Air-rational!! Aeration Stones??

Can I use an airation stone from a pet store to add air into my wort, or will this cause a problem?

I've never used one, but others have. I wouldn't see a problem with it, as long as the stone and the air hose have been properly sanitized. Go for it!

it wont be as cool though.. or as small. the stainless come in .5 and 2 microns and you know they are able to be sanitary.

People have done it without any problem. I just don't see how you can clean something like that effectively.

You can boil stainless so that should kill anything.

That said I don't have one (yet)...

I've just recently purchased a stainless unit but prior to that it was an aquarium stone. Before I would throw it into the wort I would make sure to have it hooked up so wort wouldn't flow back into the line. After I was done I'd flush it out with cleaner, water and then blow it out with compressed air. I didn't use it much but it didn't take long for this process to degarde the stone and have it fall apart.

For the most part aquarium stones are not very durable with alot of handling. You might get bits of the stone crumbling off in your wort.

Yeah, I'd be weary about using an aquarium air stone, especially when you can find stainless ones for pretty cheap. If you're using an aquarium air pump, you may also want to look into getting an in-line filter to ensure that the air you are pumping into the wort isn't contaminated.

rsmith179 said:

Yeah, I'd be weary about using an aquarium air stone, especially when you can find stainless ones for pretty cheap. If you're using an aquarium air pump, you may also want to look into getting an in-line filter to ensure that the air you are pumping into the wort isn't contaminated.

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Contaminated?
What kind of filter?
With the diaphragm in most aquarium pump, it would be hard to put a filter on it without severely reducing, if not stopping airflow. Unless of course it is a luft pump. And if you can afford one just for brewing, you can afford to get a few SS stones.

Is the filter recommended when using an O2 bottle from the hardware store?

i've use pet store air stones with no ill effects. but a word of warning. depending on what kind you get they can be fragile and fall apart leaving little grains in your fermenter or shatter easy. just make sure they are unused before you use them. don't want fish germs in your brew.

planenut said:

Is the filter recommended when using an O2 bottle from the hardware store?

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I have heard yes and no on this. Personally I do not use a filter and I use an O2 tank with my airstone

pure compressed gases are pretty safe as far as anything alive in the bottle.