Oxidisidation during bottling

[muddyhawk]

I'm completed two batches so far and both have been very underwhelming. Drinkable, but not desirable. I've been trying to figure out the reasons why there could be off flavours.

The fermenter that I bought has a mechanical issue as I've recently discovered. to screw the spigot on completely tight you have to position it so it's upside-down otherwise it will leak. The unfortunate side effect to this is that on bottling day I have to reposition it 180 degrees. When I do this I can hear small bubbles rise from the bottom of my fermenter for a few seconds. I'm worried that this could be causing the off flavours.

I've been making adjustments every brew day to fine tune things, eliminating other reasons. I have been extract brewing and think my next batch result will be the true indicator.

 

[RM-MN]

When you turn that spigot, you disturb the beer which causes it to release some of it stored CO2. You aren't oxidizing the beer.

You don't say what your procedures are but the biggest improvement in the taste of my beer was when I started controlling the temperature during fermentation. Your yeast has a range of temperatures it prefers. I like to start my beer at the low end of that range while the ferment is fast, then let it warm a bit as it slows to encourage the yeast to finish and clean up.

 

[Hello]

I don't know if this will make sense but that spigot, if it's the one that I have, can be turned without turning the actual part that is threaded. The thicker plastic part can be held while you turn the red part around. It doesn't disturb the threads and thus, it doesn't loosen or tighten the spigot attached to the bucket.

 

[Potamus]

I agree that turning a spigot should not introduce enough oxygen to affect the flavor of an entire batch. Like RM-MN said, I would keep an eye on temperature control, and maybe try up a new style. Perhaps you don't like the yeast you've been using?

 

[jeneliz]

+1 to temp control! As I have found after the last year of brewing - temperature is where it's at!

What are you brewing, by the way?

 

[rodwha]

You can get a dedicated brewing bucket to eliminate this too. If cash is a problem you might be able to find a food grade bucket at your local bakery or doughnut shop. I got several buckets that I can brew about 4.75 gals in with plenty of headspace, as well as smaller buckets that I can brew 1.75 gal batches in.

Lowes sells a food grade bucket for about $5 that's a 5 gal, but you'll only fit about 4.25-4.5 gals in it.

Drill the lid with a 1/2" bit and use a grommet for the airlock.

If you are buying 5 gal kits it'll just have a slightly higher gravity...

 

[dkevinb]

You didn't mention the recipe. If it's a kit the ingredients might be old/stale/not the best to begin with, the yeast in particular. Fermentation temperature will definitely make a difference. What water did you use? Tap water? There might be an issue there. My tap water has chloramine in it which produces an off flavor. Sanitation problems can lead to infections which might cause off flavors. There are a million possibilities. It's just a matter of eliminating them one at a time.

In any case, you're not oxygenating your beer. Even if you did that would just cause it to stale faster quite a while from now (months). You wouldn't be able to taste it right away.

 

[jeneliz]

Actually, after re-reading, why is your concern with bottling? Do you try the beer before you bottle it? If so, do you taste off flavors then?

 

[muddyhawk]

Thank you everyone for your replies! Unfortunately my funds are low so temp control may be fairly hard. I'm doing school overseas for another 14 months or so I'm hesitant on investing in too much equipment. I also lack any tools with the exception of a screwdriver haha so constructing something may prove to be difficult.

The first batch was from the beer kit that came with my equipment, I have been trying a different style ever since then, trying to look for fresh extracts/hops. I've been trying to be very diligent with my sanitation so I don't think that would be an issue. I've been using tap water, but my LHBS said that it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I tried looking up the mineral break-down of the municipality water but couldn't find it.

The main reason I thought the issue was during bottling was because a number of bubbles arose from the spigot when I turned it, so I was under the impression that I was oxidising the whole batch right up the middle. I try a bit of beer during bottling when I test the gravity, but I take that with a grain of salt because it hasn't matured yet.

Like I said, I've been making adjustments every brew. I just bottled an IPA last week and have a saison in the fermenter, so I'll have a good idea soon if I need to go back to the drawing board.

 

[dkevinb]

Thank you everyone for your replies! Unfortunately my funds are low so temp control may be fairly hard. I'm doing school overseas for another 14 months or so I'm hesitant on investing in too much equipment. I also lack any tools with the exception of a screwdriver haha so constructing something may prove to be difficult.

The first batch was from the beer kit that came with my equipment, I have been trying a different style ever since then, trying to look for fresh extracts/hops. I've been trying to be very diligent with my sanitation so I don't think that would be an issue. I've been using tap water, but my LHBS said that it shouldn't be too much of a problem. I tried looking up the mineral break-down of the municipality water but couldn't find it.

The main reason I thought the issue was during bottling was because a number of bubbles arose from the spigot when I turned it, so I was under the impression that I was oxidising the whole batch right up the middle. I try a bit of beer during bottling when I test the gravity, but I take that with a grain of salt because it hasn't matured yet.

Like I said, I've been making adjustments every brew. I just bottled an IPA last week and have a saison in the fermenter, so I'll have a good idea soon if I need to go back to the drawing board.

Temp control can be pretty simple. Mine consists of a plastic tub and an old T-shirt. When it gets really warm I put some frozen water bottles in the water in the tub. Search for "swamp cooler" on this site.