Aeration

[BirdArvid]

Hi everyone, my first thread!!! I'm on my 4th batch of beer; the bug has bitten me badly, and I'm loving brewing my own beer. Right now, I have a high gravity Belgian Chimay-style in my 2nd fermenter, and this, and previous experiences have prompted me to buy a 0.5 micron stainless steel diffuser, and all the fittings and tubing. I WANT BETTER AERATION!!! So... Which Co2 tanks/canisters should I use? Where do I buy it? Is the refill tank I can buy at my local liquor store OK? What about contaminants? Do i need a purifier? I will, of course sanitize before use and all that jazz; I've read some about this before!! Would be thankful for some ideas!!! Will make my second ever batch of Hefeweizen when I'm all set up!! Thanks!

 

[mrkrausen]

Yeah I'm with you on that. Once the bug has bitten, the only cure is more brewing. You will want to aerate with oxygen. You can get the cannisters at any big box store or your local hardware store. In my area they cost about $10. I usually areate for about a minute and a half to two minutes and then pitch the yeast.

 

[slarkin712]

You'll need some sort of regulator for your O2 canister. I'm assuming you have this. If that is the case you can use the O2 canisters at a hardware store like here:
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...gId=10051&cmRelshp=rel&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

If you're talking about CO2, then one of us is confused. Are you talking about aerating your wort prior to pitching yeast? If so, then you use oxygen not carbon dioxide. CO2 is used to carbonate beer in a keg. So, you don't want a CO2 tank. And I'd be surprised that the liquor store would have oxygen tanks.

 

[JehovahsWitnessProtection]

...What about contaminants? Do i need a purifier? I will, of course sanitize before use and all that jazz; I've read some about this before!! Would be thankful for some ideas!!! Will make my second ever batch of Hefeweizen when I'm all set up!! Thanks!

I think the O2 from disposable tanks you get at the home center stores is clean. It's air from a pump that needs to be filtered. Be sure to clean that 0.5 micron filter real well when you are finished and try to avoid touching its surface with your fingers, it can clog up easily.

 

[BigFloyd]

The type of O2 (not CO2) tank you are going to want depends on the type of regulator you buy.

Types of tanks

Industrial - CGA540 connection reg. They do make a few simple 540 medical adapter regulators that work well with this kind of tank. Refillable. I have one and like it.

Medical - Mostly D/E connection. A "yoke" medical regulator is used. Refillable.

Disposable - this is the Bernzomatic kind you get at Lowes or HD. They use their own kind of reg.

 

[BirdArvid]

Thanks, all of you! Of course I meant O2, not CO2... A little over-excited.. I'll let you all know how it goes; No more under-attenuated beer for me!!

 

[Cyclman]

Filters are cheap, why skip it?

I think my O2 stone has made a huge difference in the quality of my fermentations.