Oxidisation

[Alan30]

Hi, new to the forum but have been brewing for a long time. Not done much in the last 2or 3 years because a series of brews failed with poor aftertaste and taints and moving house at the time I lost interest. I tried everything to pinpoint the problem, changed equipment, cleanliness procedure etc and couldn't resolve it. One thing that did cross my mind at the time was oxidisation when transfering from primary to secondary fementation vessels. I felt that the exposed surface area in the keg was large and as the keg is never completely filled when the lid is secure you trap oxygen in there. From my school days I remembered that carbon dioxide is heavier than air and before transfering I now fill the new keg with CO2 by operating the cylinder with the lid almost off. This displaces all the air and as you fill the keg you are left with a blanket of CO2 over the liquid when you seal the lid down. Don't know whether anyone else has done this, never seen it in any tips so possibly over the top but someone might find it useful or even shoot the theory down! This had nothing to do with the taste by the way, in the end I put it down to grain supplies being past their best.

[delboy]

From memory i think a few people who secondary (i never bother) do exactly the same and give a blast of co2 into the fermenter, better safe than sorry.
Hope your beers are back on track again soon

[jubby]

I also blast the vessel i am transfering to with Co2 just to be on the safe side.
Check your water treatment Alan, I had harsh aftertastes when i used DLS. Turnes out I did not need it. You are probably ahead of me here as you have plenty of experience, but thought i would mention it anyway.

[fivetide]

I don't do this when going from primary to secondary, and encourage another couple of points fermentation in that second bucket, but once all fermentation is over, I do put a lot of CO2 into my keg before transfer and then I purge and purge again so that I can keep my beer in a corni for up to six months if necessary (if I have a number of other beers on, obv).