Survey - Packaging Beer

[brahn]

I was reading the latest Brulosophy article and it got me thinking about how everyone here packages their beer.

I used the terms from this post for the various purging methods.

A follow up question if you're doing the "PRV Purge" method: how many times do you vent the keg?

[CurtisG]

I do the PRV purge method but from those charts I guess that's not doing anything for me!

I voted for closed transfer PRV purge but I do that and open transfer PRV purge depending on batch size (different fermenters)


For those that sanitizer purge. How much CO2 do you go through? Any worrying about the bit of sanitizer in the bottom of the keg?

[jward]

For a long time I did a PRV purge through the liquid out then open fill of the keg followed by PVR venting of full keg. I have been improving my transfers to closed. If I am going to ferment under pressure I'll want to transfer under pressure too. I add CO2 with the PVR method, close fill keg with beer, then PVR vent the top of the full keg. I always figured the greatest O2 risk was the O2 left on top of the keg over time more then what is picked up in transfer.

[brahn]

For those that sanitizer purge. How much CO2 do you go through? Any worrying about the bit of sanitizer in the bottom of the keg?

I don't really keep track of my CO2 usage that closely. I have a second tank that I use just for pushing beer around, purging, etc. It usually lasts quite a while unless I do something stupid and vent it all into my garage.

I don't worry about the sanitizer in the bottom of the keg, I think it's a pretty small amount. I hadn't thought about the fact that it would contribute O2 to the beer until reading that post. Maybe I'll try the idea of cutting the dip tube and inverting the keg. That's not currently part of my process.

[bwarbiany]

I'm not entirely sure what you'd classify my process as...

I push the beer from the fermenter to the kegs using CO2, but it's not really a "closed" transfer as I don't really purge the kegs of O2 before transferring. I use a long 3/8" beverage tube so that the fill goes to the bottom of the keg rather than "spraying" and picking up O2 there, but that's clearly not exactly a LODO process...

I then tend to purge/vent the kegs using the PRV method after filling, in order to at least make sure the beer isn't sitting there with a big layer of oxygen above it.

[Megastout]

The brulosphy article was quite interesting, thanks. I only used SMB before when doing the mead to retain a certain level of sweetness. Also, interesting to me was the use of a BIAG for mashing which is exactly what I employ.
Since I bottle condition, I don't purge the bottles with CO2, assuming a little oxygen is important for yeast activity for secondary fermentation to carbonate the beer. Don't think I have experienced ill effects yet but, not absolutely sure in all cases. And, have had beers that have been around for 3 years that actually benefited and tasted better with the additional time.
The thing I most worry about is picking up unwanted stowaways that will change the beer for the worse. You guys have any thoughts?

[brahn]

I'm not entirely sure what you'd classify my process as...

I push the beer from the fermenter to the kegs using CO2, but it's not really a "closed" transfer as I don't really purge the kegs of O2 before transferring. I use a long 3/8" beverage tube so that the fill goes to the bottom of the keg rather than "spraying" and picking up O2 there, but that's clearly not exactly a LODO process...

I then tend to purge/vent the kegs using the PRV method after filling, in order to at least make sure the beer isn't sitting there with a big layer of oxygen above it.

That sounds like: Keg - Open Transfer, no CO2 purge

[brahn]

The brulosphy article was quite interesting, thanks. I only used SMB before when doing the mead to retain a certain level of sweetness. Also, interesting to me was the use of a BIAG for mashing which is exactly what I employ.
Since I bottle condition, I don't purge the bottles with CO2, assuming a little oxygen is important for yeast activity for secondary fermentation to carbonate the beer. Don't think I have experienced ill effects yet but, not absolutely sure in all cases. And, have had beers that have been around for 3 years that actually benefited and tasted better with the additional time.
The thing I most worry about is picking up unwanted stowaways that will change the beer for the worse. You guys have any thoughts?

Yeast is an excellent O2 scavenger and will take up any available oxygen very quickly. I wouldn't worry too much about oxygen pickup for bottle conditioned beers.

[Megastout]

Thanks