Oxygen Concentrator

[Owly055]

Anybody using an oxygen concentrator for aeration? They are often available at around $100 used.... sometimes less, and yield 90+% oxygen as compared to 21% in the atmosphere. In addition the oxygen is pretty darn sterile, considering the fact that the inlet is a special filter. Particularly for that 18% barley wine you've been dreaming of, it would be nice to have an air stone right in the fermenter so you could aerate periodically.


H.W.

 

[jkovac]

Sounds like a great idea to me. I don't know anything about them. Hopefully someone who does will chime in.

 

[aangel]

Ebay seems to show them at north of $250. Where are you finding these?

 

[Owly055]

Ebay seems to show them at north of $250. Where are you finding these?

I frequently find them on Craigslist........obviously not every day........ Just keep your eyes peeled. I'd love to have software that would scan Craigslist daily for me and alert me when things that match my criteria pop up. Might make a good web business. Craigs-alert.com .............. Well "ask and ye shall receive" It occurred to me that it probably exists already....... I just googled it and it does exist noticraig.com. Unfortunately I can't make heads or tails out of it.....

On search tempest I see one listed in Loveland, Co for $100, several in places like the Boise area, Spokane area, etc. I'm not traveling anywhere just now, but I often do Craigslist searches using Search Tempest before taking a trip.


H.W.

 

[aangel]

Neat. I suppose that if you're going to employ an oxygen concentrator you pretty much need to also have a dissolved oxygen meter, which seems to command a similar price.

 

[Owly055]

Neat. I suppose that if you're going to employ an oxygen concentrator you pretty much need to also have a dissolved oxygen meter, which seems to command a similar price.

I think the by guess and by golly methodology probably is good enough... Most folks who aerate use this method. I read about giving 5 minutes of pure oxygen through an airstone at the beginning of fermentation (or some such number), or of aerating a big beer when fermentation slows down.... which seems to re-awaken the yeast. I've yet to read about people using dissolved oxygen meters in homebrewing, but I can see where it might make sense. There is one available for only $40 that you can find using Google.


H.W.

 

[cfrazier77]

The only issue with them is their last service date. The filters on them need to be changed every so often. The 90% O2 is when they are in spec. After they get out of the life on the filters the % goes down.
FYI

 

[Newsman]

Why not just use welding oxygen in a tank?

 

[aangel]

The idea is you never have to buy oxygen.

 

[Newsman]

Well, how expensive is a tank of O2?

 

[Owly055]

Well, how expensive is a tank of O2?

Well.... I paid $200 each for my two oxygen bottles........... But I own the bottles instead of paying rent on them.

 

[Newsman]

Hmm... That IS expensive

 

[orangehero]

$65 for a 20 cu. ft. bottle, $35 for a regulator, $15 for a refill that should last for several years.

 

[Owly055]

Hmm... That IS expensive

They're big bottles..............

 

[Brettomomyces]

I actually just had one gifted to me from a buddy...in the middle of working on it. I think it's just the switch that needs replacing but won't turn on at the moment. Tested voltage across everything and that's fine so far. It's a back burner project until I burn through my O2 tank.