Air pump for oxygen

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

Hey guys,
My wife is suggesting using a fine air stone with a fish tank air pump to aerate my wort.
I am having trouble with my regulator and oxygen stone set up.
I am wondering if anyone has had success with a fish tank air pump.

 

[Gavin C]

What kind of problems are you experiencing with your O2 setup

Might be able to help you out?

I think a stone with an air pump will be more hassles than it's worth. You can get good aeration via a Venturi without any expenditure of effort. That would be preferable IMHO

 

[flars]

Aquarium pump will work for aerating the wort. May take about 30 to 45, from literature not experience, minutes. A problem may come from the aeration stone you have used with your O2 set up. The hole diameter may be to small for the lower pressure of an aquarium pump.

 

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

I think the original problem was a clogged stone. A friend fiddled with the regulator, thinking it was the problem and we have been trying to get it to function again with a new stone. I haven't been able to find any diagrams or videos that show how the regulator is assembled which has been frustrating. So my wife suggested an aquarium pump.
40 minutes is a long time to aerate. I guess that is the reason why pure oxygen is used.

 

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

I'll google the Venturi

 

[JonM]

If the stone is clogged, try boiling it.

And if you have a system that uses O2, I wouldn't take a step backwards and use an aquarium pump. Not only does it take forever, it results in insufficient oxygenation. There simply isn't enough O2 in room air to oxygenate wort. In other words, you need more O2 than there is in the air. Pure O2 is the way to go.

 

[Gavin C]

Other possibility worth considering is a leak between the regulator and stone. If there is a wand and tubing the point they join can leak easily.

Check the reg by connecting the tube but no stone. Put the end under water and turn on the O2. If it bubbles regulator is good.

Connect the wand to the tubing and place the whole wand stone tubing setup under water. Turn on regulator and see if leaks are present.

If no leaks and good regulator but O2 does not come out of stone then a blocked stone is the culprit.

Boil it for 10-15 minutes and soak it in oxiclean. Check it again. Crank the O2 up to the max to flush out any debris in the stone.

Be sure not to touch the stone. Oils from skin block the pores apparently. This is preventative action which you were probably already employing.

My Setup

 

[JonM]

I love that my LHBS is stocking those Bernz-O-Matic tanks now.

 

[bondra76]

The aquarium pump isn't awful.

In the May/June 2014 issue of Zymurgy, they did a test comparing the different methods of oxygenating wort. Air does take longer, but we're talking about putting the wand in wort for 5 minutes vs. 1 minute for pure O2. The difference isn't such a wide margin as people make it out to be.

 

[Sir-Hops-A-Lot]

This is all good information.
I will try the testing that Gavin listed.