

    I personally have never been motivated to go the kegging route but this is indeed the ultimate packaging method for hoppy beers.

    Cheers!
     
    Prospero and scottakelly like this.
  3. Prospero

    Prospero Pooh-Bah (2,606) Jul 27, 2010 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Thanks, I forgot to mention I do all three of those as well. I drink all my hoppy beer though in about 3 weeks. I'm mostly asking because lately with heavy dry-hopping, I'm finding the hop particulate oxidizes extremely fast and unless I plan accordingly, doesn't last in bottles until competitions, and/or taking to share with people.

    I'm finding >3 weeks after bottling the IPAs are a shadow of their former selves.

    Yeah, I'm thinking the only other option I have is to keg/bottle from there.
     
  4. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,181) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Based upon what you stated above it sounds like your IPAs are 'falling off a cliff' very quickly (3 weeks after bottling). Is that correct?

    I have seen folks opine that certain commercial beers (e.g., Pliny the Elder, etc) suffer from this phenomenon. I personally have only had Pliny the Elder on draft so I have no personal experience with this beer as bottled.

    I can report that I homebrewed a clone of Pliny the Elder last fall (bottle date was 11/13/15). That batch of beer faded gracefully and I drank the last bottle with about of 3 months of age. The hop aroma of that bottle was very diminished but the hop flavor was still pretty vibrant (more than I was anticipating). I enjoyed drinking that last beer.

    Why your beers are fading so quickly is a mystery to me (based upon my personal homebrewing practice). Having stated that I have read other folks where they report things similar to what you state.

    The only 'solution' I can think of is to start kegging but why this is something you need to do is mystifying to me.

    There must be some other process 'stuff' going on for you which I can't provide input on.

    Cheers!
     
  5. Prospero

    Prospero Pooh-Bah (2,606) Jul 27, 2010 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I can say with almost certainty it's due to 2+oz per gallon dry-hopping and hop particulate not being filtered out well enough. This is really only relevant to my hazy IPA recipes that call for such massive dry-hopping for the juicy character. The IPAs are amazing for 3 weeks approx. The only way I know to fix it is to dry-hop in a keg and serve it straight from the keg.

    If you've ever seen the video of The Alchemist opening a Heady Topper nearly a year after bottling, my beers basically look like that. Darker in appearance a tad clearer, and hop particulate starting to drop out of suspension...after 3 weeks. It's just mine is doing it so much faster and I would most likely attribute this oxidation.

    Thanks again for your input.
     
  6. Naugled

    Naugled Pooh-Bah (1,882) Sep 25, 2007 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I would try purging the bottles with CO2 before filling. I guess it might help to purge after filling as well.

    I also sanitize bottles with Kmeta solution (after a dip in starsan) and fill while they are still wet to help stave off oxidation. I use 2-3 tablespoons per gallon. Wine makers use this technique to help reduce oxidation. If you are sensitive to sulfates this method may not be for you though.

    I'm not sure if it helps though, I keg my IPA's. I only bottle when I'm giving it away.

    Personally, I think hop oxidation flavors are like diacetyl in the way that not everyone perceives it the same way or at the same levels. I pick it up in commercial IPA's all of the time, and I'm always surprised when sitting next to someone opining about how great this (insert name here) ipa is and I'm staring at them incredulously thinking, are we tasting the same beer?

    Anyway, maybe you're more sensitive to it than others. Not much you can do about that though, except drink what you can fresh and serve the rest to your friends... ;-)
     
  7. Tebuken

    Tebuken Initiate (0) Jun 6, 2009 Argentina

    I purge a keg before filling using co2, after filling I purge again before force carbing , let it sit to next day then I bottle it using wet cold bottles with a beer-gun.
     
    Prospero likes this.
  8. brunascle

    brunascle Initiate (0) Nov 4, 2010 Massachusetts

    I've also been struggling with oxidation appearing early in my IPAs, maybe a month after bottling. I've made a few changes with my most recent batch, I'm hoping they'll have an effect:
    • When taking gravity readings, I was previously just dropping the hydrometer in the fermenter and taking the reading there. This time I pulled a sample out and took the reading properly in a hydrometer jar. This meant I didn't have to leave the lid off of the fermentor for too long.
    • Similarly, when it was time to bottle I was previously taking the fermentor lid off early (maybe 30-60 mins) to take out the dry hops bag, then resting the lid on the fermentor. This time I waited until the last minute, when I was ready to rack to the bottling bucket.
    • Previously I was using an auto siphon to rack to the bottling bucket. This time I used a regular siphon with the sanitizer method (there's a YouTube video out there explaining it).
    • I'm also going to be keeping half of the bottles in the fridge once they're fully charged. I'll save these bottles to drink last.
    If this doesn't work, I'm at a loss for what to try next.
     
    mijclarke likes this.
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