Is Cutting Torch Oxygen okay??

I would like to start using oxygen to aerate by wort instead of the usual chair dance I have to do with each carboy.
I have a Cutting Torch rig set up on a dolly.
Can I use the Oxygen bottle to aerate my wort? Is oxygen from welding supply stores okay for that purpose?

Is it the same or similar to the Bernzomatic O2 bottles?



Is so, then yes.

The oxygen should be fine. I get my CO2 from a welding supplier. Plus, I don't think bacteria can survive in pure oxygen.

Put an inline filter if you are worried about it.

Yer Good! From what I've read online, a filter isn't needed with pure oxygen.

Oxygen is oxygen... if it wasn't, it wouldn't be oxygen.

You might not need a filter but it is cheap insurance. Improperly cared for tanks can have impurities in them. This is what I use http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/in-line-sanitary-filter.html on my CO2 tanks as well as Oxygen if I am using some.

HOP-HEAD said:

Oxygen is oxygen... if it wasn't, it wouldn't be oxygen.

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That's not true. There is oxygen for torches(industrial), medical grade, aviation grade and research grade that I am aware of.

In this case, I'm sure any of the above would work well, but I don't think anyone would be happy with non-medical grade O2 in the hospital, just like medical grade would be terrible on an airplane.

All come from the same liquid oxygen source, the documentation and storage cylinders differ by application.

kladue said:

All come from the same liquid oxygen source, the documentation and storage cylinders differ by application.

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and moisture content and purity. Enough to be different enough using one for the other's application can be dangerous.

It seemed to work great. The only issue I have is with the torch regulator, I have no idea about the exact pressure I am applying. So, I just adjusted it so that it would not foam out of the carboy and hit it for 2 minutes in each carboy.
I have to say that it is much nicer than shaking each carboy for 7 or 8 minutes and a hell of a lot faster.
Thanks all!!

How long do one of those canisters last? how many batches?

The bottle I have is about 50lbs I would say. I have to think this would last me several years if used only for oxygenation of wort. But I use it around my place for violent defrabrication fun.....

Hawgbranch said:

The bottle I have is about 50lbs I would say. I have to think this would last me several years if used only for oxygenation of wort. But I use it around my place for violent defrabrication fun.....

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haha OK - I meant the small bottles from Lowes!

z987k said:

and moisture content and purity. Enough to be different enough using one for the other's application can be dangerous.

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If all the gas comes from the same process, how did you come to this? Do you have something to back it up or is it just something someone told you?

z987k said:

That's not true. There is oxygen for torches(industrial), medical grade, aviation grade and research grade that I am aware of.

In this case, I'm sure any of the above would work well, but I don't think anyone would be happy with non-medical grade O2 in the hospital, just like medical grade would be terrible on an airplane.

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Typically all oxygen comes from the same source these days (with the exception of research grade). It is too expensive to have multiple sources of O2. It is cheaper to fill welding tank w/medical grade.

Aviation grade has tighter moisture specs because of the freezing temps it must operate in. This is often the same source, but undergoes a drying process.

If you are worried then the biggest concern I see is odor. Industrial tanks may have had something contaninate them--because suppliers are not required to purge the tank before refilling. If that worries you "smell" it. It will smell fine, so you can then use it.

sigmund said:

If all the gas comes from the same process, how did you come to this? Do you have something to back it up or is it just something someone told you?

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No it comes from the same source like said, but as RDWHAHB said, there are different standards for each. For something like o2 for wort it really doesn't matter. You don't want to use industrial for medical because of a slightly lower purity requirement and lower regulations on what can be labeled what. Anything but aviation grade when flying can cause ice crystals to form if the moisture content is too high.

As for as my source, it's in the FAA's instrument flying handbook and is probably in the AIM as well.

Moisture in the low pressure liquification process is absorbed before the air enters the cold box, control of the temperature in the various zones determines the N2 impurity level in the O2 product. The control and the analytical documentation determine the various grades produced. A suggestion for those using oxygen for oxygenation is a flowmeter from dwyer that you can set to .5 SCFH, .5 SCFH for three minutes will give declared attenuation with most of the yeast strains. High flows are a waste as most of the oxygen goes away as foam and is not absorbed into the wort, slow is better.

z987k said:

No it comes from the same source like said, but as RDWHAHB said, there are different standards for each. For something like o2 for wort it really doesn't matter. You don't want to use industrial for medical because of a slightly lower purity requirement and lower regulations on what can be labeled what. Anything but aviation grade when flying can cause ice crystals to form if the moisture content is too high.

As for as my source, it's in the FAA's instrument flying handbook and is probably in the AIM as well.

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Interesting. The source I found was an aviation site and it stated that for standard aviation grade, medical and industrial, there is no difference. I can post a link to the site tonight. I'd like to see a link for your source, it should be easy to produce if you say it's from the FAA.

Well, it must have helped somehow because both 6.5 gal Carboys have blown in the first 24 hours. There was roughly 5.5gal in one and 5gal in the other. I have never had a blowoff with those amounts in my Carboys. There was plenty of headroom but they both messed up my ferm fridge.
I would rather that than no activity!!!

Hawgbranch said:

Well, it must have helped somehow because both 6.5 gal Carboys have blown in the first 24 hours. There was roughly 5.5gal in one and 5gal in the other. I have never had a blowoff with those amounts in my Carboys. There was plenty of headroom but they both messed up my ferm fridge.
I would rather that than no activity!!!

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Glad to hear it. You'll be fine with your torch supply, there's no issue with using that oxygen. As already stated, there's just a whole lot less paperwork that follows industrial grade, but the gas has to be clean or it would cause problems in your regulators.

One thing to add, I just read up on this yeast a bit and it seems that the fermentations are usually vigorous. So that may have something to do with it as well.
Wyeast Weihenstephan 3068 (CB #1) and Wyeast German Wheat 3333 (CB #2)

z987k said:

That's not true.

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Yes it is. 02 is 02. If you add something else, it becomes C02, H20, Cl202... etc.

Now.... I guess I could have clarified that mixed into your tank of oxygen (o2) there might also be water (h20) or another contaminate.... but your 02 is still 02... it's just floating around alongside other "things" you didn't ask for.