Do you Aerate your Wort ?

[akthor]

When i did 5 gallon extract batches I would pour the wort into the fermenter from up high.

When i moved to all grain 10 gallon batches As I'm pumping the wort thru the chiller and into the fermenter I will hold the hose up so that it splashes vigorously ala a waterfall into the fermenter.

Always has seemed to be enough areation, never have had a batch not ferment or had a stuck fermentation.

Now that I'm moving to a 1bbl system we'll see if I need to do anything different.

 

[normonster]

I poured the wort into the carboy hoping that it would be enough to aerate the wort,

View attachment 333477

Was I right? How will I know if I'm wrong? And is it possible to aerate it 24 hours after pitching.

No dude, don't add oxygen after fermentation has begun. If it isn't enough you might have some off flavors or a slow ferment but you should just let it ride this time, IMO.

 

[secondbase]

I use pure o2 on all my sacch primary beers. I have found that it is extremely helpful for yeast health in higher gravity worts.

I do not aerate the wort for brett or mixed fermentation beers.

 

[brewcat]

So my experiment. This time, I just dumped the wort through the funnel and didn't shake the carboy.

Notes:

• Fermentation seemed to take off in around the same time.
• The fermentation may have been less vigorous. The last few brews, the krausen rose to the top of the carboy. This time it stayed pretty low. Could just be the 1084 at the low end temp wise. I'm probably just used to British ale yeasts.
• I'll take a reading in two or three weeks. I expect it will finish fine.

 

[Vandulus]

I've gone the cheap route (@$20) and used an aquarium pump, air stone and PVC tubing for 10 minutes after the wort cools down to 120F. I've noticed that fermentation activity starts a lot earlier and completes in a shorter time.

 

[brewcat]

Brewed again yesterday and just dumped through the funnel. Pitched the yeast a little after noon. It was fermenting away this morning. I may have even underpitched since the gravity was 1.063

On my setup I haven't noticed a lag time. It makes me wonder how much aerating is actually necessary on a 5 gallon batch. I'll probably keg the one tonight. That will give me another data point.

 

[brewcat]

Update:
Just finished kegging. The yeast (Wyeast 1084) had no problem finishing. In fact maybe a bit too much. 1.047 to 1.004; 91% apparent attenuation. I need to adjust my mash temp but aeration didn't seem to be a problem. The sample tasted good.

 

[The_Bishop]

That's 91% attenuation on a yeast rated for 71-75%... Either your measurements are wrong or you're infected.

 

[flanken]

So I've known how important aeration of wort is prior to pitching yeast... my solution was always to throw open the valve on my kettle and watch the stream of wort flow through the air and make impact on the side of my fermentation bucket... as the stream gets smaller, I just scoot the bucket.

I do this inside so there's very little risk of crap falling in, and I keep my wife and kids away. By the time I'm finished there's a ton of froth in the bucket, I pitch my yeast and usually there's activity within 24 hours (within only a couple if I do a good starter).

Besides the obvious infection risk (which, knock on wood, I've not had a single one in all the times I've done this), any other potential down sides?

 

[55x11]

So I've known how important aeration of wort is prior to pitching yeast... my solution was always to throw open the valve on my kettle and watch the stream of wort flow through the air and make impact on the side of my fermentation bucket... as the stream gets smaller, I just scoot the bucket.

I do this inside so there's very little risk of crap falling in, and I keep my wife and kids away. By the time I'm finished there's a ton of froth in the bucket, I pitch my yeast and usually there's activity within 24 hours (within only a couple if I do a good starter).

Besides the obvious infection risk (which, knock on wood, I've not had a single one in all the times I've done this), any other potential down sides?

Not sure why there would be an increased infection risk, and I am using similar process to you (with aerating plastic tip at the bottom of the transfer tube) but I think we are still under-oxygenating the wort by quite a bit. That's bigger downside than any risk of infection from getting oxygen from air in.

 

[flanken]

Not sure why there would be an increased infection risk, and I am using similar process to you (with aerating plastic tip at the bottom of the transfer tube) but I think we are still under-oxygenating the wort by quite a bit. That's bigger downside than any risk of infection from getting oxygen from air in.

Is the goal oxygenating or aerating?

I'm not specifically infusing my wort with pure oxygen but i am creating a situation where all of the liquid had an opportunity to make contact with the air and slosh around (aerate). By having the impact point of my stream be the side of the bucket, the surface area is huge... It's got to be more effective than a vigorous stir?

 

[olotti]

I use a wand with the little O2 tank for 60 sec on smaller beers and 90 sec on bigger beers, even with 05 I've had fermentation start in as little as 4 hrs. With an RIS I'll hit it for 90sec to 2 min then aerate again in 12 hrs for 60 sec. Works wonders one of the best pieces of equipment I've bought.

 

[brewbama]

I believe brewing beer is not the rocket science some want to turn it into. I simply drain my kettle thru a strainer into the fermenter which creates a foamy head. This reduces trub in the fermenter and aerates the wort prior to pitching. I use dry yeast that I often sprinkle on top but then again I sometime hydrate. I've noticed no difference.

 

[Jimbodaman]

I usually aerate by letting the cooled wort splash into my fermentor, and then shaking it for a minute or so. However I forgot to aerate my first lager (since 2013) seems to be fermenting nicely we'll see how it turns out.

 

[flanken]

I believe brewing beer is not the rocket science some want to turn it into. I simply drain my kettle thru a strainer into the fermenter which creates a foamy head. This reduces trub in the fermenter and aerates the wort prior to pitching. I use dry yeast that I often sprinkle on top but then again I sometime hydrate. I've noticed no difference.

I agree... I see talk of o2 stones and wands and wonder if I'm missing something by just letting it fly in a long stream, out in the open like
View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1465256809.033307.jpg

Sounds like I'm good as-is...

 

[brewcat]

That's 91% attenuation on a yeast rated for 71-75%... Either your measurements are wrong or you're infected.

No infection. 1084 gives me high attenuation with the recipe. It helps having #1 of flaked corn in the recipe. The same recipe finished at 87% last time.

I think my hydrometer and thermometer are still correct. I'll have to check them.