5 replies to this topic

[AspenLeif]

I have another thread going about high gravity finishing...and a poster brought this up as a possibility. I'd like to explore this more in detail. I built a pretty elaborate mash tun manifold from copper and my IM chiller is copper. First, is this really an issue...or more of a Hot Side Aeration (HSA) debate? Is it Cu or CuO2 that is in question for it's potential effects on the beer?I just figured up the surface area between my manifold and IM chillerManifold = 225in^2IM chiller = 636in^2Total is 861in^2 or 5.98ft^2 per 11gal of wort....or 0.54sqft/gal wortDoing some quick math...say on a 21barrel copper conical fermenter (dimensions may not be accurate, but close) saying that it is a 5ft diameter vessel with a 4ft tall cone on the bottom gives you roughly 86sqft of surface area of copper touching 651gallons of worth...or 0.13sqft/gal of wort.My system is 0.54sqft/gal wort vs. 0.13sqft/gal wort...or 4.25x more surface area of copper touched per gallon.I know most commercial breweries use SS fermenters, but I've seen the copper one too. ...or are they SS lined?MB

[mach5]

I've seen copper brewhouses but not fermenters. I don't know if it's a contact time/low pH issue or what. I would think the amount of copper that gets into the beer would be very small. I guess it is quite corrosive and maybe that is the issue. A good question for Palmer.I haven't listened to this yet, but maybe some answers here:https://thebrewingne...ffect-Your-Beer

[mach5]

Tune into the above linked brewcast and listen around 46 minutes in.

[mach5]

To make a long story short...copper on the serving side, or on the fermenter can cause staling reactions in beer. Something about trans-2-nonenal.

[AspenLeif]

To make a long story short...copper on the serving side, or on the fermenter can cause staling reactions in beer. Something about trans-2-nonenal.

Thanks for the synopsis...I am technology deficient. THis is blocked at work and I have dial-up at home.MB

[stangbat]

Palmer chimed in on a discussion at the other board a few years ago. Unfortunately, the thread and answer are probably gone due to the recent database purge but I haven't searched for it. I'm going off memory, but in the mash and boil it really isn't a concern. But the carbonic acid formed from the CO2 in finished beer will quickly eat at copper so you don't want it in serving lines and probably not in the fermenter either.I'm no metallurgist, and as I said the above info is what I remember, so take it for what it is worth.