Best way to introduce oxygen to wort pre-fermentation

[jaysandersonamfm]

I've been at this for a little over a year and I have used the rock-the-fermenter method to oxygenating the wort before fermentation. I'm thinking I want to move to an oxygen diffuser, but I'm wondering:
1. What is the best set up for this?
2. What equipment do you recommend for this?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Pappers_]

I use a wand and diffuser that is widely available - I bought mine from Williams online a number of years ago. It does not have a regulator, just a knob you turn. Maybe I would use a regulator, but there are so many variables involved that I don't know if it would really matter. I screw it onto a bottle of O2 that you can get at any hardware store.

 

[stealthfixr]

I use the exact same diffuser, great results and only takes 1 minute. Boil to sanitize and never touch the stone with bare hands.

 

[day_trippr]

fwiw, I also use a 0.5 micron Williams wand, hooked up to a flow meter regulator. There are inexpensive solutions to achieve the same ability...

Cheers!

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I don't know if there is a "best way", I personally have a stainless T with a .5 micron stone that is inline with the cooled wort going into the fermenter, regulated by a medical regulator on one of the medium size (a bit taller than a 20# CO2 bottle) welding type bottles.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Best way to introduce oxygen to wort pre-fermentation

Are you using dry or liquid yeast?

 

[bradleym734]

If you are using pumps the blichmann inline O2 kit.

 

[LuukGx]

I just pour relatively high from my kettle and it works just fine

 

[Transamguy77]

I have a fish air pump, air stones and HEPA filter. All of it was about $20 and all available wherever you buy fish supplies, except for the filter, I bought from Austin Homebrew. I let it pump in the fermenter while I’m putting stuff away and soak the air stones In Starsan for a few mins before and after I use them.

 

[InspectorJon]

^ This is what I use. Its a good option if you want to go low budget. I got an air pump cheap at a second hand store. The fish tank stones are cheap but kind of fragile. I have broken a few. I recently got one of these:

Stainless steel diffusion stone

They can be found online for less than $10 if you look around. I read to use the 2 micron size for an air pump. The .5 micron size is better for pure oxygen. Using this setup with a fish tank air pump I have had no trouble getting high gravity wort to ferment out. I had trouble getting a high gravity stout and porter to finish well before using this setup. I use a straightened brass coat hanger with a little hook bent into the end to hold the stone down in the bottom of the fermenter.

 

[bwible]

^ This is what I use. Its a good option if you want to go low budget. I got an air pump cheap at a second hand store. The fish tank stones are cheap but kind of fragile. I have broken a few. I recently got one of these:

Stainless steel diffusion stone
View attachment 709933
They can be found online for less than $10 if you look around. I read to use the 2 micron size for an air pump. The .5 micron size is better for pure oxygen. Using this setup with a fish tank air pump I have had no trouble getting high gravity wort to ferment out. I had trouble getting a high gravity stout and porter to finish well before using this setup. I use a straightened brass coat hanger with a little hook bent into the end to hold the stone down in the bottom of the fermenter.

There used to a company some years ago called Liquid Bread - some here might remember them. I don’t think they are around anymore.

They sold a product called the Oxynator which was a diffusion stone like the one pictured above, a small regulator, small O2 tanks and tubing to connect it. I understand they had issues shipping the O2 tanks and they used to tell people you could buy them in your local hardware store - which I never found to be true. There are small propane tanks everywhere, but I’ve never seen small O2 tanks that size for sale. The only O2 tanks I’ve seen are large ones that come from welding supply shops or medical supply places for people who need them to breathe.

I still have my Oxynator and 5 or 6 of their small tanks for it. I really only use it for really big beers like barleywines and sometimes I don’t even do that because the thing is buried deep in the back of a closet and I don’t feel like digging it out.

 

[LTBrewer]

So far I've never done anything more than pour it through a fine sieve/paint bag/big funnel right from the kettle. Removes the hops/trub and aerates it just fine so far. I've done some high gravity beers and haven't ever had any issues with yeast taking off or going the stretch.

 

[KeizerBrewr]

I use this:

and this:

The sprayer is attached to a length of my 3/8" silicone hose and sprays my chilled wort into and through the stainless mesh strainer on its way to the fermenter. Not only does my wort get well aerated, but it gets all of the cold break and trub leaving really clean wort to get chowed down on my by yeastie boys.