Preventing oxidation at racking/bottling

[Bartek Knapek]

I’m curious how common the practice is of purging tanks, tubes, and bottles with an inert gas during racking and bottling cider. I’ve read that it’s highly recommended for wine — does it also have noticeable benefits for cider? Do you do it that way?

//Bartek

[Wayne Bush]

Sorry for the late reply Bartek, but I try to flood all of my tanks with CO2 during blending, bottling and racking--including the receiving tank and tank being emptied (I use floating lid tanks), the blending tank and the small tank on the bottler.  I think it helps prevent any oxidation during the racking and bottling process.  I don't know how to measure the impact, but I learned from experinece that not taking steps like this to prevent contact with oxygen results in a less good cider.  I don't bother to purge the hoses with CO2 since the cider pushes out the oxygen when it starts to flow.  

[jeff.k...@gmail.com]

I do much the same as Wayne.  I don't have floating lids, but I bleed a small flow of CO2 into the emptying tank as the cider level drops.  

/Jeff

[gareth chapman]

I don't think it matters. Momentary oxygen exposure isn't really a concern.

I have never worried about it. 

[Bartek Knapek]

Thanks for the feedback!

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[Richard Reeves]

As a carboy to carboy to carboy fermenter I think the entire process is incredibly reductive, the opportunity to introduce O2 into the process is one I embrace until the pre-bottling phase when I introduce CO2 during racking/kegging. 

[Kirk Evans]

There's a reason why counter pressure fillers exist and canning lines purge cans pre-fill with CO2. You may not notice oxidation in the near-term, but over time it can definitely take hold. Why risk it? 

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[gareth chapman]

Fine if you are concered about absolute consistency from batch to batch but at the end  of the day few of us have enough control over the consitency of our process for it to matter. 

With counter pressure fillers, closed line filling and line purging, comes all of the other factors, such as juice concentrating, pH balancing, soecific yeast culture and sekection.

For most of us these variations  and the evolution of our product in the bottle is what its all about and the exclusion of oxygen is only a spoilage concern.

Sent from Outlook for Android

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Subject: Re: [Cider Workshop] Re: Preventing oxidation at racking/bottling

 

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