Aeration kit or stir plate?

[PADave]

Looking at my next improvement in my brewing process. I do BIAB and pretty much got my system down to consistently make good beer. I already have a fermentation chamber to control temps. and my latest purchase was a grain mill. So far I've only been using dry yeast, but I'd like to start using liquid. Can't decide to go with a stir plate and liquid yeast, or if I should get an aeration kit that uses O2 cylinders. I'm thinking the stir plate, and worry about the o2 when I start making bigger beers. What's going to get me the best bang for the buck?

My short want list of brewing equipment:
-stir plate
-aeration kit
-new burner
-ph meter, and figuring out my water chemistry
-SS brew bucket fermenter

 

[Godot]

Stir plate. Use it to overbuild your starter and harvest the extra yeast. After about ten batches you'll have saved enough money on yeast to buy an aeration kit.

 

[jammin]

Do you have ferm temp control? If not that's the #1 thing you need

 

[MidAtlanticBrew]

Tough choice, both simplify things but there are workarounds like two step starters and manual aeration so it boils down to which one workaround you'd prefer to employ. I've employed both and both are a PIA

I think your goal is right, meaning it would be great to have both. Honestly, you might have been better served getting both and foregoing the grainmill.

If money was short, I wouldn't go to liquid yeast until I had all the kit I'd need to harvest and repitch. You need to repitch at least once to break even vs dry yeast and if you don't repitch, that's money that could buy equipment. BTW, when your ready, Braufessor has a nice tutorial out there on harvesting yeast from the SS brewbucket.

and I completely agree with Jammin, fermentation temp control is first

 

[PADave]

Tough choice, both simplify things but there are workarounds like two step starters and manual aeration so it boils down to which one workaround you'd prefer to employ. I've employed both and both are a PIA

I think your goal is right, meaning it would be great to have both. Honestly, you might have been better served getting both and foregoing the grainmill.

If money was short, I wouldn't go to liquid yeast until I had all the kit I'd need to harvest and repitch. You need to repitch at least once to break even vs dry yeast and if you don't repitch, that's money that could buy equipment. BTW, when your ready, Braufessor has a nice tutorial out there on harvesting yeast from the SS brewbucket.

and I completely agree with Jammin, fermentation temp control is first

I already have fermentation temp control, got that long ago. The grain mill was well worth it, now I can control that aspect of my brewing, and my efficiency went up 15-20%. Money isn't an issue, I just like to change one thing at a time, and do a few brews to see what results I get. I do like the idea of over building the starter and harvesting rather than harvesting from the fermenter.

 

[MidAtlanticBrew]

Overstarters work for a lot of guys, though it always seems to me to require another starter from the original overstart harvest to get the cell count up. With a fementer harvest, I often don't need to starter, unless it's old.

I already have fermentation temp control, got that long ago. The grain mill was well worth it, now I can control that aspect of my brewing, and my efficiency went up 15-20%. Money isn't an issue, I just like to change one thing at a time, and do a few brews to see what results I get. I do like the idea of over building the starter and harvesting rather than harvesting from the fermenter.

 

[PADave]

The more I think about it, is liquid yeast any better, worth the extra $, and effort of making a starter? I brew mostly some form of an IPA and 90% of the time I use US-05. Used S-04 and Nottingham a time or two.

 

[mongoose33]

It's not an easy choice but I agree that a stir-plate and flask will reward you better. I have both the O2 wand/regulator and the stir plate; I was brewing good beer before I had the O2 wand, so focusing on yeast seemed to me to be a better approach than the O2.

When you're racking to the fermenter, if you can ensure you're splashing the wort as much as you can when it enters the fermenter, then shake, rattle, and roll when it's partway filled, then continue splashing the wort in, you'll be in good shape unless it's a very high gravity wort.

 

[imasickboy]

Stir plate for sure.

Yeast primarily use the oxygen for reproduction. If you are already helping the yeast to reproduce, and pitching an adequate amount, you've nullified the primary purpose for the oxygen.

I certainly won't recommend liquid yeast over dry if you're only using a certain couple of strains, but liquid does allow you a much greater variety.

Oxygen is a great addition, but having healthy yeast going in is better than trying to make it healthy after you already pitched it.

 

[Thorsbrew]

Another for stir plate. And you can quite easily make your own stir plate for cheap. I made a stir plate based on a guide around here somewhere which just uses an $11 fan off amazon (has a speed adjust) and a few magnets (got them for a few bucks off ebay).

Using a 30 or 35mm stir bar it was strong enough to create a strong funnel of air going all the way down to the stir bar in a 2L flask and it still had enough oomph for more.

 

[Ike]

Seen any of the threads here about the DIY stir plates? I followed one and was up and running for maybe... $20? Probably less...? Really don't recall, but the total was well within the range of "dirt cheap."

It'd get you making your starters, and then put your money into other goodies.

ETA: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=338695

 

[dallasdb]

From what I understand, filling an oxygen tank is a real pain in the ass. I was under the impression you need a prescription to get a refill.

I used a Siphon Spray Wort Aerator. Only costs ~$3 and works GREAT!!!

https://www.homebrewsupply.com/siphon-spray-tip-wort-aerator.html

The other thing I have used for aeration in a wine degasser and put that baby on a drill and go nuts.

http://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/840752.htm

I'd go stir plate for sure. If you are patient you can get a great deal on a stir plate in the For Sale section.

I've seen a few for ~$20-30 in the last few months.

Or you can buy new for $40

http://www.ritebrew.com/product-p/841256.htm

 

[Transamguy77]

I have a DIY stir plate that I found instructions here somewhere (I made it like 5 years ago) and I just use an aquarium air pump and air stones and use a hepa filter from Austin homebrew, bought it all cheap at the pet store for less than $20. Here is the filter. View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1479102047.919507.jpg

Hope this helps, good luck making your decision.

 

[dallasdb]

Transamguy77.... charge your phone bro!

 

[Finlandbrews]

Looking at my next improvement in my brewing process. I do BIAB and pretty much got my system down to consistently make good beer. I already have a fermentation chamber to control temps. and my latest purchase was a grain mill. So far I've only been using dry yeast, but I'd like to start using liquid. Can't decide to go with a stir plate and liquid yeast, or if I should get an aeration kit that uses O2 cylinders. I'm thinking the stir plate, and worry about the o2 when I start making bigger beers. What's going to get me the best bang for the buck?

My short want list of brewing equipment:
-stir plate
-aeration kit
-new burner
-ph meter, and figuring out my water chemistry
-SS brew bucket fermenter

I would get a pH meter first, then get brewhardware stir plate. Why do you consider a burner, don't you get a rolling boil? Then it's up to you depending on the money you can spend on equipement. Also the brewvision is now available for iPhone in case you have iPhone. Then I think your water chemistry is important to figure out, especially if you have chloramine or chlorine and your important ions concentration. You might as well go only for a pure oxygen kit and see how your beer changes and if nothing then try some big beers. I'm not sure how helpful it is on homebrew level...

 

[PADave]

I would get a pH meter first, then get brewhardware stir plate. Why do you consider a burner, don't you get a rolling boil? Then it's up to you depending on the money you can spend on equipement. Also the brewvision is now available for iPhone in case you have iPhone. Then I think your water chemistry is important to figure out, especially if you have chloramine or chlorine and your important ions concentration. You might as well go only for a pure oxygen kit and see how your beer changes and if nothing then try some big beers. I'm not sure how helpful it is on homebrew level...

The more I think about it, I don't really see a benefit of going to liquid yeast, for me, at this time. Why use 001 or 1056 and do more work when US-05 is the same thing?

The burner I use was pulled out of my scrap pile. It's an old turkey fryer burner. Been working ok, but from leaving it outside it's not in the best of shape. Had an issue with it burning good last brew. Had to blow it out with air, it is starting to get clogged.

No iphone here, just an old school flip phone.

So now I'm leaning towards getting the o2 kit then focusing on water. Any suggestions for a good pH meter?

 

[eadavis80]

Been brewing for about 3 years and while I keep THINK of getting a stir plate, I've never bought one. I just try to make my starters on days I'm home and I give the flask a little shake every hour or so. Would a stir plate result in MORE yeast? Yes, but it's free this way. And, you can always step up starters too. As for aeration, there's also a free way to get around that. What I do is on brew day, I pour my chilled wort though a sanitized strainer into a sanitized bucket. Then, I dump that wort into my sanitized fermenter. By the time the wort has gone through all that, it's pretty well aerated, but I still use the stone while I'm rehydrating my yeast. That being said, it's probably not necessary. But, I do have an aeration system and don't have a stir plate, so I guess my personal vote is the O2 system.

 

[RM-MN]

The more I think about it, I don't really see a benefit of going to liquid yeast, for me, at this time. Why use 001 or 1056 and do more work when US-05 is the same thing?

The burner I use was pulled out of my scrap pile. It's an old turkey fryer burner. Been working ok, but from leaving it outside it's not in the best of shape. Had an issue with it burning good last brew. Had to blow it out with air, it is starting to get clogged.

No iphone here, just an old school flip phone.

So now I'm leaning towards getting the o2 kit then focusing on water. Any suggestions for a good pH meter?

Insects like to hide/make nests in the propane burners. Blowing them out can return the functionality of the burner. Burners are a pretty simple unit.

Both stir plates and aeration kits are used for the same purpose, to grow more yeast. A stir plate grows it external to the fermenter, the aeration kit makes the yeast grow in the wort. You can achieve the same goal without the stir plate just with shaking the starter but it takes more time. (http://www.woodlandbrew.com/2015/02/yeast-starters-stirred-vs-not.html) If you stick with dry yeast you can avoid either purchase because the dry yeast contains more cells and the required medium to grow more already in the package. Just be sure to rehydrate.

I bought a pH meter. I used it several times and discovered that my wort needed a little acid to bring the mash pH into the ideal range. Now I know that my mash pH is acceptable without additions and I know how much acid is needed to bring it into the ideal range, the pH meter mostly just sits and gathers dust. YMMV

 

[brick_haus]

pH meter gets my vote.

 

[day_trippr]

From what I understand, filling an oxygen tank is a real pain in the ass. I was under the impression you need a prescription to get a refill.[...]

The only time that is a problem is with medical oxygen cylinders.
Pretty much Game Over with one of those without a 'script.

fwiw, I have an R-type 20CF cylinder with CGA540 valve that belongs to AirGas. I run .5 LPM for 4 minutes into every 5.5g batch, oxygenate my starters, and challenge the Federal homebrew limit for a two person household every year.
A cylinder fill lasts me roughly two years, then I swap it at AirGas without any notice required...

Cheers!

 

[PADave]

Well, I finally made a decision after talking to a fellow brewer who's about to go pro. I went ahead and took advantage of todays 12% off at morebeer.com. I had a shopping cart full of malt and hops and added an oxygenation wand to the order. I've talked myself out of liquid yeast and all the associated extras that go with it, at least for the time being.

Next on my list is a SS Brewtech brew bucket. Mainly for the simple fact that it will be easy to clean. Clean up is the only part I dread about brewing. Even my Speidel with the wide mouth is a pain to clean with all the ridges. So if I can make that aspect easier for myself, then it's a win for me. Will probably be my Christmas present for myself.