Potential new way to air into the wort.

Fixin' to start doing full boil batches and been reading into the importance of getting 02 in to the wort prior to pitching. Got an idea. After the boil is over, or after chilling or at some point (not sure exactly when at this point as it is an idea), connect your air compressor hose right on to the barb end of the spigot on the keggle. Build up pressure and then slowly crack open the shut off valve and let the air pressure push air back up through the drain pipe into the wort. I mean, it isn't pure 02 and more or less the easier equivalent of using a fish tank air pump, but would that work??? Maybe the bubbles won't be fine enough.

No dice pal, the air in a compressor is pretty nasty stuff. You're also right about the bubbles being too large. If you run it through a hepa filter though, and put a diffusor stone on it, it just might work.

I use my ferret to airerate it.

I get her all would up and toss into chilled wort.

It also gives my beer that little something extra for flavor. :fro: :cross:

Bobby_M said:

No dice pal, the air in a compressor is pretty nasty stuff. You're also right about the bubbles being too large. If you run it through a hepa filter though, and put a diffusor stone on it, it just might work.

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If you get enough turbulence, big bubbles should be effective as well. However that sort of thing may blow a hole right through the filter. I wouldn't want the air in my compressor entering any kind of food product without an oil separator and REALLY GOOD outlet filter.

I pitch yeast, cover end of prim fermentor and shake a few times. Yeast just takes right off.

It would take so many dollars worth of equipment to make the air coming out of that thing clean that you might as well buy an oxygen tank and an aeration stone.

I love my wort wizard, Dude posted a DIY one a while back.

Raffie said:

I pitch yeast, cover end of prim fermentor and shake a few times. Yeast just takes right off.

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That's exactly how I do it when I don't get enough aeration when I pour it from the (chilled) wort tun.

Many of the newer compressors are "oil less". The don't even have a crankcase to put oil into. It's just the piston with a teflon 'ring' on it. No more hazard than an aquarium pump.

casebrew said:

Many of the newer compressors are "oil less". The don't even have a crankcase to put oil into. It's just the piston with a teflon 'ring' on it. No more hazard than an aquarium pump.

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But those aren't high output, 60+ gallon, 5+ hp, two-stage monsters. Anything less doesn't go into my shop.

I still wouldn't inject shop air into my wort...even if I had an oil-less compressor. Splashing and shaking works, a $20 new aquarium pump seems simple, and BernzOMatic's small O2 tanks/regulators aren't much more expensive...

I use a mud mixer and 3/8" drill to whip air into my wort after I've cooled it. For me, it seems to work better than the "Shake it like it owes me money" method I'd used previously.

Shouldn't have to pay more than $7 for a small aquarium pump.

Funny...I was thinking about this same idea earlier and came to the same conclusion that it wouldnt be clean enough, or practicle to make it clean enough. I have an oil-less comp. but would be to worried about causing some off flavors, or possibly an infection.

Air tanks will hold moisture in them, which could cause some nasties i would think.

Shaking it works for me for now, one of these days ill get a system.

I wonder about the whole concept. I read that trub is a substitute- gooey wort needs less oxygen. It makes me think that possible only the big brewers that filter the trub out might need to aereate. Or maybe they ummm- pressure cook their wort, or some other technique thing that nessecitates oxygen? or they need to oxygenate to blow out some off-____ taste? additive? sanitizer? Or maybe liquid yeast needs more oxygen? I've just heard too often of good batchs done without aeriation at all. It must take some combination of the above to require it.