Inline filter for pure oxygen?

I just ordered an O2 regulator so I can start aerating my beer with pure oxygen. My question for those of you who use a disposable oxygen tank... Do you use an inline filter? It appears most homebrew stores only sell them for use with aquarium pumps that draw ambient air. On one hand, $5 for a filter isn't that much for piece of mind, but on the other hand if it's not necessary I'll save my money for the next trip to the bar. What say ye?

I've been using the pure O2 setup without a filter for about a year now without any problems.

McCheese352 said:

I've been using the pure O2 setup without a filter for about a year now without any problems.

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John Palmer asserted on a Brew Strong podcast that nothing can live in pure O2 or CO2. I wouldn't worry about a filter.

Windigstadt said:

I just ordered an O2 regulator so I can start aerating my beer with pure oxygen. My question for those of you who use a disposable oxygen tank... Do you use an inline filter? It appears most homebrew stores only sell them for use with aquarium pumps that draw ambient air. On one hand, $5 for a filter isn't that much for piece of mind, but on the other hand if it's not necessary I'll save my money for the next trip to the bar. What say ye?

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Can anyone say overkill! No i'm just kidding. It's just not necessary to put an inline filter on an O2 system. Humans can't even survive in pure oxygen. There is such a thing as oxygen narcosis and all living things including baddies can't survive in a pure single-species gaseous environment.

P.S. Where you at in Chicago? I'm brewing up in the Ravenswood neighborhood, but I'd love to meet another fellow homebrewer.

just my $0.02 but the disposible oxygen bottles are intended for welding purposes only. citizens of the us cannot purchase pure o2 since it is a controled substance.(unless you steal it from grandma). you never know what is in those bottles that can enter your beer.

mauer_62 said:

just my $0.02 but the disposible oxygen bottles are intended for welding purposes only. citizens of the us cannot purchase pure o2 since it is a controled substance.(unless you steal it from grandma). you never know what is in those bottles that can enter your beer.

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It's not a controlled substance per se, but rather it requires a prescription because when used medically for inhalation in a patient, a large enough amount can be fatal. See the following quote from Yahoo Health on this https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110306033442AA6Jbyt.

Welding oxygen, if inhaled can be just as fatal in the wrong amount, but it's not intended for inhalation and is just not certified to as stringent a standard of purity as medical oxygen when filled at a welding shop, for example. Medical oxygen also requires a completely different regulator. It is controlled in the sense that they require a prescription, but they usually are filled from the same equipment, albeit the medical oxygen tanks are treated a little better than the welding tanks and the person filling them has to follow a more strict set of procedures in order to maintain said certification.

Solid necropost.

Been using those disposable bottles of oxygen with no filter for well over 100 batches. No issues at all.

roper4092 said:

Been using those disposable bottles of oxygen with no filter for well over 100 batches. No issues at all.

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Ditto, but for less batches.

No, you definitely do not need a filter when oxygenating your wort.

Two thoughts...

1). It is good practice, before connecting your hose to any gas tank (CO2, Oxygen, Argon, etc) is to quickly open the valve to blow out any debris/solids that may be near the valve.

2) A $5 filter is cheap piece of mind, and can help filter anything that maybe you didn't blow off before you attached your hose.

Just my $0.02

Windigstadt said:

I just ordered an O2 regulator so I can start aerating my beer with pure oxygen. My question for those of you who use a disposable oxygen tank... Do you use an inline filter? It appears most homebrew stores only sell them for use with aquarium pumps that draw ambient air. On one hand, $5 for a filter isn't that much for piece of mind, but on the other hand if it's not necessary I'll save my money for the next trip to the bar. What say ye?

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I purchased a complete setup ( regulator, tubing, 2 micron stone)intended for use w/ the disposable O2 cylinders that included an in line filter from my LHBS.

I have met people who use the disposable tanks and at first they used filters. They checked the filters after multiple uses and there was no sign of any debris or oils on the filter.

Also, nothing but gas will get through the stones. If anything other than gas gets to the stones they will probably clog up immediately.