drywall mud mixer to aerate wort?

anybody tried this?

using the mud mixing paddle hooked up to my power drill to really get the o2 into the wort sounds like it would work...or could be a gigantic mess and disaster.

Sounds like a good idea to me. Just make sure you sanitize well.

Well it's working for me :rockin:

My biggest concern would be accidentally damaging your fermenter if you hit the side of the vessel. If you're using a plastic bucket or Better Bottle, then even small scratches in the plastic can be sources of infection. Hitting the inside of a glass carboy with a power tool could induce "catastrophic failure." But then I'm a giant klutz and there are more coordinated people here who do this successfully.

I think it's overkill. Pouring it vigorously into the fermenter and using a wire whisk is plenty sufficient.

I did it for the first time on my last batch. It worked well and I was careful not to let it hit the side of the bucket for fear of scratches. It worked really well and a few minutes of that I am sure is equal to 15+ minutes of shaking the hell out of it.

I purchased one that works very well for the MLT. Walmart has a paint stirrer that was a couple of bucks that is smaller and works better for aeration.

I use a Mix-Stir.

if you are worried about scratches just do it in the boil pot after its cooled then transfer

They work great as mash stirrers too!

wyzazz said:

I use a Mix-Stir.

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Where did you find one of these? hardware or homebrew shop?
is it temp resistant (can it be boiled to sanitize?)

Found IT at MidWest Brew... Second question still applies:
Is it temp resistant (can it be boiled to sanitize?)

This guy doesn't seem to have much trouble with it. He apparently uses a "squirrel mixer."

I use one in the BK that fits on the inside of my immersion chiller. Just toss it in to the last 15 min of the boil with the chiller. I use it to circulate wort around the chiller (at slow speeds) until it's cooled. Then open it up full speed and aerate the crap out of it. Then transfer to fermenter. I also use it in the mash instead of a spoon or paddle. Makes getting rid of doughballs one of the easiest things in the process!

starrfish said:

Where did you find one of these? hardware or homebrew shop?
is it temp resistant (can it be boiled to sanitize?)

Found IT at MidWest Brew... Second question still applies:
Is it temp resistant (can it be boiled to sanitize?)

Click to expand...

I got it at the LHBS, you should be able to get it at almost any online HBS. I've used it in the boil (no more than a minute or 3 just for stirring) the paddles (replaceable) got a little deformed but still work fine, the rod itself was fine. They also sell a SS version, but the paddles are still plastic.

I was actually thinking of going to Home Depot and finding some SS somethingorother to use as paddles to resolve the paddle issue.

wyzazz said:

I use a Mix-Stir.

Click to expand...

I was talked out of the plastic handled version by another customer at the AHS. He said that if it's something I was going to use a lot, then I'd just be back to but the one with the SS handle after I snapped the plastic one, leaving the bottom half in the carboy... just like he did. *grins* It costs more, but the shaft is sturdier.

Linky to SS version at AHS.

It's handy as hell if you're using carboys as the blades fold down to fit through the neck. I bought it originally to de-gas and add nutrients to meads, but it works a treat on oxygenating beer.

I didn't go with the SS version because I didn't want to stick it down the neck of the glass carboy's I own and smack the glass with steel, I figured the plastic would keep me from damaging the carboy.

Only time will tell if that was a wise decision...

wyzazz said:

I didn't go with the SS version because I didn't want to stick it down the neck of the glass carboy's I own and smack the glass with steel, I figured the plastic would keep me from damaging the carboy.

Click to expand...

The shaft fits through a drilled stopper with some room to spare, so you just drop a stopper on the shaft and pop the stopper into the neck when you stick the paddle in and hold it there with a little downward pressure. The stopper keeps it from banging the glass, it gives you great control over the paddle, and it keeps the liquid from slopping out of the carboy when you get a little -- *ahem* -- enthusiastic with the speed of the drill.

Actually, I'd recommend the stopper for the plastic shafted one as well, if it'll fit.

Dang! Innuendo overload!

Stopper won't fit over the plastic one, too wide.

ThinkinDavid said:

This guy doesn't seem to have much trouble with it. He apparently uses a "squirrel mixer." http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10W_U3-UOlc

Click to expand...

Wow that really does the job

my only issue with mud mixers if they are safe to use on beer. I don't want metal poinsoning or something

Then just make sure you get something in Stainless, not zinc.

Just thought I'd add a little footnote to this thread. Brewed a Wee Heavy yesterday with a 2L starter to pitch. Got a little overzealous with the de-gassing wand and whipped so much air into the carboy that I had a thick, frothy head that completely filled the remaining headspace. Had to add the starter in six parts, rocking the carboy with each addition to disrupt and deflate the foam enough to add more.

After fermentation kicked off last night, it ended up inducing a blowoff of foam when I ordinarily wouldn't have had one from the krausen (thank the FSM for my blowoff line!). But... I did get a hell of a lot of air into there. *grins*

The moral: be careful what you wish for... you may just get it.

SNPorter said:

Wow that really does the job

Click to expand...

Yeah, but I heard it hit the inside of the bucket a couple times.. I bet it left some scratches.