How do you oxygenate your wort?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

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

Results are only viewable after voting.
I use the combo method shown by Chimone. Spalsh like crazy into the fermenter through a strainer, then shake the crap out of it.
 
Do you think this'd work?

http://www.seapets.co.uk/product-details/stkcode/950465/category/615.html

950465.jpg


Could I make one from copper?
 
Lucky you guys - I've come down with one of the worst head colds I've ever had. Currently typing in delirium at 4:30 AM because I can't sleep. Wish I were drunk!
 
Bad luck Yuri.

It's 11:30 am here. Just had christmas breakfast and the wifes watching here dog training dvd I bought here. Peace and quiet. Just what the Dr. ordered.
 
just as of last week i was looking into getting an o2 system. when i do full boils i belive i will get this system. right now im only doing 2.5 gal. boils. so i was talking to some local brew people in my area and they gave me a new way to get more o2 into the wort without shaking a carboy pooring from one container to another. so i used an mix stur. its used for wine making but does a super job at mixing up the wort in a carboy

mixstir.jpg


ill soon post some images of how good it works
 
lostnfoam said:
just as of last week i was looking into getting an o2 system. when i do full boils i belive i will get this system. right now im only doing 2.5 gal. boils. so i was talking to some local brew people in my area and they gave me a new way to get more o2 into the wort without shaking a carboy pooring from one container to another. so i used an mix stur. its used for wine making but does a super job at mixing up the wort in a carboy
Click to expand...
I need to find me one of those!
 
I hate to be the continuous devil's advocate but I have to chime in again and say that frothing up the wort is still not oxygenating. I'm sure there's got to be some level of oxygen that is absolutely required and maybe once you reach that point, additional saturation is wasted or even harmful, but I wonder if you can reach it without an O2 system. As I mentioned, the air we breathe is only 20-21% oxygen. The rest is Nitrogen and small traces of other stuff (including wild yeast and other nasties). Maybe you can take totally depleted wort from 0% to 5% O2 saturation by aerating, frothing, shaking, or pumping. I'd think you'd have to do it many times though because the foam will fill your headspace and then you'd have to let it settle before doing it again (and again). Doing it once probably gets you to maybe 1% saturation (I'd love to see some data on this).

I do believe making wort foamy with air is better than nothing at all, but my experience tells me that your ferment will start in half the time with pure O2. Maybe it doesn't matter enough to justify the $30-40 it takes upfront, but it's a part of my brew process from now on.
 
I was actually suggesting that a regular blue/green diffusor stone would want to float. I realize the stainless is heavy enough to attach directly to vinyl tubing.

I do agree that the filtered air system is the next best thing to pure O2. I believe all you do is sacrifice time. The upfront costs are about the same with both methods but O2 requires refill costs. So time vs. money like everything else.
 
Jsin said:
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.
Click to expand...

I went to the local medical oxygen place and they snootily told me O2 was a drug that I could only get with a prescription. I could have sworn O2 was a gas available (at 21%) in the air we breathe every day and not a "drug" which the FDA defines as a substance that alters the body chemistry to achieve a desired effect - or some such terminology. So, until my friend graduates from med school and can write me a prescription for this mysterios "oxygen" substance, I have to look elsewhere...

I asked about purchasing O2 from my local National Welders branch that sold me my CO2 and all the fittings for my multi-tap kegerator. They said that their O2 was "not medical quality O2" which meant that " there could be traces of oil in the tanks although there shouldn't be any."

Does anyone besides Jsin use welding-grade O2 and have you ever had any adverse effects? I surely wouldn't want to risk a batch of beer, or my health, if there's a good chance there's going to be some oil in the O2, but if the chances are small (1:100-ish or less), then I'd go for it. Any words of wisdom?

Focus
 
Like I said before right now I'm doing small 5 gal batches and I’m only boiling 2.5 gals. now I’m not to good with science, but the other 2.5 gals still have o2 in it the other 2.5 that I boil yes the o2 gets depleted. When I combine the two and stir them up I’m mixing back in some 02 and maybe getting some more. I like the method I’m using because I see it as less of a chance of contamination and hopefully less of chance of the carboy getting away from me while shaking it. Like I said I’m not all that great with science I just know what works for me. And using this method with a starter fermentation started in 6 hours. I’m still new to brewing and always open to new methods.
 
Yeah, with a half boil I don't see it as mandatory.

Regarding O2 being a drug, it is, especially when you're talking to a medical supply joint. You can actually die from breathing too much of it (100% O2 that is). The only reason I know this is that I'm certified to dive on Nitrox or enhanced air up to 40% O2 and knowing the point when you'd black out on it is essential.

I doubt there's enough contamination in welding grade O2 to worry about. They just have to tell you it's not medical grade for liability purposes in case someone wanted a bargain on grandma's O2 supply. Bad to breathe the entire tank down, but to add O2 to your wort, nah.
 
They have to tell you it is not medical grade gas at the welding shop. But there has never been oil in my oxygen bottle. You would know because oil will not go threw a .5 micron diffusion stone. That and when welding if there is oil in your oxygen you get flair ups. So if you see welders buying gas from that gas shop it is ok to use. :rockin:
 
Jsin said:
They have to tell you it is not medical grade gas at the welding shop. But there has never been oil in my oxygen bottle. You would know because oil will not go threw a .5 micron diffusion stone. That and when welding if there is oil in your oxygen you get flair ups. So if you see welders buying gas from that gas shop it is ok to use. :rockin:
Click to expand...
The LHBS recommends getting the O2 from the hardware store so I don't think it is an issue.
 
desertBrew said:
About 2-3 minutes. Nice marketing tactic Williams ;). I don't crank it wide open either. Ok, maybe it's 5-6 batches.
Click to expand...

I use a similar system, but only oxygenate for about 30-40 seconds. That has always been sufficient for me. Have you confirmed that 2-3 minutes is necessary?
 
FlyGuy said:
I use a similar system, but only oxygenate for about 30-40 seconds. That has always been sufficient for me. Have you confirmed that 2-3 minutes is necessary?
Click to expand...

No confirm, but not sure how I would. Probably just being on the safe side...
 
Hey folks.

Does anyone know if a regulator intended for medical use will work on one of those tanks from the hardware store? DO they both use left-handed threads and have a post valve?

The reason I ask is because I already have the tank, line, and stone. I just need the regulator. I decided to check on ebay, and there are quite a few O2 regulators on there for both welding and medical use.

There are some really compact ones for medical use that would cost about $10 (that includes the shipping), but I can't see in the pictures if they have the same sort of connectors needed to hook to a regular welding supply O2 tank.

-walker
 
Depends on the regulator. Most O2 regulators used in the medical profession don't have a "right or a left handed" thread. They simply slip over and tighten onto a poppet on the tank (sorry if I'm not describing this correctly).

I have a medical O2 tank (of course, I use it for medical use on my squad truck), but I have been known to "think" about using it for oxygenating beer.

Medical O2 regulators are also quite expensive--- $100+ (on average) for a "cheapy"

Medical and industrial regulators are very different critters.

check out the link below.

http://www.medical-supplies-equipment-company.com/product/PPF/ID/1413/new_prod_full.asp
 
Biermann said:
Depends on the regulator. Most O2 regulators used in the medical profession don't have a "right or a left handed" thread. They simply slip over and tighten onto a poppet on the tank (sorry if I'm not describing this correctly).
Click to expand...

You're doing fine... that totally made sense.

I figured there had to be something different, but wasn't sure.

I'll just spend a couple bucks more and get one that I know will work.

Thanks!

-walker
 
Let me tell you what I know from working with LOX (liquid O2). There is no oil in any O2 tank period. If there was you would not be around to talk about it. Liquid O2 is quite safe now gas form O2 now that dangerous. Gas O2 over any petrolium product is about as big a BOOM as you can make.
 

Similar threads

Clint Yeastwood
When Would You Keg This Pressure Lager?
Replies
3
Views
788
DuncB
D
CallMeKiupid
My First Brews .... what should I look out for?
Replies
10
Views
1K
CallMeKiupid
CallMeKiupid
WortMonger
E-volution, yep I went electric... mostly!
Replies
19
Views
2K
WortMonger
WortMonger
A
How Do You Store Your Vessels
Replies
3
Views
746
Erik the Anglophile
Erik the Anglophile
G
Fermentis BR-8 dry Brettanomyces Experiences
2
Replies
62
Views
7K
Miraculix
Miraculix
InkBird 300

Latest posts

Back
Top