How do you oxygenate your wort?

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How do you oxygenate your wort?

  • I stirr the wort in the fermenter

  • I let the wort splash into the fermenter

  • I shake the doggy doo out of my carboy

  • I use an oxygen areation system

  • I don't oxygenate the wort before pitching the yeast

  • Ralph Nader blows into my fermenter


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Ralph freaking Nader


actually I splash through a strainer into my carboy, then shake really good

Ive been considering getting an airstone and going that direction though

3394-4thofJulyWeekend011.jpg
 
I've been using a fine-mesh strainer as well, but am thinking of "upgrading" to an aeration system like that in the near future. My drainage system on the keggle is all messed up, so I've ended up having to dump the keg into the bucket, but once that's straightened up I'll need another way to get O2 back in there. I was considering an aquarium pump, but I'd rather have a system where the oxegynating is done in a minute or two, so I can pitch and get things sealed up.
 
O2 system. I recommend if nothing else than its so easy. $8 a o2 bottle though. Gets me 4-5 batches.
 
desertBrew said:
O2 system. I recommend if nothing else than its so easy. $8 a o2 bottle though. Gets me 4-5 batches.

How long do you aerate for? The Williams Brewing linked indicated that a bottle would last upwards of 30 batches.
 
About 2-3 minutes. Nice marketing tactic Williams ;). I don't crank it wide open either. Ok, maybe it's 5-6 batches.
 
Bobby_M said:
My brother in law handed me a 30 cubic foot medical grade oxy bottle (half full) with precision regulator. Two batches and the gauge barely moved. Ok gloat off.

Did he steal it from some old grandmother in a nursing home?
 
Then I shake it like a polaroid picture until it's nice and frothy. Then I clean up and start working on getting air in the wort, which I achieve with a funnel and strainer.
 
Haha, no, he works at a warehouse where they were required to have oxygen available but they just changed the rule because no one in the place is certified to actually use it. It's been sitting around for a couple years. BTW, I suggest checking out estate sales because many folks are stuck on oxygen before they pass away. I don't mean it to sound cold, but it's the truth.

I'm sure it's anecdotal, but my ferments start twice as fast as the batches when I strained, whisked, and shook the fermenter.
 
I use the old aquarium pump, filter & stone. I plug it into a timer and run it for 15 minutes every two hours for 12 hours or so. Less, if I make a starter.

Too bad I wasn't homebrewing back when my mom died. She had this O2 generator in her house about the size & shape of R2D2. Now that would have been real HB status!
 
Since I started using and O2 aeration stone, I have had shorter lag times and no stuck fermentations. I would never go back to any other method, the only disadvantage is that there is a little more to sterilize.

My $8 tank has lasted about 15-20 batches so far. I only turn it on enough for the surface to barely bubble.
 
My first 02 tank didn't last long at all, but then I learned to go slowly. 30 brews may be a little bit optimistic, but I would guestimate that it's fairly close/

-a.
 
I stir it while it's in the fermenter.... with a wire whisk jammed into a power drill! Oooooh the bubbles!
 
I have the Williams aeration system too. It works great. I give it a good 90 seconds to 2 minutes. It really makes a big difference over shaking.
 
The two drawbacks to anything but pure O2 is risk of contamination and much less O2 saturation. If you think about it, whisking or shaking is really trying to get your surrounding air to give up its 21% O2 into the wort (we all know that air is only 21% O2 right?). Well, you're also getting the other 79 % in at the same time which could include nasties. You might have a ton of bubbles but the yeast could care less unless it's dissolved O2. If you think you're gonna brew for a while, an O2 system is definitely worth it in my opinion.
 
I use an aquarium pump, a hepa filter and a 1 micron stone. Run it for 5 minutes and I'm good. But if you're interested in this system, the review said that it's "Slicker than snot on a glass door knob" What better recommendation could you ask for?

Now where's that box of tissues?
 
RichBrewer said:
How do you use this Orfy?
I believe he just drains into his carboy through it (by gravity). BOSTON was using something similar when I brewed with him a few weeks ago. Looked pretty effective.

I let my wort fall by gravity from my CFC into my carboy/bucket and that froths things up really well, but I still aerate with a stone. They're kind of in that "not expensive but not cheap" zone, but I do think they make brewday go a lot easier and offer cheap insurance.

Edit: hey, 4400...wasn't that a doomed tv series?
 
Yes, it's just a gravity drain. The idea is that because of the gravity on the wort pushing through a realitivle small copper tube, the flow is increased and the pressure is reduced. This means that instead of the wort flowing out of the little hole instead it sucks air in and mixes it at the output.

As you can see from the froth it does a good job.
 
I siphon my wort into the carboy. Then using the same siphon pump I pump air into the carboy until I get a head of foam.
 
I use a large 02 tank from the same gas place I get C02 from. With a .5 micron stone and a precision regulator, 5 minutes at 15 psi. Not only has this made a great difference in my fermentations, but after 50+ batches the tank is still mostly full.
 
This seems like a good sticky.
Can anyone post some pictures of your setups using O2 bottles or pumps? How long do you need to inject o2? How do you seal around the hose?

Hope im not asking too many "Nebee" questions
 
cnapierala said:
This seems like a good sticky.
Can anyone post some pictures of your setups using O2 bottles or pumps? How long do you need to inject o2? How do you seal around the hose?

Hope im not asking too many "Nebee" questions
There is a picture here > http://www.williamsbrewing.com/WILLIAM_S_OXYGEN_AERATION_SYST_P699C106.cfm

and you only need to run it about 2 minutes. It does work rather well. Using this and fermenting at 70 or a bit less my beers ferment really well now.
 
I let mine freefall through a hose into the carboy spinning the hose around, nice and frothy when finished. Then I spin the carboy for a couple of minutes. Pitch the yeast, lock it up and check it when I wake up the next day.

And for the FWIW column - I have yet to make a starter for any of my brews and I'm cheap so I usually use the dry yeast (opting for White labs on a few, certain brews) and have yet to have a fermentaion not start. The shortest time was 4hrs, the longest 12. Been brewing for about 3 years on average every other weekend.
 
Blender said:
There is a picture here > http://www.williamsbrewing.com/WILLIAM_S_OXYGEN_AERATION_SYST_P699C106.cfm

and you only need to run it about 2 minutes. It does work rather well. Using this and fermenting at 70 or a bit less my beers ferment really well now.

Perfect. your post and the link answered all my posts. I guess ill have to make a trip to the hardware store! I think i should be able to devise something out of a racking cane, some tubing and a few fittings as long as the oxygen is avaliable readily.
 
cnapierala said:
Perfect. your post and the link answered all my posts. I guess ill have to make a trip to the hardware store! I think i should be able to devise something out of a racking cane, some tubing and a few fittings as long as the oxygen is avaliable readily.
You will need the aeration stone for better absorbtion of the O2. My setup also has a inline filter on the tubing.
 
I've been looking at the oxygen systems as well. Right now I splash it up with my immersion chiller, once it has cooled, and then since I use a bucket as a primary, I pour it back and forth from my brew pot a couple times....
 
Rich, I think this is one of those simple steps to brew improvement (not suggesting you need it but...) WELL aerated wort really gives your fermentation a boost which in turn gives your brew a boost. Quicker fermentation, cleaner product. I say get the system and enjoy the benefits.

And once again, Merry Christmas!:fro: :fro: :fro:
 
Brewpastor said:
Rich, I think this is one of those simple steps to brew improvement (not suggesting you need it but...) WELL aerated wort really gives your fermentation a boost which in turn gives your brew a boost. Quicker fermentation, cleaner product. I say get the system and enjoy the benefits.

And once again, Merry Christmas!:fro: :fro: :fro:
I'm convinced. If for no other reason I am tired of shaking the carboy and I don't even think it is very effective. This will be my next purchase.

Merry Christmas Brewpastor!:mug:
 
Your only option besides getting that $35 reg is to find a used MAPP Gas + Oxygen soldering/brazing rig. Lowes sells the kit for $49 and includes both tanks of gas. The oxygen bottles are LEFT hand thread.
 
That's def the cheapest I've seen this reg. Get it. As you can see in my video, if you're using the cheap aquarium stones, you'll need to attach it to something rigid because it's gonna want to float up on you. That's why the stainless stones are nice I suppose, but they're not cheap.
 
RichBrewer said:
Here's the regulator only at Williams Brewing for $17.90.

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/OXYGEN_REGULATOR_P700.cfm

Thanks for the feedback unfourtantly canadian homebrew websites don't even come close in comparison with the selection or prices of most american sites.

I am most defiantly jealous of the more popular US homebrew sites.

I would order from these american sites and pay the shipping to Canada but canadian customs and many other fee's/taxes would make it ridiculously expensive.

Have a look at some hardware stores and see what they have for selection and prices.....if not i will just dig deep and buy the damn thing from that canadian website for $36 + shipping.
 
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