Ok I don't think I am the only brewer who is constantly seeing this method of brewing coming up in homebrewing discussions and videos.
I fully understand what is being said because oxidation is every present in normal day to day environments and it generally is not a good outcome ... just think about your car rusting away due to the effects of winter salt on the roads and oxygen. However with regard to brewing though is oxygen free brewing really the holy grail? I would like to know the opinions of brewers on here to the question. For myself when applied to homebrewing I think much of the oxygen debate is being pushed by HBS'ers who are trying to increase sales by pushing the theory that allowing beer to interact with oxygen is some sort of disaster and that you are not getting the most from your brewing. I on the other hand think that beer and oxygen coming together is part of what brewing has always been and that traditional beer styles rely on it to a certain degree to achieve what is the accepted flavour profile of that beer. By traditional beers styles I am referring to typical British beers which have never been made oxygen free in the past. I am intrigued when I hear someone say that there best bitter has improved because of oxygen free brewing ... improved or tastes different? Yes we know we do not want stale beer but is a degree of oxidation desirable? I think much of the trend is driven by none traditional barely drinkable over hopped and sometimes cloudy concoctions from over the pond myself.
Of course we want to have our beer fresh and for me here is the rub fresh does not mean oxygen free but does mean you agree your best before date. commercial brewers make beer that can be on the shelf for many months even years so they do need to reduce oxidation to the highest degree they can most homebrew on the other hand never sees more than a couple of months... certainly does not in my house anyway
Anyway I am embarking on an experiment where I will be making beer by a low oxygen method. I already store my whole grains vacuum packed but I read a paper the other day that suggested that the oxidative process starts in the mill and mash tun! How can the homebrewer avoid such a thing?... you have to make then mix the grist and the liquor. Once in the frementer the brewer can exert some control over oxidation and that I will be doing... who knows at the end of this experiment I could be eating/ drinking my own words
I fully understand what is being said because oxidation is every present in normal day to day environments and it generally is not a good outcome ... just think about your car rusting away due to the effects of winter salt on the roads and oxygen. However with regard to brewing though is oxygen free brewing really the holy grail? I would like to know the opinions of brewers on here to the question. For myself when applied to homebrewing I think much of the oxygen debate is being pushed by HBS'ers who are trying to increase sales by pushing the theory that allowing beer to interact with oxygen is some sort of disaster and that you are not getting the most from your brewing. I on the other hand think that beer and oxygen coming together is part of what brewing has always been and that traditional beer styles rely on it to a certain degree to achieve what is the accepted flavour profile of that beer. By traditional beers styles I am referring to typical British beers which have never been made oxygen free in the past. I am intrigued when I hear someone say that there best bitter has improved because of oxygen free brewing ... improved or tastes different? Yes we know we do not want stale beer but is a degree of oxidation desirable? I think much of the trend is driven by none traditional barely drinkable over hopped and sometimes cloudy concoctions from over the pond myself.
Of course we want to have our beer fresh and for me here is the rub fresh does not mean oxygen free but does mean you agree your best before date. commercial brewers make beer that can be on the shelf for many months even years so they do need to reduce oxidation to the highest degree they can most homebrew on the other hand never sees more than a couple of months... certainly does not in my house anyway
Anyway I am embarking on an experiment where I will be making beer by a low oxygen method. I already store my whole grains vacuum packed but I read a paper the other day that suggested that the oxidative process starts in the mill and mash tun! How can the homebrewer avoid such a thing?... you have to make then mix the grist and the liquor. Once in the frementer the brewer can exert some control over oxidation and that I will be doing... who knows at the end of this experiment I could be eating/ drinking my own words
