My 50 cent wort aerator

[BrewChron]

Thought this might appeal to beginners since it's cheap and easy to use. I got the idea after reading in the British brewing textbook Brewing: Science and Practice that traditional British ale breweries aerated their wort by passing it over a fantail as it went into the fermenter.

http://www.beerbrewingchronicles.com/Site/fiftycentfantailaerator.html

 

[Pappers_]

very cool idea, thanks for sharing it!

 

[JClinedinst]

Thanks for this man! I finally have use for the random copper tubing laying around in the work truck

 

[Spludge]

Very nice find

Have you tried it yet?

 

[downhill_biker]

Nice idea. After seeing this I thought maybe I could use my glass wine airator for the wort. It would require me to use another container that I could control the pour speed with. But...do you think it is worth it or necessary? I mean, I poured my wort violently into the ferminter and shook the bucket up petty well...If more airation is needed then I guess it would be worth while.

 

[Spludge]

Nice idea. After seeing this I thought maybe I could use my glass wine airator for the wort. It would require me to use another container that I could control the pour speed with. But...do you think it is worth it or necessary? I mean, I poured my wort violently into the ferminter and shook the bucket up petty well...If more airation is needed then I guess it would be worth while.

I think with this you're just trying to avoid shaking & sloshing; you are not going to get much extra O2 The wine aerator probably wouldn't be worth the extra work

 

[HH60gunner]

I usually just shake the **** out of my fermenter and it always seems to give me beer.

 

[FatherJack]

I like the method of first putting wort into the bottling bucket and then opening the spigot and letting it drop like a mofo into the fermenter.

Tryin that Saturday

 

[Justibone]

Olive oil costs less than copper!

Nice fantail, though!

 

[BrewChron]

Very nice find

Have you tried it yet?

I actually primarily used this stainless steel version

http://www.beerbrewingchronicles.com/Site/stainlessfantailaerator.html

And yeah, I've heard about using olive oil, New Belgium apparently does that. But I'm afraid I'll use too much.

 

[BrewChron]

OK so I added this description to assure that wort is adequately (more or less) oxygenated:

Most of the wort should flow down to the the level of the rising wort without overly contacting the sides of the fermentation vessel from the fantail to induce splashing that will further enhance oxygen levels in the wort

 

[bryston]

Nice find. Actually, probably that just pinching the tip of the copper tube with a pair of pliers would do the same effect... I have to try it. (As well as this olive oil trick).

 

[djt17]

I like the method of first putting wort into the bottling bucket and then opening the spigot and letting it drop like a mofo into the fermenter.

That's what I do...along with this http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewi...enting-equipment/aeration/siphon-sprayer.html

 

[Justibone]

And yeah, I've heard about using olive oil, New Belgium apparently does that. But I'm afraid I'll use too much.

Yeah, using too much can be a problem with head retention, but on the really big beers I don't think the style calls for much carbonation (therefore, not much head)... so it's probably best to use on those types.

I think New Belgium tried it, but decided not to use it for production because there was a slightly increased ester flavor detectable by brew judges. *shrug*

 

[downhill_biker]

Short video I made to demonstrate the wine airator. I was thinking more about it and I might have oxygen flow into the venturi inlets when I do this. Although this probably works pretty well.

 

[klyph]

Isn't there a thread where someone just drilled holes into a short piece of tubing to make a venturi aerator?

 

[tunoffun]

I think this is an excellent idea, Chron.

 

[johnnyt471]

I guess I just don't understand why people come up with all these convoluted ways to aerate the wort. Can't you just shake the bucket a bunch? Or, assuming you're topping it off with water, can't you just pour the water from high up?

The most ridiculous example is that thing you can buy from your LHBS that attaches to a power drill. Why???

 

[Walker]

I guess I just don't understand why people come up with all these convoluted ways to aerate the wort. Can't you just shake the bucket a bunch? Or, assuming you're topping it off with water, can't you just pour the water from high up?

I'm with you here. I just run my wort into my fermenter with a 2 foot freefall from the hose. Aerates just fine.

The most ridiculous example is that thing you can buy from your LHBS that attaches to a power drill. Why???

I have one of those, but here's what I find REALLY strange.... the thing is sold as a DE-gasser for wine making (which is why I have one). Interesting that the same tool can accomplish degassing and aeration at the same time. (I guess it's just a matter of how many RPMs you use?)

 

[klyph]

I use the drill mixer thing, but only because I had to buy one to degas a batch of wine.

 

[RDWHAHB]

I have one of those, but here's what I find REALLY strange.... the thing is sold as a DE-gasser for wine making (which is why I have one). Interesting that the same tool can accomplish degassing and aeration at the same time. (I guess it's just a matter of how many RPMs you use?)

Because it speeds up gas exchange. In fermented wine, there is too much CO2 (relative to atmophere equilibrium), and the tool knocks it out of solution. To aerate, there is more 02 in the air (relative to equilibrium) so it mixes it in. In wine if you did it too long or vigorous, it would knock out the CO2, and then aerate it.

 

[tunoffun]

I guess I just don't understand why people come up with all these convoluted ways to aerate the wort. Can't you just shake the bucket a bunch? Or, assuming you're topping it off with water, can't you just pour the water from high up?

The most ridiculous example is that thing you can buy from your LHBS that attaches to a power drill. Why???

Because this fantail, made from a scrap piece of copper in probably a couple minutes time, will aerate your wort much more efficiently, in a shorter period of time, and with far less effort than shaking a primary. And you won't throw out a shoulder or launch your glass carboy onto the kitchen floor doing so.

BTW - I use that ridiculous wine-degasser. In the time it takes you to shake your primary, I can walk leisurely out to my garage, grab my drill, sanitize my aerator, pitch & aerate, put my tools away, slap in my airlock and put my primary away... with enough time left over to crack open a bottle of the last batch.

Here... I cracked open one for you too. After all that shaking, you look like you could use it

 

[downhill_biker]

Haha tunoffun has a beer for you and your tired arms and back...lol

 

[Walker]

In the time it takes you to shake your primary, I can walk leisurely out to my garage, grab my drill, sanitize my aerator, pitch & aerate, put my tools away, slap in my airlock and put my primary away... with enough time left over to crack open a bottle of the last batch.

Really? When I used to shake, I did it for about 30 seconds. You can do all that in 30 seconds?

 

[smellysell]

I guess I just don't understand why people come up with all these convoluted ways to aerate the wort. Can't you just shake the bucket a bunch? Or, assuming you're topping it off with water, can't you just pour the water from high up?

The most ridiculous example is that thing you can buy from your LHBS that attaches to a power drill. Why???

I use an diffusion stone and pure oxygen because:

A) Every pro brewer I've ever talked to has said proper aeration along with temp control and pitching rate are the most important aspects of making good beer.

B) My lag time has gone from typically 36-48 hours shaking my bucket, to less than 12 using the stone.

C) My beer always completely attenuate now as opposed to the re-occurring problems I was having with this when shake aerating.

 

[tunoffun]

Really? When I used to shake, I did it for about 30 seconds. You can do all that in 30 seconds?

No. But I'd bet my left nut that you didn't achieve the same level of oxygenation, and fell far short of full saturation (~ 8ppm), with only 30 seconds worth of shaking.

 

[smellysell]

Oh yeah, the actual shaking is a pain in the ass too.

 

[uwjester]

That's what I do...along with this http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewi...enting-equipment/aeration/siphon-sprayer.html

I thought this piece of equipment could use a second recommendation. I actually have a couple of these in my system. I use one to areate on the way into the fermenter. I also use one in my mash tun while recirculating. It would be very handy for fly sparging too if I did that. For the $2.99 you get full 360 degree fan of the wort and the spray "thinness" really gets that gas exchange. Of course, I shake the crap out of the better bottle for the 10 feet I carry it from brew spot to fermenter chest.

 

[Walker]

No. But I'd bet my left nut that you didn't achieve the same level of oxygenation, and fell far short of full saturation (~ 8ppm), with only 30 seconds worth of shaking.

Probably not, but I'd bet your right nut that my beer was still good.

 

[tunoffun]

Probably not, but I'd bet your right nut that my beer was still good.

That I don't doubt.

What I am doubting is whether I can still sire children at this point.