Oxygenation

I'm playing with "big beers" and White Labs WLP099 suggests oxygenating the ferment several times during the first 5 days, whereas others say (with authority) to ONLY oxygenate at the beginning of ferment.

http://***********/stories/techniques/article/indices/7-aeration/1949-aerating-wort-techniques

http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp099.html

This is an excellent question. I'd like to see what the vets say.

I would tend to go with White Labs on this one, it's their yeast and Chris White and Jamil wrote the book on Yeast....At least for this particular strain (WLP099)

I've re-oxygenated using pure o2 on several "big beers." I'm by no means a authority on the matter but I believe it has helped the yeast attentuate further without another dose of o2 (o2 is critical during the reproductive phase. Big beers need more yeast, thus more 02). I've heard, read, and tried this before the 12 hour mark once fermentation has began and have not had issues. I'm sure you could debate the subject just should you or should you not rehydrate dry yeast.

Yup, as long as the yeast are still multiplying and building their numbers, there's no problem with adding oxygen. It's once they start producing alcohol (and C02) that you need to be concerned about adding oxygen.

My method when doing big barleywines has been to oxygenate with a stone once in the morning & when I come home at night until I see the airlock bubbling (yeah, I'm watching my airlock & using it as a fermentation guage). It's either that, or keep taking OG readings until you start to see it dropping.

It's your beer - do it in a way that makes sense to you.