IwanaBrich
Well-Known Member
I’ve read that optimum amount of O2 needed for the best fermentation is anywhere between 10 and 15 PPM. Is that your understanding as well? I’ve also read that the bare minimum is 8 PPM. So I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to achieve these results. As a result I’ve been doing a lot of reading and can’t seem to find any real agreement on this topic.
The methods I’ve found are as follows:
1. There is the shake to the carboy or fermenter for a minute of more. At best I’ve read that this method will only achieve 8 PPM. Aside from just making the bare minimal of O2, it’s a lot of work. So this would be my least favorite method.
2. Run the cooled Wort through a stainless steel screen. I guess this must introduce air but no telling how much. Has anyone figured that out?
3. Put holes in the transfer tubing used to fill the fermenter or squeezing down the tubing diameter and again using holes to drawn in the air. I assume that both oof these are relying upon the venturi effect. As with method #2 above I have no clue how effective it is.
4. Using a wine degasser. Isn’t this device is designed to remove CO2 from wine? So I’m wondering why some folks feel that it will introduce enough air into their Wort. I guess it will if you keep it spinning on surface the whole time, but once you drop it down into the wort couldn’t you be removing the air already in solution? I’ve even seen Videos of some people using these devices with their plastic better bottles and/or plastic primary fermentations. I would think that they could be unnecessarily marring up the insides of the plastic containers making future batches more prone to contamination. Does this method even work and does it risk ruining equipment?
5. Using an aquarium pump, HEPA filter and stainless steel air stone. This seems like a logical method but doesn’t yield any results better than shaking the carboy.
6. Using O2 and stainless steel air stone. Now even this method had multiple variations. Some used medical O2 and some used Welding O2. Obviously Medical O2 is best but is welding O2 safe and/or pure enough? Do they add off odors so people don’t inhale it? Some claimed to use $10 BernzOmatic welding O2 tanks. Do many use this method? How long do discharge O2 into the wort this way? Some used regulators, others did not. I also read, that this this method that you run the risk of over oxygenating the wort. Is this a real concern?
7. I’ve even read on the web, that if you use dry yeast that you don’t need to aerate at all. Is that true? If so, why?
As for me I was mostly brewing extract and Partial Mash recipes and have relied on the shake method, then introduced more tap water to bring it up to the 5 gallon level, so aeration wasn’t a big a concern. Now I’m looking to start all grain brewing where I think aeration will be more of problem.
Please give me your thoughts on this.
Thanks!
The methods I’ve found are as follows:
1. There is the shake to the carboy or fermenter for a minute of more. At best I’ve read that this method will only achieve 8 PPM. Aside from just making the bare minimal of O2, it’s a lot of work. So this would be my least favorite method.
2. Run the cooled Wort through a stainless steel screen. I guess this must introduce air but no telling how much. Has anyone figured that out?
3. Put holes in the transfer tubing used to fill the fermenter or squeezing down the tubing diameter and again using holes to drawn in the air. I assume that both oof these are relying upon the venturi effect. As with method #2 above I have no clue how effective it is.
4. Using a wine degasser. Isn’t this device is designed to remove CO2 from wine? So I’m wondering why some folks feel that it will introduce enough air into their Wort. I guess it will if you keep it spinning on surface the whole time, but once you drop it down into the wort couldn’t you be removing the air already in solution? I’ve even seen Videos of some people using these devices with their plastic better bottles and/or plastic primary fermentations. I would think that they could be unnecessarily marring up the insides of the plastic containers making future batches more prone to contamination. Does this method even work and does it risk ruining equipment?
5. Using an aquarium pump, HEPA filter and stainless steel air stone. This seems like a logical method but doesn’t yield any results better than shaking the carboy.
6. Using O2 and stainless steel air stone. Now even this method had multiple variations. Some used medical O2 and some used Welding O2. Obviously Medical O2 is best but is welding O2 safe and/or pure enough? Do they add off odors so people don’t inhale it? Some claimed to use $10 BernzOmatic welding O2 tanks. Do many use this method? How long do discharge O2 into the wort this way? Some used regulators, others did not. I also read, that this this method that you run the risk of over oxygenating the wort. Is this a real concern?
7. I’ve even read on the web, that if you use dry yeast that you don’t need to aerate at all. Is that true? If so, why?
As for me I was mostly brewing extract and Partial Mash recipes and have relied on the shake method, then introduced more tap water to bring it up to the 5 gallon level, so aeration wasn’t a big a concern. Now I’m looking to start all grain brewing where I think aeration will be more of problem.
Please give me your thoughts on this.
Thanks!