For the last 10 years of my almost 40 year long homebrew history I have been brewing only big beers, 1.090 to 1.100 O.G. (with a few even higher, all the way to 1.130). I pretty much always do a yeast starter, and most of the time, a two step starter. I have done maybe 10 batches where I used an O2 bottle to aerate, but normally I just allowed the cooled wort to splash into the fermenters. Every fermentation has been quick to start, vigorous blow-off tube activity within 4 hrs to 12 hrs after pitching. All have been extremely active fermentations, typically filling my 1 gal pitcher with foam and kraussen. My last 1.100 Barleywine (no O2, only splashed) overflowed both 7 gal fermonsters (~ 12 inches of headspace), with something resembling the "Blob" which didn't subside for more than 24 hours. (that motivated me to buy my 1/2 bbl conical.)
I have never had a slow start, never a slow, underactive or stuck fermentation. Never any discernible difference in beer quality or taste between the splashed vs O2 batches.
I am not interested in ever using $14 O2 bottles from Lowes again. Nor do I plan to buy a larger wending or medical grade O2 bottle.
So I have two questions for someone who only brews big beers:
1) Given my history, should I even worry about aeration, and should I expect any discernible benefit from doing so?
2) Given these facts* from various sources:
I have never had a slow start, never a slow, underactive or stuck fermentation. Never any discernible difference in beer quality or taste between the splashed vs O2 batches.
I am not interested in ever using $14 O2 bottles from Lowes again. Nor do I plan to buy a larger wending or medical grade O2 bottle.
So I have two questions for someone who only brews big beers:
1) Given my history, should I even worry about aeration, and should I expect any discernible benefit from doing so?
2) Given these facts* from various sources:
- O2 can be added up to 24 hrs after pitching for big beers
- Aeration with air cannot achieve the same levels of O2 as from a pure O2 bottle
- An aquarium pump is slow, maybe 15 to 45 minutes required
I get that yeast need O2 to do their job. I doubt there is much difference between the O2 demand for a big beer vs a low O.G. beer, except for the duration of the fermentation. So I am wondering why starting with 15 ppm O2 at the start and adding nothing the rest of the fermentation is any different from maintaining 8 ppm O2 by continually adding plain air for, say, 24 hours.
What is the difference between these two scenarios???
So what about the idea of running an aquarium pump & stone continuously for the first 24 hours after pitching?