aeration technique?

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rflach1

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i'm new to this wonderful hobby but i have become quickly addicted. my question is in regards to how everybody aerates the wort before pitching the yeast. so far i've tried to just shake the primary fermentor(not very easy with 5 gal of liquid in it) and i used my autosyphon to "pump" air into the wort. any opinions?
 
I use a porous SS stone (you should be able to get this system at your LHBS for $30) and an oxygen bottle from Lowes/HD to aerate my wort now.

before that I let the wort splash into the primary and topped off and chilled with cold store bought spring water. Some if the spring water you can get at the store is already oxygenated according to the label.

Any method that is forcing large amounts of unfiltered air through the wort bears the risk on getting an infection due to the spores and germs contained in the air.

Kai
 
As Kai said, I also use O2 pumped thru a SS airstone. Other methods work, but for me this has yielded fast starts, vigorous fermentations, and good beer. :cool:
 
Seems I read somewhere that aeriation is unneccessary? From some scientific tests of various methods and measuring lag times. But I just pinch the end of my transfer hose and squirt the wort into the fermenter, usually in two strerams. I figure if it's making piddling noises it's splashing. So far, no infections, 4 to 24 hour lag times, 8 batches of all grain.
 
I always just let the siphon hose kind of splash as it pours, and I shake the carboy after putting on the airlock. So far, much success. I suppose an O2 stone coudn't hurt, but I'm happy.
 
I just tried a method that someone posted that was to sanitize a plastic gallon jug, put a half gallon of wort at a time and shake it really hard. I tried this and got a half a carboy of foam which I had to wait to settle before adding the bottled water I had.
Think I will do the oxygen stone next time.
 
casebrew said:
Seems I read somewhere that aeriation is unneccessary?

It is, if you can pitch enough yeast such that significant growth is not necessary anymore. But since even professionals, who do pitch much larger ratios than most home brewers, aerate/oxygenate the wort, I believe it is better for your beer. You actually want to have some growth in the primary so the yeast can better adopt to the wort composition. And it needs to build up lipids to withstand the increasing alcohol levels. Ester production may also increase if there is not enough O2 present in the early stages.

It is not necessary for dry yeast since the yeast has been dried at high kraeusen. This means it is fully changed (lipids) with O2.

Others,
Yes there are lot's of techniques out there to aerate your wort. I used many of them too. But nothing is as easy, clean and reliable as O2 or filtered air. When I now siphon from the brew kettle into the carboy, I don't have to worry to splash sufficiently. I actually put the hose in the carboy and cover the opening with aluminum foil and just wait.

Kai
 
I have an attachment on my CFC that injects the O2 as it passes through to the fermenter, works great. Before I got it I used a SS stone and just gave it a shot in the fermenter.
 
The OBC had a lecture from some of the local yeast pros and they said O2 and a stone is best, air & stone about 1/3 as effective, and shaking/splashing about 1/6th. I use a pump, filter and stone and aerate for 15 minutes, even with dry yeast. For high gravity ales, I'll pump in more air at 2 hours and 4 hours, unless I pitched onto a cake. In that case, I'm cleaning up blowoff at 2 hours and 4 hours.
 
I do the same as Kai and El Pistolero along with a seven-foot pour. When doing partial boils, pouring two gallons of cold clean water from seven feet before adding the wort. I don't know if its overkill but it really seems to do the job.

Wild
 
I know I'm a naive newbie but I've been simply holding the carboy in my lap and shaking vigorously for a time. It seems to work.
 
rflach1 said:
i'm new to this wonderful hobby but i have become quickly addicted. my question is in regards to how everybody aerates the wort before pitching the yeast. so far i've tried to just shake the primary fermentor(not very easy with 5 gal of liquid in it) and i used my autosyphon to "pump" air into the wort. any opinions?


I use a sanitized wire whisk (like for making whipped cream?) works great!
;)
 
i make my little brother pick up the carboy, with his hand dipped in iodophor first, and shake the living hell out of the wort... it's good to have a brewing partner sometimes :D

i would like to get a stone with the o2 bottle, but i'm only budgeted for ingredients atm, so we are sorta primative.
 
rflach1 said:
... used my autosyphon to "pump" air into the wort. any opinions?
I stumbled upon this method and it works very well for me. Just this week I took an old racking cane and fashioned an aerator screen at the bottom to disperse the bubbles - thought it might help.

I was at a local brewpub on a brewery tour and the brewmaster said they use an O2 stone. I just can't bring myself to buy one! I figure if it ain't broke...
 
So far I've done 3 batches. An Irish Stout, American Wheat, and a heavy Belgian dubbel. All I do is shake the carboy for about 7 to 10 minutes. Hasn't failed yet. I did use a yeast starter on the Belian and it was the quickest to start fermenting.
 
I just brewed a batch today. First time to use a carboy as primary. To aeriate, I stuck a straightened paper clip under the hose where it slipped over the racking cane. Made nice fine bubbles get sucked in, without losing the syphon. It was bubbling first time I looked, about 15 minutes. Been an hour and a half, once a minute now. But then, I use dry yeast, with a starter- today I used honey. I'm making a mild dark rye, as usual.
 
I go fishing for divers. When I have caught one, I first let her/him swim around a bit in sanitizing solution before I transfer to primary (this works best with a bucket, as a carboy's neck may be too narrow for legally caught divers) and unplug her/his oxygen tank with a sanitized boathook. Instant aeration ensues both from the O2 released and the thrashing. When racking to secondary, I make sure that the diver is left in the primary along with the rest of the trub.

:D

If they ain't bitin', I tend to go with the splashing method.
 
Kai said:
It is, if you can pitch enough yeast such that significant growth is not necessary anymore. But since even professionals, who do pitch much larger ratios than most home brewers, aerate/oxygenate the wort, I believe it is better for your beer. You actually want to have some growth in the primary so the yeast can better adopt to the wort composition. And it needs to build up lipids to withstand the increasing alcohol levels. Ester production may also increase if there is not enough O2 present in the early stages.

It is not necessary for dry yeast since the yeast has been dried at high kraeusen. This means it is fully changed (lipids) with O2.

Others,
Yes there are lot's of techniques out there to aerate your wort. I used many of them too. But nothing is as easy, clean and reliable as O2 or filtered air. When I now siphon from the brew kettle into the carboy, I don't have to worry to splash sufficiently. I actually put the hose in the carboy and cover the opening with aluminum foil and just wait.

Kai

Wow....good post!
 
Ever leave the diver in for flavor? Kinda like the worm in the tequila thing.
You might start a new ale - Diver's Special Amber or Diver's Special Brown if he lets go in your fermenter.:eek:
 
i shake the hell out of my carboy. i ususally have it resting on a nice thick towel on the floor and wedge two feet under that b***h and just start shaking,like a madman you want the most violent, spastic, foam inducing shake you can create, mixing everything from the top to the bottom.

i let it sit for a few minute soaking in all the o2 goodness, the i realsease the cap on the carboy, wich lets out a 'sucking' sound. and i shake vigirulssly and violently some more.

i repeat this pattern for about ten-15 minutes, shake, rest, shake, rest, they key to the rest is to give the o2 a chance to be obsorbed.after 10 shakes i feal its ready to pitch the yeast, in which i give it one las shake, a little less toned down this time, just to distribute the yeast.

dont be scared of the carboy...its not your friend, it likes to be abused, your not gonna hurt its feelings, but you will be pissd if you dont get a goodhealthy, strong fermentation.
 
cgravier said:
i shake the hell out of my carboy. i ususally have it resting on a nice thick towel on the floor and wedge two feet under that b***h and just start shaking,like a madman you want the most violent, spastic, foam inducing shake you can create, mixing everything from the top to the bottom.

You may actually get better results if you can do this with a half full carboy first. Due to the increased head space you have more O2 that can be absorbed into the wort. Just thinking out loud :)

The sucking sound is good. If wort and air were at the same temperature, it means that some of the air components are abosorbed into the wort. But this is difficult to qualify since you have wort/air temperature differences most of the time.

Kai
 
Kai said:
You may actually get better results if you can do this with a half full carboy first. Due to the increased head space you have more O2 that can be absorbed into the wort. Just thinking out loud :)

that's what I do. I only get about 3 gallons out of by brew-pot, and this is what I shake like hell in the carboy. Then I pour in another 2.5 gallons of water (splashing it a lot) to top the thing off.

Not only is there more O2 to be absorbed by the wort before adding the rest of the water, but it weighs about 20 lbs less this way. :)

-walker
 
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