Oxygenating Wort

Castle Meadow Brewery · Feb 19, 2007

For all who use oxygen tanks and air stones to oxygenate your wort, Do you use medical grade or is oxygen from your local welding supply alright? I spoke with several companies and their doesn't seem to be a big difference except in the treatment of the tanks. Also you don't need a prescription for welding oxygen.
Thanks.

Alex

RichBrewer · Feb 19, 2007

I haven't gotten an O2 system yet but from what I've read you just purchase the O2 bottle from your local hardware store.
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/WILLIAM_S_OXYGEN_AERATION_SYST_P699C106.cfm

MA_Brewer · Feb 19, 2007

I use o2 from Home Depot, and one of those little white inline sanitary filters. I've not had problems.

raceskier · Feb 20, 2007

Ditto. Used this one.

http://www.breworganic.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=462

I've been using this, along with pitching a starter and my fermentations have taken off like a rocket.

FlyGuy · Feb 20, 2007

raceskier said:
Ditto. Used this one.

http://www.breworganic.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=462

I've been using this, along with pitching a starter and my fermentations have taken off like a rocket.

I use a similar setup as well, and buy disposable O2 cylinders from the hardware store.

Has anyone with these systems experienced difficulty keeping the stone at the bottom of the fermenter? My hose is very 'curley' and the darn stone always floats when I crank up the O2. The 02 systems with the rigid 'wand' look like a better design than what I have, but has anyone found a solution for the hose types?

Blender · Feb 20, 2007

FlyGuy said:
I use a similar setup as well, and buy disposable O2 cylinders from the hardware store.

Has anyone with these systems experienced difficulty keeping the stone at the bottom of the fermenter? My hose is very 'curley' and the darn stone always floats when I crank up the O2. The 02 systems with the rigid 'wand' look like a better design than what I have, but has anyone found a solution for the hose types?

I have just the hose and found that heating the tubing in hot water straightens it out and it will get pretty close to the bottom of the carboy. I also only allow enough O2 so that it just barely breaks the surface of the wort, don't crank it to much.

Lord Sterrock Hammerson 8 · Feb 20, 2007

It's topic related.

Bobby_M - Oxygenation Video

BrewStef · Feb 21, 2007

Lord Sterrock Hammerson 8 said:
It's topic related.

Bobby_M - Oxygenation Video

Very nice! Is it true that you can OVER-oxygenate the wort?

boo boo · Feb 21, 2007

FlyGuy said:
I use a similar setup as well, and buy disposable O2 cylinders from the hardware store.

Has anyone with these systems experienced difficulty keeping the stone at the bottom of the fermenter? My hose is very 'curley' and the darn stone always floats when I crank up the O2. The 02 systems with the rigid 'wand' look like a better design than what I have, but has anyone found a solution for the hose types?

Yeah, it seems we both bought the system from PW. What I did to cure the floating airstone was to cut the hose 2 inches above the stone and connect a piece of rigid tubbing from a cracked autosiphon I had.
And as was mentioned, keeping the o2 low enough to just break the surface with the bubbles make for more efficient use of the o2.
I buy the disposable cylinders also.

Baron von BeeGee · Feb 21, 2007

I buy the disposable cylinders with an oxygenation stone and don't use any kind of inline filtration...no problems so far!

FlyGuy · Feb 21, 2007

boo boo said:
Yeah, it seems we both bought the system from PW. What I did to cure the floating airstone was to cut the hose 2 inches above the stone and connect a piece of rigid tubbing from a cracked autosiphon I had.
And as was mentioned, keeping the o2 low enough to just break the surface with the bubbles make for more efficient use of the o2.
I buy the disposable cylinders also.

I was thinking of doing just that. Glad to know it works. Thanks!

Bobby_M · Feb 21, 2007

I bought some small acrylic tubing from the pet store, same place I got the stone. A quick solution would be to use a piece of 14 gauge solid copper wire inside your tube to keep it straight. It shouldn't restrict the flow of O2 enough to matter.

roggae · Feb 21, 2007

Baron von BeeGee said:
I buy the disposable cylinders with an oxygenation stone and don't use any kind of inline filtration...no problems so far!

what are these and where do you get them?

roggae · Feb 21, 2007

so once you buy these cylinders where do you get the regulators? is there anywhere i can buy one other than the LHBS? there setup is about $60. is it just as effective to use an airstone and an aquarium pump?

Bobby_M · Feb 21, 2007

Lowes, Home Depot, etc have the benzomatic red cylinders for the Mapp Gas brazing rigs near the welding equipment. They cost about $9.

The regulator can be found at Williamsbrewing.com for about $15. From there, you use some vinyl tubing and use a stainless or cheaper aquarium diffusor stone. In all, it will run about $35.

roggae · Feb 21, 2007

Bobby_M said:
Lowes, Home Depot, etc have the benzomatic red cylinders for the Mapp Gas brazing rigs near the welding equipment. They cost about $9.

The regulator can be found at Williamsbrewing.com for about $15. From there, you use some vinyl tubing and use a stainless or cheaper aquarium diffusor stone. In all, it will run about $35.

so i do have to buy something at the LHBS...damn...ok...gotta run then!!!

Castle Meadow Brewery · Feb 21, 2007

Thanks for all the input on this. I just realized last night that my brother in-law is a dentist and has small O2 tanks all over the place. I got one from him. Gonna go with the rigid tube though to keep at the bottom. Thanks

Alex

roggae · Feb 21, 2007

Bobby_M said:
Lowes, Home Depot, etc have the benzomatic red cylinders for the Mapp Gas brazing rigs near the welding equipment. They cost about $9.

The regulator can be found at Williamsbrewing.com for about $15. From there, you use some vinyl tubing and use a stainless or cheaper aquarium diffusor stone. In all, it will run about $35.

here is what i have so far:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21645009@N00/397973673/

i'd like to get that regulator, but can i get it anywhere else?

thanks

Bobby_M · Feb 21, 2007

I don't know of any place else that sells it cheaper than that. You could try getting a used Mapp Gas/O2 brazing torch and simply avoid hooking up the mapp gas. I've done that before but it was a borrowed rig.

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