using aquarium pump for aeration.

Instead of buying an expensive oxygen tank im thinking of using an aquarium pump to aerate my wort.

Sound alright or has anyone had success with this or epic fails?

I use one. Just used it tonight as a matter of fact. I had it running for about 40 mins while I cleaned up from brewing.. It seems to do a good job. At least, just as good as shaking or stirring like crazy..

A pump will never get you above 8 ppm. Some high gravity beers do best with 10-12 ppm. A pump will save you from shaking, but it won't do anything beyond that. Ask yourself if it's worth it.

I decided to go with the O2 tank so that the aeration time would much shorter than using a pump. Also, the pump is going to be adding air (roughly 78% Nitrogen and 19% oxygen) instead of pure O2 so this may limited how much O2 you can get your wort to absorb.

This may be a silly question but once the oxygen tank is kicked where do you get it filled. Also how long does one last?

i get $10 ones from a local hardware store. they aren't refillable but they last for awhile and are cheap. you're going to spend the same amount, might as well get straight 02.

Oxygen tanks from hardware stores. Where in the store do you find them?

Welding supply areas, have u ever seen those blue tanks that have a torch on them? Like for sweating pipes? Its by those and about the same size but usually its a red canister

MrManifesto said:

i get $10 ones from a local hardware store. they aren't refillable but they last for awhile and are cheap. you're going to spend the same amount, might as well get straight 02.

Click to expand...

Why not refillable? That doesn't sound good! How much are the ones from most HBS's?

Here is a nice system to use with the tanks.

WILLIAM'S OXYGEN AERATION SYSTEM @ Williams Brewing

The tanks are often stored with the smaller propane cylinders or with welding supplies depending on the store.

Stauffbier said:

Why not reliable? That doesn't sound good!

Click to expand...

i said refillable :fro:

MrManifesto said:

i said refillable :fro:

Click to expand...

Sorry, that was a type-o.. I edited..

Stauffbier said:

Why not refillable? That doesn't sound good! How much are the ones from most HBS's?

Click to expand...

i get mine from lowe's, they are $10. the hook up with aeration stone was like $50 from the LHBS but as we all know, their stuff is usually over priced. i am lazy so i paid it, it came with a medical grade filter so meh. i'm sure a smarter man than me could just buy a stone, a filter, the hook up and some tubing for half the cost.

i think a refillable tank would only be cheaper in the loooooooooong run. i'm willing to pay $10 to have a little 02 tank from the welding aisle than some big thing i have to lug on the subway to get refilled. your mileage may vary.

MrManifesto said:

i get mine from lowe's, they are $10. the hook up with aeration stone was like $50 from the LHBS but as we all know, their stuff is usually over priced. i am lazy so i paid it, it came with a medical grade filter so meh. i'm sure a smarter man than me could just buy a stone, a filter, the hook up and some tubing for half the cost.

Click to expand...

I wonder if the filter, tubing, and stone that I use with my aquarium pump would work with it? I might have to look into this tomorrow..

Stauffbier said:

I wonder if the filter, tubing, and stone that I use with my aquarium pump would work with it? I might have to look into this tomorrow..

Click to expand...

possible! research the size of your stone (how many microns?) and if it's good, you might just need to buy the attachment from the tank to the tubing.

..and with O2 you guys are just aerating for like a minute or two right?

my stone is 0.5 microns, if that's any help. you've got to wear gloves to handle it (or just make sure not to touch it) because the oil in your hands will clog it. the filter i think is more of a pain in the ass than it's worth, if you get the filter wet it clogs the whole operation and i really doubt that canned 02 is bad for your wort.

edit - yeah you just need 60-90 seconds to hit 10ppm and that's going to be good for anything you're doing. if you're doing a crazy barleywine or something you should hit it again after 12 hours but this is the only way to get to 10ppm that isn't breaking your back dumping from bucket to bucket for 10min.

MrManifesto said:

my stone is 0.5 microns, if that's any help. you've got to wear gloves to handle it (or just make sure not to touch it) because the oil in your hands will clog it. the filter i think is more of a pain in the ass than it's worth, if you get the filter wet it clogs the whole operation and i really doubt that canned 02 is bad for your wort.

edit - yeah you just need 60-90 seconds to hit 10ppm and that's going to be good for anything you're doing. if you're doing a crazy barleywine or something you should hit it again after 12 hours but this is the only way to get to 10ppm that isn't breaking your back dumping from bucket to bucket for 10min.

Click to expand...

I'll have to find out how many microns mine is rated at.. I have no idea.

Stauffbier said:

I'll have to find out how many microns mine is rated at.. I have no idea.

Click to expand...

this from some pretty knowledgeable folks:


"In general, it is difficult for homebrewers to achieve sufficient oxygen levels. The levels of oxygen necessary for optimal fermentation vary depending on the yeast strain. Ale strains usually need between 8-12 part per million (ppm) while lager strains require slightly higher amounts (10-15 ppm). At atmospheric pressure the maximum level of dissolved oxygen in wort is approximately 8 ppm and the saturation level decreases further as the gravity of the wort increases. Thus unless special steps are taken to introduce air or oxygen into the wort, it is difficult for homebrewers to achieve adequate aeration. Recent studies have shown that oxygenation is by far more efficient than aeration. Injection of oxygen through a 2 micron diffusing stone can actually supersaturate the wort with 10-12 ppm of dissolved oxygen being reached in 5 gallons of wort by a single 60 second blast of oxygen!"

Yeast Propagation and Maintenance: Principles and Practices | Maltose Falcons

I have aquarium air pumps laying around and have thought of using them before. How do you test oxygen absorption from using an O2 tank or other method?

I saw 8-10ppm mentioned. What is a standard target for O2 levels prior to fermentation?

sammy33 said:

I have aquarium air pumps laying around and have thought of using them before. How do you test oxygen absorption from using an O2 tank or other method?

I saw 8-10ppm mentioned. What is a standard target for O2 levels prior to fermentation?

Click to expand...

you'd have to use some kind of meter, see the "i totally underestimated the role of oxygen" thread, i think they're going all nerd style on it. i say that with love.

8-10ppm is the target. yeast need 02 to create sterols which help their cell walls be nice and pliant and ready to make lots of buds. low 02 means they can't bud as much and that's why you see so many "why is my fermentation stuck?" threads end with "i basically didn't aerate enough". there's no downside to getting to 10ppm. if you leave the 02 on for a loooooong time it can effect head retention in your finished beer but really, 60-90 seconds and you're good.

sammy33 said:

I have aquarium air pumps laying around and have thought of using them before. How do you test oxygen absorption from using an O2 tank or other method?

I saw 8-10ppm mentioned. What is a standard target for O2 levels prior to fermentation?

Click to expand...

I just found an O2 meter for $800.00, so I don't think I'll be testing my wort for saturation levels any time soon!

I set up my second oxygenation system with just the O2 stone (on the stainless wand) from Williams ($34.90), a flow meter O2 regulator ($20-$40 on ebay or Amazon), a few feet of 3/16" beer line, and a brass swivel nut to connect the tubing to the regulator (maybe $1 from a welding supply store). I picked up two 20 cubic foot O2 tanks from the welding supply place, full of O2, for $100. Of course, I traded in my 5 years out of date (hydro stamp was done in 1997, only good for 10 years) at the time, to get the better rate. Still, even if you paid ~$100 for the full 20 cubic foot tank, that's going to end up costing you less than using the 1.4oz tanks you get from hardware stores. Especially when you get the precision from the flow meter O2 regulator.

I use 1Lpm for my 'normal' OG brews (under 1.075) for 60-90 seconds. With the pure O2 setup, you have zero need for the filter. You DO need the filter if you use a pump.

I make it a point to NOT touch the stone with my bare hands, ever. The original wand I picked up is still using the plastic bag it came in, so that it's protected. I'm using aluminum foil to cover/protect the new one. Williams has updated the wand instructions to include a StarSan soak to sanitize it. It used to just list boiling, but no longer (lists both methods).

If you want to start off spending less, in the short term, then use the cheap O2 bottles. At some point you'll probably get frustrated with not knowing how much O2 you're really sending into the wort, as well as burning through the tanks faster than you had expected. Luckily, it doesn't take much to adapt to a 20 cubic foot O2 tank for the wand.

Low-Cost Portable Dissolved Oxygen Meter - MW600 : Milwaukee Instruments

Looks like these are about $160 on ebay.

Stauffbier said:

I just found an O2 meter for $800.00, so I don't think I'll be testing my wort for saturation levels any time soon!

Click to expand...

nah, it's not worth it in my book. for that money you could get a complete yeast lab, deluxe ferm chamber and enough ingredients to be brewing all year long!

Stauffbier said:

I just found an O2 meter for $800.00, so I don't think I'll be testing my wort for saturation levels any time soon!

Click to expand...

I've found meters for $150-$400 on Amazon. I'm just not 100% sure if they will actually give a good reading for our application. Like this one for $225...

Many of them seem to be made to take readings in clear liquids, which might be an issue for brews.

Im looking for a quick fix for this weekend. I'm brewing my first REALLY high gravity beer and I have no method of aeration or oxygenation. Can you guys tell me what I can buy in the direction of an aquarium pump and filter to just get me by until I can upgrade? is a Stone needed? What exactly does the stone do?

I bought the smallest air pump walmart sells was like $6 and 2 pack of stones $2 I had some tubing already but it was like a few more if you needed it. Call your LHBS and see if they have a HEPA inline filter they are cheap $8 maybe. Although I did not originally know about the filter and I was just using the pump and I did not have any infected batches. I hope this helps good luck this weekend.

Once when I was in a pinch and didn't have a hepa filter I just covered the air pump with a bucket that I sprayed down with starsan. I figured it was better than just the open room air...

That's very helpful. Thanks. I like the sanitized bucket idea, any extra measure is worth it. I was also going to use a couple of grain bags folded over many times over the inlet of the pump. I figure that will take care of any dust and other larger things.

E_mott09 said:

That's very helpful. Thanks. I like the sanitized bucket idea, any extra measure is worth it. I was also going to use a couple of grain bags folded over many times over the inlet of the pump. I figure that will take care of any dust and other larger things.

Click to expand...

Just be sure to sanitize the grain bags first, because they can have more nasties on them than the air does..

Will do. Just soak in my sanitizer and use wet?

E_mott09 said:

Will do. Just soak in my sanitizer and use wet?

Click to expand...

I would probably soak it for 30 minutes or so and then ring it out as dry as you can. Just make sure it doesn't stop the airflow of the pump. I'm not sure how much any of these tactics actually help, but it's better than nothing. At the very least order yourself an inline filter when you can, but you may want to consider upgrading to pure oxygen when you're able. I'm doing that myself. My oxy kit should be arriving this week...