O2 and hydrometer readings

[astacey1403]

Hey every one brewed my second batch of extract this past weekend and had a few questions on adding O2 to the cooled wort and hydrometer readings.

When pouring the cooled wort into the primary and adding top off water [hard pour], is this enough to to add O2 for the yeast. I have avoided shacking the primary because I feel even with clean hands covering the blow off hole and shacking could cause infection. Should I get a small air pump and tubing to do the job? Also in the 2 Recipes I have done none say to boil the top off water before adding to primary hope that dose not hurt anything during fermentation.

I took a sample of the batch for my hydrometer and noticed lots of floating cold brake particles and had an OG of 1.078 with a PA of 10%. The recipe has and estimated OG of 1.045 to 1.055, would the cold brake particles throw my reading off? I don't think it would however I'm am newbie.

 

[ncbrewer]

If you're using dry yeast, aeration isn't needed according to Danstar. And some Brulosophy exbeeriments have found aeration isn't necessarily needed even for liquid yeast. To be on the safe side, I pour into the fermenter from shoulder height to get some aeration, and attenuation is always good. And it looks really foamy after I pour. It sounds like you're doing about the same thing. If you want to shake the fermenter, you could dip your hands in Star San to prevent infection, but I think your hard pour is enough.

I don't boil my top-off water - it should be good as long as your municipal water supply is disinfected as it should be. I do treat it with a campden tablet to get rid of chlorine/chloramine.

Your high OG reading is probably because of stratification of the water and wort. I stopped taking OG readings for extract batches because it's predictable from the sugars added and total volume. It really can't be wrong as long as you have the right amounts.

 

[astacey1403]

Thanks for the reply ncbrewer i appreciate the advice