Aeration of Wort when pitching Yeast

[ArcLight]

Becaue boiling causes water to lose much of it's disolved Oxygen, it's recommended to try and reoxygenate the wort. Shaking is the least expensive, but takes several minutes to get a a lot of oxygen back into the Wort. Two othe roptions I've seen are an Oxgen infuser - run for 60 seconds, and a long modified Drill Bit (22 inch stirrer) that looks like a fan blade (sort of) that you attach to a drill, stick in the wort and run it for a few minutes.

What is your experience with the need to Oxygenate wort, and with teh use of these 3 methods.
Does Oxygenation just speed up fermentation by lets say a day, thus reducing the effect of an infection? or does it also affect the final flavor?

If you use the stir / drill bit, how long do you use it for, and how good is it compared to an Oxygenator?

 

[noggins]

I just pour the wort from brewpot into primary...it gets plenty of oxygen in the process. Before I started doing full boils I would also pour top water onto wort vigorously. As long as you get some foaming bubbles, you've got oxygen.

 

[beerkrump]

Oxygen is crucial in yeast propagation.

40 seconds of vigorous shaking will get you to the maximum dissolved oxygen you can get from air, around 8 ppm. Just pouring the wort into the fermentor will not get you there.

The only way to get higher is to use a diffuser and an oxygen tank.

 

[bannonb]

I shake the hell out of the fermenter while it is filling from the chiller. That and lots of yeast (via a starter) get me everything I need. I've tried using oxygen (with no difference) and found the vigorous, vigorous shaking which leaves a krausen on top works best for me.

 

[solavirtus]

I use a fish aquarium aerator with a filter and a 2 micron diffusion stone, and have had great success. it's cheaper and easier than oxygen, though you can't get the same levels of oxygen into the wort. I will usually set the aerator going in the fermentor as I'm racking the chilled wort into it. I then let the aerator do it's thing for another 5-10 minutes once the racking is complete. Using this aeration method, I've seen a substantial lowering of time to yeast activity, and quicker fermentations.

I might move to pure oxygen some day, but for my money and effort, I like aerating. I don't have to spend money on oxygen, mess with tanks, buy a regulator or any of that.

In the end, no matter how you do it, getting adequate oxygen in the wort will probably make your beer better.

 

[Wakadaka]

I read something recently from Jamil or something that said that just by shaking you get 8ppm and with an oxygen stone you get 15ppm. Those numbers might be off, but I know that the amount you can get with a stone is how much you want.

I still just shake my buckets, but I have been slacking on my past couple batches. What I used to do was put a tennis ball under my bucket or better bottle, and just shake it around on that. I think my cats were playing with my tennis ball and I have no idea where it is now, and I have a hard time shaking up a bucket on hard wood, so I just try the best I can.

My last batch with less than optimal aeration even by shaking standards, took about 24 hours to take off, and that was with a healthy amount of washed yeast.

I would love to hear some more cheap (aka FREE) ways to aerate wort more effectively if anybody has any.

 

[stanley1271]

I just use the largest wisk we have in the kitchen.

 

[ElevenBrewCo]

I pour back and forth between buckets. Always worked. Do you guys pitch before or after aeration

 

[solavirtus]

Do you guys pitch before or after aeration

I do before pitching.

 

[Wakadaka]

I used to pour back and forth, but with a full boil it is too heavy. Maybe I'm just weak, but I am looking for some other ideas.

I think some people aerate after they pitch to mix the yeast up, but I'm not positive on that.

 

[bigljd]

Read thru this if you've got some time:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/i-completely-underestimated-role-oxygen-235663/

 

[shorty]

I use a commercial grade metal stirrer for heavier paints and "mud" attached to a portable drill. It was and is washed in oxyclean, dried and then sprayed lightly with star san. I mix the hell out of the wort with this after it has cooled being careful not to touch the fermenter bucket, moving it up and down. You can get a ton of air into the wort this way, but not as much as you can with pure oxygen.
When done, wash it in oxyclean again and dry it right away so you do not get rust on it. CAUTION: the stirrer comes with instructions that say it is not intended for food use, probably to limit their exposure to lawsuits, I paid my money and take my chances. It works like a charm.

 

[Saccharomyces]

My first response is "what are you brewing?".

For a low to medium gravity beer (1.040 - 1.060 specific gravity), shaking or splashing or whatever is sufficient. If you are brewing higher gravity beers, you need an O2 stone and tank, period. You will not get enough oxygen for the yeast without pure O2 over 1.060.

I have probably invested $6000 in this hobby at this point and the $60 I spent for my O2 stone, regulator and tank (which lasted for 40 batches, BTW, before I had to buy a new tank for $10) was the best investment I have made in my home brewery.

 

[ArcLight]

Thank you all for the posts, especially the links to the other threads.

I guess I will try shaking for now, but I'm curious about the pain mixer, on Amazon a Squirrel Mixer is around 10-15. I think its 11 inches long, is that long enough? MidWest sells one thats 22 inches long for 16 and 25 made out of plastic / SS. Will a plastic rod hold up? Wort isnt as stressful on a stirring rod attached to a drill as paint is, so maybe plastic is ok?

 

[shorty]

mine is the "5 gallon spiral paint and mud mixer" made to mix up 5 gallon buckets so you can get down into it to stir the wort, they can come with even longer handles if you search but that is probably not necessary. Do not get one that is painted but is only metal plated and keep it clean, sanitized and dry. FYI I will be getting an air stone when I decide to make "bigger" beers with higher gravities.

 

[samc]

Siphon Spray Wort Aerator for my dry yeast beers I find this to be a simple method. For liquid yeast starters I go with the stone/oxygen tank set up.

 

[cyclonite]

Another option that is cheap and effective is to pour the wort through a fine mesh strainer bag or voile material when pouring from the kettle to the fermenter. You can buy one here: http://www.midwestsupplies.com/nylon-brew-bucket-filter-bag-fine-mesh.html, or make one easily with voile from a fabric store (costs about $2-3).

This seriously aerates the wort, and also filters out all the crap (hop debris, break material, spices, etc) from the wort, which leaves you with VERY little trub in the fermenter, which makes yeast washing ridiculously easy. I do this twice on each batch for the extra aeration - pour through the strainer into the fermenter, pour back into the kettle (without straining), and then pour back through the strainer again. Can't tell you how much O2 I'm actually getting, but it leaves a few inches of froth on the top, and I've had no problems with any beers getting stuck (done up to about 1.096). I highly recommend this because it is easy and has so many benefits.

 

[Jbear]

I use an aquarium pump through a diffusion stone also. Aeration has made a huge difference in how quickly my fermentations start, and they have become noticeably more vigorous (to the point where I "had" to go get a chest freezer to control fermentation temps). I usually run the pump for an hour, or more on a big beer.

 

[ArcLight]

Question on the Strainer bag - How do you clean it?
If using pellets, they get pretty gunky. I would think they would stick to the bag and even if you dump it out, and wash with soap and water, a residue remains. I would worry about infecting my wort.

Do you boil the bag?

How long does the bag last?

Its better than the Funnel/screen because it aerates and screens better? (An dis cheap) Sounds like a winner.

 

[Dog House Brew]

My first response is "what are you brewing?".

For a low to medium gravity beer (1.040 - 1.060 specific gravity), shaking or splashing or whatever is sufficient. If you are brewing higher gravity beers, you need an O2 stone and tank, period. You will not get enough oxygen for the yeast without pure O2 over 1.060.

I have probably invested $6000 in this hobby at this point and the $60 I spent for my O2 stone, regulator and tank (which lasted for 40 batches, BTW, before I had to buy a new tank for $10) was the best investment I have made in my home brewery.

Wow 40 batches on a tank? I must be wasting mine. I bought one from Williams when I first started. How do you know how much to put in? I don't have a gauge or anything. Just wondering because a talk lasts me like 5 batches.