I completely underestimated role of oxygen

All of the seals on the lids are tight. I am just thinking that I didn't get enough O2 in there.

From what you posted originally, I think you had plenty of O2 to start with.

Just checked the gravity, it was 1.056 to start and is 1.030 7 days later. I usually don't check the gravity after one week so I am not sure if this is normal or slower than normal progress.

I started with the nutrients and O2 wand at the same time. OMG the results are awesome.

I just have to say that.

I've noticed since adding o2 that the lag time is a bit longer than I was used too. Nothing to worry about

I have been using the long agitator attachment that you put in your drill. It creates a giant vortex in the fermenter before adding the yeast starter and my beers have been bubbling the airlock in less than three hours. I usually hit it with this agitator rod 20 to30 seconds. I have used it carboys, but now prefer to use the pails for my primary and the carboys for the secondary. The pails are easier to clean and leave a few inches for krausen and foam, so no losses like when i was using the blowoff system in a carboy.

coypoo said:

I've noticed since adding o2 that the lag time is a bit longer than I was used too. Nothing to worry about

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I believe that is normal. The yeast will use oxygen to build their cell walls and replicate while the oxygen lasts. Once the oxygen is scarce, they will start fermentation. Even with the added lag time, fermentation should generally be quicker with the O2 as there should be more healthy yeast to do the job.

Yesterday I had a small leak in the connection of the wand and the O2 bottle so I did not have much in the tank toadd to the boilled wort. So I aerated this by using a drill and a dedicated paint mixer. Now i have a fresh bottle of O2 and want to know if 24 hours later is too late to bother adding O2 at this point?

msa8967 said:

Yesterday I had a small leak in the connection of the wand and the O2 bottle so I did not have much in the tank toadd to the boilled wort. So I aerated this by using a drill and a dedicated paint mixer. Now i have a fresh bottle of O2 and want to know if 24 hours later is too late to bother adding O2 at this point?

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If the yeast have already started active fermentation, don't add more O2.

discnjh said:

If the yeast have already started active fermentation, don't add more O2.

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The airlocks are bubbling so I will not be adding any O2 at this point. Thanks for letting me know.

Golddiggie said:

Looks good to me... I would just check to make sure it has a threaded fitting for the O2 out. With the picture as it is, you cannot tell what the fitting is for the O2 out part. Even though a barb fitting on the regulator would work too, I like using threaded fittings for my lines/tubing whenever possible.

Still, it's hard to go wrong at that price. Just wish it was available with Amazon Prime.

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I am very confused by this thread. Everyone seems to be looking at medical regulators for their oxygen tanks. Do these regulators only work with the green medical oxygen tanks? Can those tanks be filled without prescription? If not, what are people doing about the tanks running out of gas? I have an opportunity to pick up a large oxygen tank with regulator and 25% full, for extremely cheap. However, it is a medical tank, and I don't want to throw money away if I can't ever fill it again. Thoughts?

The tank I have is for welding O2 not a medical tank. You can get the medical flow regulators with the regular tank connection. That wah you can swap/fill them where welding gases are sold.

I'm using the Williams Brewing kit with just a regular o2 tank from a hardware store.

TriangleIL said:

I am very confused by this thread. Everyone seems to be looking at medical regulators for their oxygen tanks. Do these regulators only work with the green medical oxygen tanks? Can those tanks be filled without prescription? If not, what are people doing about the tanks running out of gas? I have an opportunity to pick up a large oxygen tank with regulator and 25% full, for extremely cheap. However, it is a medical tank, and I don't want to throw money away if I can't ever fill it again. Thoughts?

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How cheap is 'extremely cheap'? I buy the disposable tanks at the Lowes for like 9 bucks and they only hold a couple oz of O2. I’ve used it on about 70 gallons of beer/wine/mead/cider so far and haven’t run out yet (some people claim they can get 30 batches out of them).

Depending on how big that tank is, you may not need to replace it for a very very long time. Think of it as a disposable tank. Unless (god forbid) you or a family member develop a condition which requires oxygen, then you may have an excuse to get it filled.

Basically, if you have the room to keep it and its really cheap, than go for it and don’t worry about your oxygen needs for multiple years.

I think I get it now, so I want the CGA540 outlet, not the 870?

TriangleIL said:

I think I get it now, so I want the CGA540 outlet, not the 870?

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Sounds right. Its the tank connection welding regulators use (for oxygen).

Also, a 20 cubic foot O2 tank is about the same size as a 5# CO2 tank, so easy to store. You can get the regulator for under $30 from ebay or amazon. Since yoh swap/refill the O2 tank its cheap for the volume. Plus you save by just buying the wand and stone (or just a stone) not the full kit. With an actual meter o. The regulator you KNOW how mych O2 you're infusing. With the disposable regulator you're just guessing.

I'll take some photos of my rig. Basically, if you plan to use a regular welding oxygen tank acquired from a local welding shop (what I did) you need to look for a medical regulator that has a bolt attachment on it. See my pictures below of my current setup.











Here is the specific regulator I purchased: http://www.ebay.com/itm/H-M-Medical...ltDomain_0&hash=item255739e28d#ht_1274wt_1163

And coupled with the beverage tubing from MoreBeer + their oxygen stone, everything hooks up perfectly to the barb outlet on the regulator.

One of my best purchases ever. Got everything for around $120 - and it took all the worry or guessing out of oxygenating my wort.

Awesome, thanks a ton for the pictures, that makes a lot of sense now. The specific oxygen setup I am looking at is an "E" tank, with regulator and half full. The price is $55.

Craigslist Ad for tanks

Would this make sense, or should I just stick with a welding tank + ebay regulator?

Sorry for the noob questions, just don't want to make a bad purchase and screw myself.

Well, those appear (from my limited knowledge) to be medical tanks, and I'm not sure how the regulators work as I can't see them blown up, but would imagine that they'd have LPM settings for you to adjust similar to my regulator shown above.

Those should work, if you can attach some hose to your stone, but again you might have problems getting them filled up without having a perscription. I decided against getting a medical tank, and just taking the investment to get the tank from a welding supply shop directly.

An exchange is about $14.50 for a full tank, so basically my oxygen needs are completely solved for the remainder of my time brewing. It was a $120 investment up front, but worth it in my opinion. Beats spending $10 or whatever for those little tanks and not knowing exactly how much oxygen you are putting in, not to mention that most websites want atleast $50-60 for the kit with stone and plastic reg.

Basically, to get back to your question - do you want a short term solution that may work (but that you probably can't get refilled) or a long term solution that is proven to work?

p.s. Another option is to ask your dentist to see if he can prescribe you oxygen. If he can, then you just solved getting those medical tanks refilled. Then medical tanks might make a lot more sense.

How many of you are still using your O2 setups regularly?

foltster said:

How many of you are still using your O2 setups regularly?

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I use it every time I brew. It makes a great difference in the final product but I do notice that my lag time for the yeast to show activity has become longer.

I oxygenate after pitching my yeast ALWAYS! Any perceived lag is merely the early aerobic respiratory period during which the yeast rapidly reproduces (thanks to the O2) before beginning the anaerobic stage during which EtOh and CO2 are produced.

foltster said:

How many of you are still using your O2 setups regularly?

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I use it every time and am convinced that it makes big difference.

I haven't brewed in many years but plan to start up again shortly. I am fortunate in that I already had a medical O2 tank someone gave me a long time ago. When I moved to the east coast, I emptied it and shipped it to my new home. It sat in my basement for a very long time, way past it's hydro test date. Recently I took it to a welding and medical gas supply business where they swapped it out for a full tank of medical grade O2, no questions asked, no Rx needed. I also bought a brand new regulator, the pin type not screw fitting, on Amazon for about $20. It has a nice supply guage and a flow meter that can regulate from 0.2-15 LPM. I consider this one of the best values in my growing arsenal of equipment accumulation. Lesson here is look around for a cheap O2 tank- CL, EBAY, pawn shops (I've seen CO2 and nitrogen tanks there), even tag sales, estate sales, etc. The gas supply store should be able to swap it out and then just find a cheap regulator and you're in business.

I stopped using O 6 batches ago; I haven't noticed any difference. But, I use either dry yeast or pitch a large slurry of 1 week old harvested yeast.

O2 whenever I use liquid yeast.

jfowler1 said:

Has anyone seen a chart/read about diffusion rates with a 2 micron stone as compared to a .5 micron stone?

Joe

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When I bought mine I asked the manufacturer about this. They said the pore size has little to do with how long it takes to saturate the wort. Fine stones just waste less gas because the small bubbles dissolve before they float up to the surface. They also need higher pressures and get clogged up easier. They told me that 10 psi for 2 minutes should saturate the wort with a 2 micron stone.

Same experience here. My beer has definitely improved since I added the cheap and easy oxygen stone and $10 bernzomatic welding tanks. $60 total and it takes a minute every batch. Easy and it's been a great tool. I'm a believer.


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Just placed my order in for an o2 system from Williams. I brew 2.5-3 gal batches and I'm wondering how long I should aerate for? I brew mostly lagers in the 1.050-1.060 range. Is there some kind of scale or chart for this or do you all just guesstimate?

Lagers need more oxygen. And any bubbles you see are wasted oxygen, so don't turn it up enough to foam much. Just make sure the wort is moving around from the O2 flow.

For a lager I would do at least a minute, probably a bit more. The yeast need more help when colder. For ales 30 or 45 seconds is fine.

dcbw said:

Lagers need more oxygen. And any bubbles you see are wasted oxygen, so don't turn it up enough to foam much. Just make sure the wort is moving around from the O2 flow.

For a lager I would do at least a minute, probably a bit more. The yeast need more help when colder. For ales 30 or 45 seconds is fine.

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Thanks, I'll start out at 60 seconds and go from there.

What kind of system and tank do you use? I saw this tank today at HD and was wondering if this would work? Any thoughts? View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1420763844.518772.jpg

Exactly what I've been using and it's working great for me.

Same tanks I use as well. Heck, I think they are the tanks the fair majority of us use.


Rev.

https://spacecoast.craigslist.org/hab/4830450238.html. Hopefully this attachment works I'm wondering if anyone could tell me if this o2 setup would work for a home brewer. It seems cheap enough.