Aeration Question

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jdlev

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Getting set for batch number 5. I had a question about aerating the wort. Just prior to pitching the yeast after the wort has cooled, I use my hammer drill to basically turn the fermenter bucket into a giant blender in an effort to work more o2 into the wort.

Is that good, bad, or ugly? I'm not trying to get the beasties from the air into the wort after all...do you have to use a tank of straight o2 (with like an aeration rock) to the wort?
 
As long as what is churning the wort is sanitized you should be fine. Your beer won't be sterile, so an acceptable amount of bacteria that is in the air is allowed. Just make sure you keep out of the wind, which can carry a ton of bacteria, and stay out of really dusty rooms.
 
Do you need to use a hammer drill?

Dry yeast doesn't usually require aeration. For liquid yeast giving the carboy a good shake is quite effective, not to mention sanitary.
 
I prefer the bottling bucket to fermenter trick. Cant remember where on here I saw it. Since I keg now, I have no need for a bottling bucket and this is its new life. Works like a charm and never have had a fermentation problem yet. (Knock on wood)
 
Dry yeast don't *need* aeration, and if your starter is good then they shouldn't need much in the way of aeration either. If you pitch a smack pack without a starter, well, then you'd better aerate. ;)

I'd be worried about stuff shaking off of a hammer drill and falling into the wort, personally. I like to pour the wort from a height to splash it, and then shake a closed bucket (empty airlock in the grommet to keep wort from splashing out on me and the floor).
 
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