aeration

[dsppspc123]

does anyone ever use an air pump and stone to aerate on the 2nd ferment?

I'm getting ready to wrack my beer, and was considering this technique.

 

[kh54s10]

No, definitely DO NOT aerate after fermentation. It will oxidize your beer. Unless you like the taste of wet cardboard.....

 

[cloudybrewer]

You mean racking to secondary, right? Do this as carefully as you can without any bubbles or stirring. Aeration any time after the initial yeast pitching is a no-no.

 

[kh54s10]

Also there is no real reason to do a secondary unless you are adding something that you don't want, or won't fit, in your primary. In most cases it is an antiquated, unneeded step in the process. Just primary for about 2 weeks, check for stable gravity then bottle. No aeration after fermentation reaches it's peak. Aeration during fermentation is sometimes used in high gravity brews.

 

[cloudybrewer]

Aeration during fermentation is sometimes used in high gravity brews.

I didn't know that. It creates a second round of reproduction phase for increased cell counts to make sure the fermentation doesn't stall?

 

[kh54s10]

I didn't know that. It creates a second round of reproduction phase for increased cell counts to make sure the fermentation doesn't stall?

I believe that is the purpose. I have never tried it.

 

[JimRausch]

Agreed with pretty much everyone else. Even if you add more fermentables and do a true secondary fermentation, there are billions(maybe trillions) of yeast suspended and therefore very little need for more yeast reproduction. Adding O2 just increases the risk of oxidizing the whole batch. There are tons of threads about how even a little O2 introduction during racking to a secondary led to dark, murky, cardboard, dumpable beer. And you want to do it on purpose? For Beer's sake, don't do it!

 

[kevin58]

Just to clarify when fermenting high gravity beers a second round of aeration/oxygenation should only be done within the first 12 or so hours after pitching the yeast. I have never heard that doing so creates a "second round of reproduction". Oxygen is a nutrient for yeast and a second blast gives them more to chew on so they can sustain their growth phase.

 

[dsppspc123]

thank you for all the input. I changed it over to a new sanitized bucket, sealed it up and letting it sit for 2 weeks.