How do you aerate?

[shelly_belly]

I put a solid bung in the better bottle, lay it on it's side and vigorously roll it back and forth a few inches while I count to 60. Then I add the yeast.

 

[mux]

Pure O2 through a 0.5 micron stone.

Fermentation is everything--incremental improvements add up to great (not just good) beer.

+1
I do the same.

 

[SwampassJ]

People who buy a pure O2 system have wasted their money. The majority of the aeration does not come from the bubbles. The bubbles simply mix up the liquid and cause unaerated liquid to continually come to the top and in contact with room air.

I have kept aquariums for years, and my experience comes from that and reading about that topic. Beer is no different than aquarium water when it comes to aeration.

Except the worts oxygen holding is dependent on specifix gravity and temps and the fish tanks are only subject really to the latter unless you're going for the dead sea in terms of salt. Whats regular ocean water 30 points? Less than a bitter.

Edit Touch screens blow for typing.

 

[Chuck_Swillery]

Aeration wand and my power drill. I've had consistently great results. When I first got into brewing I used to just shake the crap out of the bucket... that worked just fine also but I seem to have better response with the wand.

 

[kasky99]

I plan on getting oxygen to flood the headspace when i am out of japan, but other than that it has been shown that shaking it is the way to go!

 

[Dan]

I use the venturi effect mansonsjax mentions earlier.

Here's a youtube video from -TH- that demonstrates it in action.

 

[pabloj13]

I use the venturi effect mansonsjax mentions earlier.

Here's a youtube video from -TH- that demonstrates it in action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqYYbP6Wqfg&feature=channel_page

+! Just added this last brew. Had a krausen in 12 hours. Super easy!

 

[tmags711]

I used to just stir vigorously before and after pitching yeast but started reading around HBT about aquarium pumps. I didn't want to go invest in anything so I just dug around my place.

I found the little electric pump used for inflating airbeds when guests come in. It has an attachment that fit perfectly into a 3/16" silicon tube. Ran the tube through the airlock hole in my primary, bubbled the wort for about 3 minutes, got some good foam, and then pitched the yeast (WYeast belgian witbier). Fermentation was flying along about 5 hours later. I was sure to sanitize the hose before putting it in contact with the wort; I figure the pump isn't pushing in any more bacteria etc than stirring or pouring.

This is definitely going to be my new way to aerate every batch.

 

[stdywell]

guys,
I am about 5 days into my first brew. Am using a brewers best kit ( irish stout), and really did not make much of an attempt at aerating before pitching yeast.
should I shake this mess up and let it continue as is or just let it continue ?

Thx.

Doug

 

[bobbrews]

First 24 hours... oxygen = good
Beyond that... oxygen = bad

Don't shake it Doug.

 

[pabloj13]

first 24 hours... Oxygen = good
beyond that... Oxygen = bad

don't shake it doug.

+1

 

[stdywell]

thx for the advice bobbrews. maybe I'll get lucky and this'll turn out. sure smells good when I sniff around the airlock.

 

[JeepDiver]

Using my Chiller, I move it up and down to quciken the chill, and move it around a lot. It's usually foamy by the time I get through. Never had a problem with stuff fermenting out. I may get some improvment with an O2 kit, but don't see the point right now since things come out good without it.

 

[Bsquared]

In line O2 through a .02 SS stone, I'm going to get an 20CF O2 tank and regulator soon, I can only do about 50 gallons/red cylinder right now.

 

[clowe]

Aquarium pump and stone for about 10 mins

 

[pabloj13]

I have followed the advice of some folks on here and put a single hole in my kettle drain line. It works great. Just ran a piece of 3/8 PEX into the mouth of the kettle and drilled a single hole near the top of the PEX. Something like 1/8".

About as good as I am going to get without an oxygen system. Last batch I had full krausen in 12 hours.

 

[beowulf]

I also use a version of the "venturi gadget". After reading a post here on HBT a couple of years ago on the aeration gadget, I just took a piece of tubing and cut some slits in the side that serve to suck in air. Lots of foam in the fermenter! Never had a problem with attenuation since using it...even for big imperial stouts and barleywines.

 

[Brew-boy]

A+ for the Williams wand system.

 

[H22W]

I am using an O2 stone from AHS similar to Williams but I had to craft my own wand from a racking cane.

I am concerned that venturi gadgets or holes in the line are a sanitation risk when compared with other low cost solutions like shaking, sprayer, or paint stirrer.

I slosh sanitizer around the carboy to make it as sanitized as reasonably possible, then I am very mindful to cover the top so wild yeast baddies don't float in on dust or pollen. The venturi gadgets send more unsanitary air into your carboy right at the time when infection risk is the highest. Getting more air in there that hasn't even been sloshed around in sanitizer would defeat the idea of covering the carboy and keeping the dust out.

I think the most economical option is those $2 sipon sprayers that attach to the end of the line. Then give it a good shake just to be sure.

 

[pandymen]

Using my Chiller, I move it up and down to quciken the chill, and move it around a lot. It's usually foamy by the time I get through. Never had a problem with stuff fermenting out. I may get some improvment with an O2 kit, but don't see the point right now since things come out good without it.

You don't want to aerate your wort until its chilled....you may induce some hot side aeration off flavors.

 

[Greatwhite4]

1 to 1.5 min with pure oxygen through a airation stone thats been boiled.

 

[Mac951]

I used to do the pour back and fourth and shake the carboy/bucket for my first year of brewing, not thinking much of it. I figured out the hard way that if you get enough air, the fermentation works well, but if you don't get enough that is when problems occur. I had good luck with some batches, and bad luck with others. I even whisked a batch, cause why not.

I'm lazy now and use the air-pump 0.5um stone from LHBS, O2 might serve a little better, but I really like the venturi idea and will try that soon.

-Mac

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

I pour through a mesh strainer and then a nylon paint strainer bag into a funnel stuck in the neck of the carboy, then put a solid stopper in the neck and shake back and forth w/ the handles of my brew hauler for about a minute.

Seems to work just fine.

I agree with others with regard to the scientific evidence that aeration of liquids is about surface area and atmospheric pressure. aquarium aerators work mainly because of bubbles bursting on the surface.

 

[Adacarda]

I pour my wort back and forth between by kettle and fermenter through a strainer. Serve the purpose of straining the wort and the mesh really seems to help introduce air by breaking up the stream as I pour. I do this until the bubbles reach the top of my 6.5 gal fermenter, which only takes about 3-4 pours. However, its a PITA to pour back and forth so much, so next time I'm gonna try the venturi :rockin:

 

[tom_hampton]

aquarium pump + stone. generally for 30-45 minutes. With plain air, I can't possibly overdo it...so, I set it while I wait for the wort to reach pitching temp in the cooler.

Between that and well aerated (stir plate), nutrient fed, proper sized starters....I never have a problem, and all start within a few hours of pitching, and I haven't had a stuck ferment yet in 11 years of brewing.

That said, I've forgotten before, and it took a little longer...but, that was just one data point and the ferment still finished below 1010 (from 1060).

 

[jtakacs]

i strain through a sanitized screen between my kettle and bucket. it aerates better than anything i've seen, plus it screens out any hops.

 

[chiteface]

"It is generally safe to assume that you need at least 10ppm of oxygen. 10ppm will supply adequate oxygen in most situations. Over-oxygenation is generally not a concern as the yeast will use all available oxygen within 3 to 9 hours of pitching and oxygen will come out of solution during that time as well. Under-oxygenation is a much bigger concern."

This is directly from Wyeasts document. Regular air at max, no matter what method you use will only achieve at most, 8ppm. That is why Williams O2 system is important. If you haven't read this document, I highly suggest it. It's well done and easy to understand. I think an earlier poster has a link to it.

 

[TimpanogosSlim]

"It is generally safe to assume that you need at least 10ppm of oxygen. 10ppm will supply adequate oxygen in most situations. Over-oxygenation is generally not a concern as the yeast will use all available oxygen within 3 to 9 hours of pitching and oxygen will come out of solution during that time as well. Under-oxygenation is a much bigger concern."

This is directly from Wyeasts document. Regular air at max, no matter what method you use will only achieve at most, 8ppm. That is why Williams O2 system is important. If you haven't read this document, I highly suggest it. It's well done and easy to understand. I think an earlier poster has a link to it.

With all due respect to the microbiologists at Wyeast, I think it's manifestly obvious that their writing staff have taken liberties with the word "need".

 

[masonsjax]

I've been known to use the olive oil trick in larger beers and sometimes in starters. That seems to work pretty well IME.

 

[mforsman]

shake shake shake. SWMBO laughs every time, it's my way of "involving" her. Outside of the consumption at least