Argonizing in secondary

[Dr Vorlauf]

I would like to purge all of the oxygen out of my next big beer after racking to the secondary to remove all oxygen. I intend on using my pure oxygen set up and hook it up to a tank of Argon. Has anyone tried this?

 

[Orfy]

I would say this is not necessary and probably not beneficial.
Even though argon is inert I don't think I'd want it in my beer.

Let the beer create it's own C02 header.

 

[Beerthoven]

I would like to purge all of the oxygen out of my next big beer after racking to the secondary to remove all oxygen. I intend on using my pure oxygen set up and hook it up to a tank of Argon. Has anyobe tried this?

I'm not sure I understand.

Why go to the extra trouble to purge O2 from the beer?

Maybe it would be easier to use bottled CO2 to purge the O2 from the secondary vessel before racking. Thereby minimizing O2 exposure.

 

[TexLaw]

Your yeast will purge all you need in the primary. After that, you can do what Beerthoven said and purge your secondary with CO2 before racking, if you like. Even if you didn't do that, your yeast might finish up a little fermention or your beer will just outgas a bit, that creating that CO2 header that Orfy mentioned.

I've never heard of anyone running argon through fermented beer, and I don't intend to try it out.


TL

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

I'm not sure I understand.

Why go to the extra trouble to purge O2 from the beer?

Maybe it would be easier to use bottled CO2 to purge the O2 from the secondary vessel before racking. Thereby minimizing O2 exposure.

I am thinking of doing it for a brew that I will leave in the secondary for a long period of time. The Argon should force the oxygen out thus leading to less oxidation.

Ah what the hell I wont do a whole batch. Maybe pull out a seperate 1 gal secondary and do an experiment.

 

[Beerthoven]

No, do the whole thing. I think this is really cool. :rockin:

I've never heard of it before so I was just wondering why.

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

No, do the whole thing. I think this is really cool. :rockin:

I've never heard of it before so I was just wondering why.

Exactly. I think the worst it would do is nothing and the best.... ?

 

[TexLaw]

Exactly. I think the worst it would do is nothing and the best.... ?

. . . virtually nothing. Part of aging is getting some interesting oxidation character that works with the other facets of the beer. I don't mean to rain on your parade. In fact, I'm interested in how it all may turn out. However, I look forward to that part of aging the right sort of beer.


TL

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

. . . virtually nothing. Part of aging is getting some interesting oxidation character that works with the other facets of the beer. I don't mean to rain on your parade. In fact, I'm interested in how it all may turn out. However, I look forward to that part of aging the right sort of beer.


TL

Good point. I will in the medium future ( don't hold me to this in the next 3 months or so ). I will try this experiment. Break into 3 small "batches"

1) Leave it alone just like any batch. My natural instinct.

2) Since oxidation in the secondary may lead to some interesting things ( and I agree it will at the leave it alone step in #1 ), add pure oxygen to this. Against my instinct.

3) Argonize . No opinion as I have no clue as to what this will do.


Wait and evaluate results?

Anyone want to add to this design of experiment?

 

[shafferpilot]

I guess to answer the original question:

Has anyone tried this?

is:

No.

I'm kinda pumped by the side by side comparison. No self respecting scientist experiments without a control group. I'm looking forward to hearing about the results

 

[shafferpilot]

Perhaps you need one that gets purged with CO2? That way you can compare the two methods most people use, to the O2 and the Argon

 

[Dr Vorlauf]

Good point. When I do this I should include CO2.