In your article on Cold Steeping (ala Stong and Gruber) you state:
If you intend to add the extract to the boil pot, pour it in within the last 5-10 minutes of the boil. If you add it earlier, the length of the boil can bring out some of the harsh attributes. If adding to the fermenter, take care to avoid oxygenating the wort.
I don’t understand this. We buy sintered stones and oxygen tanks to purposely oxygenate wort before pitching the yeast. Please clarify.
Pretty sure that is a reference to adding into the fermenter after primary, rather than at the time of ferment. Without the vigor of fermentation, oxidation is a risk. Of course, it should be boiled before you add it.
Frankly I have never heard anyone propose that method. Seems like adding into the boil makes a lot more sense.
I haven’t read the article yet but I’m fairly confident they are cautioning against aerating the beer with a post-fermentation addition, although the risk of aeration in post-fermentation additions is probably far more severe with dry hopping than pouring in a small amount of liquid.
Agreed. Its not made clear in the article, but in context I believe they are talking about no introducing oxygen when adding the cold steeped dark grain extract to a fermented beer as a color fix before bottling. I doubt Gordon would suggest not aerating wort before pitching sac yeast. Though he does use the word “wort”. If he was talking about post fermentation it would be “beer”.
In any event, cold steeping black malt to reduce roastiness in a color adjustment seems like a huge waste of time when you could just use a bit of midnight wheat.
A simple solution (if you decide to go the post-boil route) would be to add the cold-steeped liquid during high krausen. Any oxygen added would be consumed by the yeast or driven out by the CO2.