Inline Thermometer/Oxygen Fitting

I am about 3/4 of the way to having put together a fitting for the output side of my counterflow chiller that will use an instant-read probe thermometer and an inline oxygenation stone on the way to the fermenter with Camlock quick disconnects. (The compression fittings for the thermometer probe and oxy tubing are yet to be delivered from Bobby M.'s site BrewHardware.com. That's why they're not in the pics below)

The oxy setup I am planning on rigging utilizes the Williams Brewing oxygenation regulator/wand I currently use. I plan to put the compression fitting over the 1/4" stainless wand so that the oxygen stone is in the T-fitting where the wort exits to the fermenter. I was going to cut the SS tubing (which is long enough for the stone to sit on the bottom of a 6-6.5 Gal carboy and stick 1-2" out the top) so that only an inch or two protruded from the new fitting, but I think I may leave the entire length in tact in case I ever want to use it asa a wand again (you never know).

So what do you folks think? (Obviously, I am yet to brew/ferment with it in use, so I won't be able to give an opinion in that regard until I do.)

I don't have much to add but please update this as you progress. I also have a williams wand and this looks like it could be a good addition to my setup.

I received the remainder of my fittings to get this setup operational. Here's what it looks like when I set it up to leak test it this afternoon:

Looking at building one of these myself rather than buy a pre-built piece. So, is that just an o2 stone & wand you have going through a compression fitting? And you got the compression fitting from brewhardware?

Yessir. Fittings from Bobby at brewhardware.com, the compression fittings for the therm probe and O2 wand are the same 1/8"-1/4" compression fitting.

As a side note, after brewing once with this setup, I have gone back to using the O2 wand as it was originally intended, at least until I incorporate a pump into my system. The O2 being pumped in really messed with the siphon. I still use the QD's and therm probe as picture, but removed the T with the O2 and hex nipple.

Cheers!

I bought this unit from morebeer (Item # FE390A): http://morebeer.com/view_product/16614/102281/Stainless_in-line_Oxygenation_Assembly_with_no_Barbs

I ended up taking it apart and rebuilding it slightly to better suit my rig but the air stone has 1/2" NPT threads on it which make it very easy to integrated into other fitting.

Thanks... I'd be using a pump with this, coming out of plate chiller. Ultimately it will go into a conical whenever I can take out the loan to afford one... using this type of a set up would allow oxygenation without exposing the wort to the air.

@schematix - I've been looking at that, they also sell just the stone w/ NPT for $45 and I've been looking at that even more. Williams Brewing has the .5 micron stone w/ NPT for $16.90! Out of stock at the moment, but I've heard the .5 gets clogged a lot so I'm leaning towards the 2 micron, even if it is $30 more... or maybe not...

headfullahops said:

Yessir. Fittings from Bobby at brewhardware.com, the compression fittings for the therm probe and O2 wand are the same 1/8"-1/4" compression fitting.

As a side note, after brewing once with this setup, I have gone back to using the O2 wand as it was originally intended, at least until I incorporate a pump into my system. The O2 being pumped in really messed with the siphon. I still use the QD's and therm probe as picture, but removed the T with the O2 and hex nipple.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

I too have the Williams wand set up. How are you metering the O2 or are you opening the valve on the O2 tank all the way?

I am able to see the amount of O2 bubbling using the wand in a Better Bottle and adjust the output for a gentle release of O2. In this setup I would lose the visual feedback.

i plan on putting a sight glass after the o2 in my set-up so that i can still see the bubbles and adjust the o2 input. i don't know if it will work, but i'm going to be trying it out eventually.