Vegetable oil to prevent oxidation of cider

[lektoraj]

In the new cider-maker's handbook Jolicoeur writes:
Some cider makers also apply a thin layer of vegetable oil, which will float on the surface of the cider, thus isolating it from the ambient air.

Has anyone tried this and how did it go? Did the oil "behave" and stay on top of the cider, or did it mix in over time. Was there any effect on taste or fermentation speed?

 

[Dutto]

I can see the sense of it BUT only if the cider was being stored in large capacity vessels.

There's no reason to think that the oil will mix with the cider (what's that saying again?) and if the cider's taken from the bottom then there should be no significant effect on the taste.

We once went over to the USA for a holiday in a motorhome and the toilet chemicals made a big fuss about them containing an oil additive that floated on top of the toilet waste and cut down on the smell.

That worked so I see no reason why floating a thin layer of oil wouldn't help to prevent oxidation of cider.

BTW the "rainbow effect" that you see when oil floats on top of water only needs to be a few molecules thick, so the "layer of oil" would probably need to be less than 1mm.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

It's not something I have seen discussed and many members make cider so seems a solution to a problem that doesn't exist in the home brew world.

 

[MattH1973]

agree with Chippy. CO2 is heavier than air, so as long as your long term vessel is relatively well sealed, and some fermentation has taken place, the oxidation is very unlikely. if you were really worried:
- use a food safe grease to seal the cap / bung
- add a bit of sugar when transferring to the long term vessell, such that the little bit of fermentation will generate some CO2

Freester just bottled a batch that had been in secondary for a year......(!)