Aeration

When I first learned to brew, it was accepted that just pouring the wort into the fermentor aerated the wort. If you listen to Brewstrong, they always talk about aeration with oxygen or pump. So....... How do you aerate your wort?

Williams Oxygen Aeration System

I use a drill with a paint stirrer attachment, I whip the wort into a froth.

I've heard good things about using an imersion blender to both homogenize the wort before taking a gravity reading and aerating it in the process

BrewThruYou said:

Williams Oxygen Aeration System

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same here. reminds me that I am out of O2.

BrewThruYou said:

Williams Oxygen Aeration System

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Modified version of this. I use a 20 cubic foot O2 tank and medical O2 regulator (with flow meter) so that i KNOW the infusion level.

Since I ferment in corneys, I just fill the corney half full, put the lid on, shake it to a froth then fill it with the remaining wort & pitch.

beeber said:

i use a drill with a paint stirrer attachment, i whip the wort into a froth.

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+1

beeber said:

I use a drill with a paint stirrer attachment, I whip the wort into a froth.

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You'll never get above 8ppm of O2 that way. No matter how long you run the drill, or use a pump. It's a limitation set by the O2 concentration/level in the atmosphere. Those of us using pure O2 systems don't have that limitation. Plus we can get higher O2 ppm levels with far less effort and little time. :rockin:

I pour the cooled wort from my kettle into the bucket from about 5 feet up.

This weekend I just pumped air through my syphon into the bucket after syphoning the cooled wort out of the kettle. It seemed to work pretty well. Or was this a bad idea?

For those that use the Williams system, how long do you run it for (I guess I can't ask how much - it's a fairly crude regulator)?

Coohang said:

For those that use the Williams system, how long do you run it for (I guess I can't ask how much - it's a fairly crude regulator)?

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I open it to just where it starts to bubble, and run it for 1-2 minutes, depending on how much oxygenation I want.

i use a hand mixer, like for a milkshake. I'd make the pop culture joke about drinking my milkshake, but i dont know the reference.

LabRatBrewer said:

i use a hand mixer, like for a milkshake. I'd make the pop culture joke about drinking my milkshake, but i dont know the reference.

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There Will Be Blood

Coohang said:

For those that use the Williams system, how long do you run it for (I guess I can't ask how much - it's a fairly crude regulator)?

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The crude regulator (as you mentioned) is exactly why I stopped using it after the first bottle was gone. It seemed to go from zero to 100% with nothing between. I found some good regulators on ebay and even Amazon for pretty cheap money (Amazon has them for under $40 each). These connect to standard (welding connection) tanks too. No more using the 1.x oz tanks this way. Plus, with the regulator, with a flow meter, you KNOW what the flow rate is. I have one that shows me the rate and another that lets me set the rate.

I typically go for 1-2lpm for 1-2 minutes depending on the batch... This O2 meter is on my short list of things to get. I will have it before I go to brew my next BIG brew (over 10%), which will be within the next few months. Then I'll also KNOW how much ppm of O2 I have in the wort before pitching the yeast. :rockin:

I use 1 lpm for 1 minute on a 5 gallon batch. I also oxygenate my yeast starters.

Better Bottle on top of a baseball and shake the crap out of it for 4-5 minutes. Has worked well for me for 25 batches.

Golddiggie said:

The crude regulator (as you mentioned) is exactly why I stopped using it after the first bottle was gone. It seemed to go from zero to 100% with nothing between. I found some good regulators on ebay and even Amazon for pretty cheap money (Amazon has them for under $40 each). These connect to standard (welding connection) tanks too. No more using the 1.x oz tanks this way. Plus, with the regulator, with a flow meter, you KNOW what the flow rate is. I have one that shows me the rate and another that lets me set the rate.

I typically go for 1-2lpm for 1-2 minutes depending on the batch... This O2 meter is on my short list of things to get. I will have it before I go to brew my next BIG brew (over 10%), which will be within the next few months. Then I'll also KNOW how much ppm of O2 I have in the wort before pitching the yeast. :rockin:

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What sort of set up do you currently run? Right now I'm in the splish splash hope I don't take a bath crowd, but I think aeration is the next area I will look at for improving my beer.

63belair said:

What sort of set up do you currently run? Right now I'm in the splish splash hope I don't take a bath crowd, but I think aeration is the next area I will look at for improving my beer.

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I have one of these regulators on a 20 cubic foot O2 tank (welding supply store standard item). I have another regulator at my brew-buddy's place that has a bead flow meter (goes up/down according to the flow). I use this wand on the end of some 3/16" ID Bevlex tubing (so that I can secure it to a swivel nut to the O2 regulator). Pretty simple setup and the most expensive part is the actual O2 tank. They have hydro dates good for 10 years though, so you don't have to worry much. Simply exchange them when needed and keep on going. I believe the exchange on the 20 cubic foot O2 tank is about $20 (it's been several months, so check with your local welding gas supplier).

BTW, helibrewer, I use a stirplate for my starters, so they are constantly oxygenated/degassed until I chill them. :rockin: You get better growth rates with a stirplate than oxygenating at the start (for starters).

I use the small O2 tanks from Lowes with an Oxygenation Kit I got from Austin...

Depends upon the beer and the yeast. Small beer, liquid yeast, I'll shake it for about five minutes. Small beer, dry yeast, no aeration. Big beer, liquid yeast, I'll use pure oxygen, no meter. Big beer, dry yeast, no aeration.

LabRatBrewer said:

i use a hand mixer, like for a milkshake. I'd make the pop culture joke about drinking my milkshake, but i dont know the reference.

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Gotta have a big-ass, f!#?%'n mustache, (moustachio?) for that one, dude. Moustachio? Who even says that, anyway!?

LabRatBrewer said:

i use a hand mixer, like for a milkshake. I'd make the pop culture joke about drinking my milkshake, but i dont know the reference.

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Do all sorts of strange boys show up in your yard?

Coohang said:

For those that use the Williams system, how long do you run it for (I guess I can't ask how much - it's a fairly crude regulator)?

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i do mine for about 30 seconds.. seems to put a lot of O2 into the wort.. no idea if that is long enough, anybody else know? would be nice to know if i should be doing it for 2x that amount or something like that

kh54s10 said:

Better Bottle on top of a baseball and shake the crap out of it for 4-5 minutes. Has worked well for me for 25 batches.

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I do this, but with a tennis ball. I'm not sure the type of ball matters. I'll have to do some scientific investigation. Shaking a Better Bottle on a ball works fine. 65 batches and counting.

I only have 11 batches under my belt, so take this for what it's worth... Normally I allow lots of splashing when siphoning from the kettle to the primary, that's all. Never had a problem, haven't done any really big beers (like to start around 1.050-1.060). I might shake the primary for something over 1.060, but then maybe not.

I siphon from the kettle, when cooled,into a funnel with a screen into my carboy. Then I shake the hell out of it. I know the ppm are limited, but so are my funds.

I've been thinking I might have attenuation problems on bigger beers though. I haven't gone above 1.070.

I've used dry yeast for some batches and according to the maker of these yeast adding exctra O2 is not necesary on batches <1.060 but i do still aerate.

A paint stirrer sometimes when the weather is hot. I let the wort cool down overnight and hit it with a paint stirrer. If the wort is cooled out of the brew kettle I use the venturi method as the wort flows into the fermenter.

I'm not even positive adding O2 to wort below 1.060 is necessary when dry yeast is used.

On other occasions I just pitch a lot of washed yeast and use basic aeration methods as mentioned above, the wort produces beer and the the attenuation is just fine.

Either way.. it makes good beer.

Adding to my previous post in the thread.....

I have used a mixing wand attached to a power drill for every batch thus far. Everything up to a Tripel that started at 1.082 and got down to 1.014. Dry yeast, or liquid does not seam to make a difference. I think the proper pitch rate and term temps have more to do with how your beer turns out IMO.

Anyone done some side by side comparisons?

Dan said:

I'm not even positive adding O2 to wort below 1.060 is necessary when dry yeast is used..

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I've used dry yeast once or twice without aeration, and it worked out fine. I'm like you, though... Most of the time I still aerate even if using dry yeast. I just recently decided I might stop doing it for dry yeast all together in the future...

I use a simple Venturi device (like in my sig) between my brew kettle and fermenter. Cheap and easy. I know it doesn't get me above 8% oxygen, but it has worked great for everything I have used it for. My 1.080 Founder's Breakfast stout just finished at 1.023 (right where it should). I would love to get an oxygen setup. That's in the plans, but for now this works and no more shaking.