[Phil_M]

OK folks, I'm about to try and cask a beer for the first time. I'm trying to minimize O₂ pickup as much as possible, but I don't have the usual closed transfer options as with a keg.

Ideally, the beer will still be a few points from finished when I get home, and I'll transfer then. Since it'll all still be actively fermenting I'm hoping that will minimize the issue. Other suggestions have been to let the beer ferment out completely, sit for a few more days, then rack/prime/fine.

So, am I better off trying to transfer with a few gravity points left? Or will dosing the beer with primings be enough to reactivate the O₂ scrubbing potential of the yeast still in suspension? Would it be worth just sticking a CO₂ line and just trickle some gas into the cask to try and blanket everything?

[kramerog]

Zymurgy had an article, in the last year IIRC, about a closed system for cask ales.

[majorvices]

Just purge them as best you can with co2. Since they will be naturally carbbed the yeast will scavenge most of the o2 anyway. However, I have gone as far to leave a co2 in the firkin and running and above the beer level for the entire transfer.

Here's a quick hint: If you want to have a carbbed firkin use the plastic bungs. If you use the wooden one's keep the firkin in a position so that the bungs stay wet with beer or they will often dry out and leak the co2 pressure.

[Philbrew]

Outer space. 

OK IHTMHBs.

[Phil_M]

Just purge them as best you can with co2. Since they will be naturally carbbed the yeast will scavenge most of the o2 anyway. However, I have gone as far to leave a co2 in the firkin and running and above the beer level for the entire transfer.

Here's a quick hint: If you want to have a carbbed firkin use the plastic bungs. If you use the wooden one's keep the firkin in a position so that the bungs stay wet with beer or they will often dry out and leak the co2 pressure.

I ended up just doing a careful transfer, banking on the (still happy) yeast taking care of that issue for me.

Do you have a good method for removing those plastic bungs, other than the $30 tool? I've tried several things and none of them seem to work well.