How many of you guys aerate with an oxygen tank?

[Willygilly]

So, when you oxygenate your wort on day one of fermentation and the yeast use that up quickly, is it reasonable to assume you could add some more and make them even happier?

 

[Jim R]

I remember reading one study where they compared pure oxygen infusion vs aquarium pumps. As I recall it took the aquarium pump about 15 min to achieve the same wort oxygen content as 1 min of oxygen infusion. I wouldn’t spend a lot on oxygen but I can usually buy the small oxygen canisters for $10 or so and they last me 4-6 brew days. The regulators and diffusion stones are also fairly inexpensive.

 

[Calder]

So, when you oxygenate your wort on day one of fermentation and the yeast use that up quickly, is it reasonable to assume you could add some more and make them even happier?

Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

If it is a high gravity brew, adding more O2 after about 6 hours will help, but once fermentation really takes off, O2 is the enemy of your beer.

 

[Willygilly]

My wife uses oxygen and when on the go or in the car she uses bottles of oxygen, but at home she uses an electric oxygen concentrator which processes room air and outputs air with higher oxygen content. I think this machine is VERY expensive and she only rents hers, so I wouldn't recommend using it for homebrew. I used one of her Oxygen bottles and a diffusion stone on my last batch of home brew (first time). I don't yet know if I was successful in making the yeast "happy", but I suppose I might see something after I open and drink the first bottle,

 

[Willygilly]

OK. Thanks Calder. May I ask please if you could explain why?

 

[hawkwing]

Apparently you can get a bit higher oxygen concentration in your wort using pure oxygen.

My tanks aren’t easily accessible so I’m not going bother. I’m happy with my aquarium pump. I can let it run for 30-60 minutes vs 2.

 

[Gilbert Spinning Horse]

I use a paint stirrer and a cordless drill most of the time. Seems to do the job.
I've heard there's a possibility of over oxygenating the wort using pure O2, though how true that is I've no idea.

 

[rmr9]

OK. Thanks Calder. May I ask please if you could explain why?

Yeast use oxygen during their aerobic growth phase so oxygenation or aeration the wort promotes fast and healthy growth early on. After that point fermentation is an anaerobic process so adding oxygen is typically detrimental. On top of that any oxygen not consumed by the yeast at that point will go on to oxidize the beer itself.

 

[shawn252]

I have everything I need to oxygenate the wort but have never had the need, I always make at least a 2 step starter so yeast is very happy and gets right to work, I usually have to stop fermentation before it gets to low and makes my beer dry. I always thought it would be a good thing but just hasn't
been necessary yet.

 

[Jaurez]

I was looking into getting an aquarium pump for oxygenation, but I was worried that it would be too difficult to clean/sanitise.

In the end, I just got a food-grade stainless-steel paint-mixer and use that to aerate wort from 20L to 120L batches.

 

[tld6008]

I used to aerate with oxygen bottle stainless wand and diffuser but couldn't notice any difference in final product so don't bother anymore also I stopped using liquid yeast, definitely made my brewing sessions easier.

 

[VikeMan]

An aquarium pump with a sanitary filter and diffuser is cheaper in the long run.

It is. But OTOH, you can't get as much O2 dissolved into the wort by pumping air into it as you can with pure O2. With air, you hit a limit where you're losing O2 as fast as you are gaining it.

 

[IslandLizard]

I use pure O2 from a 40 cf tank.

My regulator/flow controller goes down to 1/32 liter/minute and goes through a 0.5 micron stone on a homemade wand. The lower flow rate results in far less surface bubbling than the common standard of 1 liter/min and hopefully more O2 is being dissolved on the way up. I give it 4 minutes at 1/8 l/m in a 5-5.5 gallon batch in a plastic brew bucket, and seems to do the job.

I also oxygenate yeast starters in their 2 liter flask or 1/2 gallon jar, at 1/32 l/m for 4 minutes. It usually generates 1-2" of dense foam during those 4 minutes.

Occasionally I've forgotten about it, and left the starter on O2 for 10 minutes or so.
What I wonder if one can over-oxygenate a wort and what the downside of that could be? Poisonous to the yeast, perhaps?
IIRC, 40 ppm of DO is about the maximum wort can hold onto.

 

[IslandLizard]

It is. But OTOH, you can't get as much O2 dissolved into the wort by pumping air into it as you can with pure O2. With air, you hit a limit where you're losing O2 as fast as you are gaining it.

IIRC, the maximum DO saturation one can achieve using air, is 8 ppm. It depends on the temperature too, cooler worts holding onto a higher DO than warmer ones.

 

[user 268417]

I use O2 with the disposlable bottles. Worls well. Probelm is getting the bottles now. Looks like it will ve a while before they are available again. The bottle maker is in China and none has been shipped in awhie. There is a few months delay in getting more bottles.

 

[TLaffey]

I use the Blichmann O2 regulator on a new O2 cylinder--seems like a lifetime supply, which is fine because I got tired of leaks on hard to find little red cylinders. For 5G batch, I run O2 through a 5micron stone for 3:30 @ 0.25L/min. I let the pressure equalize for about 30sec before I put the "wand" into the fermentor. Sometimes I stir a little, other times I let the stone sit at the bottom of the elbow at the bottom of the fermenter. I'll note that the yeast is already in the tank when I add O2.

 

[VikeMan]

For 5G batch, I run O2 through a 5micron stone for 3:30 @ 0.25L/min.

0.5 micron perhaps? Or are you really using a 5 micron stone (which sounds really big to me for oxygenation)?

 

[hawkwing]

You guys realize this is just nerding out to the next level and not necessary. But there was I time I would have been all over it lol.

 

[TLaffey]

0.5 micron perhaps? Or are you really using a 5 micron stone (which sounds really big to me for oxygenation)?

Yes, 0.5 micron. Oxywand from Morebeer.

 

[MicroMickey]

You guys realize this is just nerding out to the next level and not necessary. But there was I time I would have been all over it lol.

Yes, I guess I'm a nerd. To prove it, I also use a stir plate for my yeast. Honestly, if it didn't really make a big difference, I wouldn't do it.

 

[VikeMan]

You guys realize this is just nerding out to the next level and not necessary.

Necessary to make beer? No. Necessary to make better beer? I would say yes.

 

[Oleson M.D.]

How many do not aerate? No artificially induced O2?

We are in that camp. Never have, never will.

 

[Beermeister32]

I keep an O2 tank on my brewing cart. Very handy and the tank does not fall over this way.

 

[InvertedPilot]

I started using medical oxygen shortly after getting into brewing. Buttoday, after 5 years I read an article that there is a possibility of over oxygenation.....who knew?

 

[Willygilly]

Maybe that's what happened to my Pale Ale and my Wheat beer. Those were the first 5 gallon batches that I oxygenated and probably the last. Both turned almost black in color and tasted horrible. I probably wouldn't have done it if my wife was not using oxygen tanks for her breathing disorder. Maybe someone can confirm that over doing it with oxygen will do this to your beer.

 

[InvertedPilot]

I just read an article...over 20 ppm is toxic to the yeast and results in attenuation of the development of cell walls and this directly impacts cellular respiration and over all viability. Darker colors are a sign of oxidation.

 

[Willygilly]

I just read an article...over 20 ppm is toxic to the yeast and results in attenuation of the development of cell walls and this directly impacts cellular respiration and over all viability. Darker colors are a sign of oxidation.

OK, well brewers BEWARE!

 

[InvertedPilot]

It is not possible to over oxiginate without actual oxygen.

 

[msjy2008]

I oxygenate my beer for 90 seconds thru my co2 aeration stone on my ss brewtech 14 gallon conical before I pitch my yeast starter.

 

[Beermeister32]

I’d suggest pitching your starter first. That way the yeast is there and established, shortening the uptake time for the oxygen in the wort.