Cheap way to purge bottles with CO2..

[Tonymc22]

Hi guys, been having some issues with oxidisation in my finished beer after bottling. I've been transferring to bottles using carbonation drops without purging them with CO2 and I'm thinking this is the issue as the beers seem pretty good after the 2 weeks carbonating and another 2 weeks chilling, but the start going more sour and off tasting the longer they are left.

Looking for some recommendations, I've seen the soda stream machines that would do the job but was wondering if anyone knew of something a little cheaper?!

Many thanks!!

 

[The Baron]

Hi how much head space are you leaving in the bottles also are they plastic or glass?

 

[Tonymc22]

Hi its always glass bottles, all brand new and sanitised. I use a bottle filler and fill full, the head space is as minimum as possible just the gap left in beer from the bottling arm being taken out.

 

[The Baron]

Seems most strange to me as you are doing everything correctly as far as I can see. Does the beer look brownish in colour and have a taste of what is described as wet cardboard as they are descriptors for oxidisation?
If you say it is a sour taste that gives me the impression it may be a infection also are the bottles becoming more carbed than usual as this also points it may be a infection?

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi its always glass bottles, all brand new and sanitised. I use a bottle filler and fill full, the head space is as minimum as possible just the gap left in beer from the bottling arm being taken out.

I had a similar problem once and it turned out my bottle capper was to blame as it was leaving a flared skirt on the bottom of the cap and not sealing the bottle totally. Bought a bench capper and that stopped that issue.
The twin lever looked like it was doing its job but it wasn't until a member of our local club pointed it out to me after a few bottle swaps.

 

[An Ankoù]

I agree with @the baron in that it doesn't sound like an oxidation problem caused at bottling time. That doesn't mean your beer isn't getting oxidised earlier in the process. "Sour and off tasting"? Is sourness associated with oxidation? What styles of beer are you having this problem with? Also, are you using a no-rinse sanitiser, which one?

 

[Tonymc22]

Thanks very much for all the help, it's top class!

Just checked all the bottles now and they're all skirted as you've mentioned, thanks for pointing this out.

Will look into a bench capper now.

We've had this same issue now with an amber ale, an IPA and a Munich fest batch, and I'd imagine they've all had skirted caps, could this be the problem?

Had quite a few that night, so can just remember a slightly sour off taste, I'll pop a few now and try and be more specific.... Any excuse for a beer

 

[Sandimas]

Do you shake your bottles?

There was a thread on here a while back, a few of us shook our bottles to mix up the priming sugar and it was suggested that this could cause oxididation, I was a bit skeptical but I stopped shaking and the beer did improve. I can't say if it was oxidisation or not, I've never been able to understand the topic TBH...I wouldn't know a taste like wet cardboard,

 

[chillipickle]

Worth a quick watch.

 

[terrym]

Try bottling some of your next batch in PET* bottles to compare with glass. Fill the PET bottle and prime as you would for a glass bottle but squeeze the bottle as you screw the cap on to eliminate all or nearly all the air before finally sealing. Within a couple of days carbing the bottle will have resumed its original shape and any gas in the headspace will be all or mostly all CO2.
* PET bottles must have previously held a fizzy drink.

 

[The Baron]

Do you shake your bottles?

There was a thread on here a while back, a few of us shook our bottles to mix up the priming sugar and it was suggested that this could cause oxididation, I was a bit skeptical but I stopped shaking and the beer did improve. I can't say if it was oxidisation or not, I've never been able to understand the topic TBH...I wouldn't know a taste like wet cardboard,

you've never eaten it? us Yorkshirefolk used to eat it with a handful of hot gravel before we went to work then had to lick road clean wi tongue and when we got home our parents would thrash us to death wi a broken bottle then dance on our graves singing hallelujah!!!