Putting together an O2 system... question

So, I just ordered a regulator off of eBay, went through my left over fittings and have most of what I need to make an in line oxygenation set up type doo hickey type dealy to inject oxygen during the transfer from CFC to fermenter using a chugger pump... (just need to get a screw in SS stone)

The question I am wondering about, is if we are only supposed to inject oxygen for a minute, but the transfer takes longer than that, what keeps the wort from going through the stone and up into the 1/4" line when the stone/line is not pressurized? I would think the pump would want to push it up the line some bit..

Do you guys install another valve at the stone to close off the line, or is this not an issue?

 

I've never put an O2 rig together but I would think a simple check valve should make flow into the oxygen line a non issue

 

I does back flow if there isn't something to stop it. I am interested to see what solution you find.

 

The check valve idea sounded like a simple solution, so I ordered a couple off of eBay...

 

I put a clamp on the tubing running from regulator to SS stone. Before and after I bleed in the oxygen, I clamp the tubing to prevent backflow of wort.

 

Yeah the check valve doesn't work.. tried a couple since I'm having the very issue the op mentioned... My current plan was to elevate the oxgen stone in a tee with camlocks that will be placed higher than the kettle with the gas line going up even higher to further aid in preventing the wort from entering the oxygen line and creating a possible infection..
Im also going to put a manual on off valve right next to the hose barb for the stone.. If anyone else has a better idea I'm all ears? Pinching /clamping the line is a good idea but Im thinking long term a valve might be better no?

 

Would burping the line with O2 to create a little positive pressure work? Or just feeding it at a very slow rate the entire transfer are all I can think of other than augiedoggy's idea of a valve with less tubing to clean after

 

Isn't the purpose of building one of those doo hickeys to inject O2 continuously; do you have pictures of your device?
I built a little venturi gadget that continuously injects air; I have thought about modifying it with pure O2.

 

I turn on my O2 before inserting my 02 wand into the wort. I keep it on when I pull it out, give it a rinse in water (still on), then give it a rinse in starsan (still on, but I turn off the O2 while it's in the star san - you'll get serious bubbles otherwise). Then most important of all, I make sure the 02 bottle is turned off and the regulator is turned off. I am very attentive to that last step - don't blow your house up with a pilot light - O2 interaction. I then dry the wand. Before I use it again I give it a soak in starsan during the entire boil - no O2 obviously.

 

Everything I've read is that it is very important not to over oxygenate the wort when using pure oxygen.. This is not an issue with regular atmospheric air...

 

But this is 'in line'.. Not possible to remove the stone before or after the oxygen is turned on and then off...

 

Well, then I guess I just wasted a few bucks on 1/4" check valves..

Better order a ball valve or two instead..

One nice thing about being on my third brewery build, I have built up a quite impressive stock of 'extra fittings' that I'll probably never have a use for around the home.. lol

 

I'm pretty sure I have a few of those 1/4" in line shut off valves for drip irrigation systems.. I wonder if they would work?

I'm not sure they are 1/4" ID though... Might be OD...

 

Because i don't like opening and closing that big lid on the Speidel.. It's a PITA, and creates yet another opportunity for infection..

But I have definitely thought about it....

at what point? are you talking about a physical location or a point in time?

 

If your spidel is using an airlock bung on the top, you could use the wand through that opening and avoid the main lid.

 

I'd have to slide it halfway out of the freezer, with 12-13 gallons in it, and 'hold it like that' while I took the airlock apart (has a thermowell and blow off port, plus tubing attached to it), and then slide it in, turn on the valve, wait a minute, turn off the valve, take it out, slide the thermowell, etc, back in, and then slide the fermenter back into the freezer...


The only reasonable way to use a wand would be to oxygenate in the kettle, prior to transfer to the fermenter.. But I don't know if the pump action and travel through the 50' of tubing to the fermenter would scrub the oxygen back out at all or what...

On a related note, would using an air stone and aquarium pump for ten or 15 minutes in the kettle, prior to oxygenating with pure O2 during transfer, still put me in risk of over-oxygenating the wort?

Or should I just stick to one or the other?

 

So, the 1" Tee, and the (3) 1" x 1/2" reducers finally arrived yesterday, and I put the in line oxygenation system together... (shown in disconnected ready to store mode)

 

Here it is all hooked up... The 1/2" line that is used to pump the finished wort from the brewery to the fermenter will be hooked up to the cam lock connector on the other (left side in the above picture) end of the 1" Tee, and there is a 0.5 micron Stainless Steel air stone inside the tee hooked to the 1/4" line coming from the oxygen cylinder regulator...

This will be used to inject oxygen into the wort so that the yeast will be happy and 'completely' ferment...

I have all the stuff to make the CFC anti freeze heating system (to protect any liquid that might still be lurking in the pipes from freezing and bursting the copper tube) during the winter ('I've just got a 100w light bulb underneath it right now).. and then I have to either get a small pressure booster pump for the RO water filter, or change out the flow restricter in it to account for the lower system pressure of my new pressure pump out in the well pump house, that feeds water to mi casa....

Then I'm ready to try brewing another batch!

 

Your setup is similar to mine.. I recently bought a oxygen flow meter to put inline.

The reason I went with the inline and stopped using the wand was the fact that the wand only oxygenates the wort in contact with it and the moves around the stone and directly above it. The inline setup has the theoretical advantage since it oxygenates all the wort equally...

 

How long do you oxygenate for, and at what LPM rate?

 

ill tell you when I plumb it in and actually use it... right now I have just gotten home from a week at the cabin deer hunting and all the components to make my own quickcarb setup and a filtering setup have arrived..I have two beers to carb up including a Christmas spiced ale so its taking priority at the moment.