Oxygen Tank for Aeration

[SirBC]

If you don't want to go with the disposable, this is what I would recommend. Our welding supply is Machine Welding and Gas, hence the orange tank. But Airgas or any welding supply will sell you 02, and lease the tank. They're relatively inexpensive to lease. Get the smallest one you can. I think this is a C size. You can get oxy/acetylene regulators anywhere, just use the 02 one of the pair. Ebay, harbor freight, craigslist. Morebeer.com has the wand. It's under aeration equipment.

Is that safe, keeping it so close to your open flame? What if it had a leak?

 

[Reelale]

No need just buy their .5 micron stone with the male flare at the end of the stone, they were on sale at $14.24 each last fall. This allows one to add any length of SS tubing to fit your needs then just add a nut then flare the tubing.

As far as flow meters Timeter 0-15 LPM are the best value for the buck found on ebay at times in lots of 4 or more. Bottom line app $15 each. Do not waste your time on those small medical regulator / flow meters unless you have a supply of medical O2 bottles requiring medical papers to refill.
You can make a medical regulator / flow meter work by machining an adapter to fit a O2 CGA 540 fitting then use your welding bottle.
Cheaper plus better get one of these;
http://www.alliedhpi.com/images/z10-00-0101.pdf
BTW they have 1/8" NPT fitting inlet an easy connection to a standard welding O2 regulator set to 50 psi required by the flow meter.
You'll pay the lease long enough until you paid for the bottle but still not own it, get a small owner owned bottle, cheaper over time plus you can sell it when your done with it.
Check the past HBT forum Equipment/Sanitation section under "O2 Gauge & Flowmeter" thread dated 5-3-2010.

Yeah, I was able to trade-in a big bottle and just pay for the 02. As you can see, I was able to connect the the welding regulator to the flowmeter with simple 3/8" barbs. I got the regulator for nothing and it was a simple connection.

 

[Reelale]

Is that safe, keeping it so close to your open flame? What if it had a leak?

Haha. It's not as close as it looks in the picture. It's no closer than the propane tank, which is flammable. It's always shut-off until I pitch the yeast, so no flames when in use.

 

[BrewBeemer]

Yeah, I was lucky. I squirreled away a large 02 bottle years ago. I traded it in for the smallest bottle they had. Only had to pay $14.00 for the gas. I think even the smallest ones will last a long, long time.

Ouch, there is a like new 200 cu/ft O2 on ebay asking $180, cost $300 new. check this price out for only a 80 cu/ft;http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...cm_ite=1632181?ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=1632181

Now you know why I said ouch with downsizing to a smaller bottle for $14.
The welding supply made a quick $200 from a walkin, I bet it was a 3AA bottle.
A 250 cu/ft owner owned bottle in my area runs $307 empty.

 

[Reelale]

Ouch, there is a like new 200 cu/ft O2 on ebay asking $180, cost $300 new. check this price out;http://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...cm_ite=1632181?ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=1632181

Now you know why I said ouch with downsizing to a smaller bottle for $14.
The welding supply made a quick $200 from a walkin, I bet it was a 3AA bottle.
A 250 cu/ft owner owned bottle in my area runs $307 empty.

I hear you for sure. It was an old bottle, huge, and out of cert. Way too much for what I needed. I guess I could have sold it, but then I would have had to lease a small bottle. I was wondering why there were no questions asked about the origin of the bottle that was stamped with their company name!

 

[BrewBeemer]

Old is better (the wife likes this phrase), my $30 investment a 150 cu/ft Argon a 1937 Linde bottle sold to Germany with Swastika's restamped to be PC, it's a + plus bottle to this day taking 2015 psi refills.
This older thicker bottle as well my other 215, 250's have Swastika's and pass hydro with plus refills.

 

[dgoldb1]

I think this setup may work...maybe...

H/M Medical Oxygen Regulator 0-15 lpm O2 Tank Cyl

20 CF welding cylinder tank bottle OXYGEN

The regulator has a CGA-540 inlet connector and the tank has a CGA-540 valve.

Am I missing something here?

 

[Reelale]

I think this setup may work...maybe...

H/M Medical Oxygen Regulator 0-15 lpm O2 Tank Cyl

20 CF welding cylinder tank bottle OXYGEN

The regulator has a CGA-540 inlet connector and the tank has a CGA-540 valve.

Am I missing something here?

Looks to me like that combo will work. Not too bad of a price either, since you are omitting another regulator. I would call the supplier of the medical regulator and see what the calibration PSI/operating PSI is. Mine is 50 PSI, and I know an 02 tank puts out way more than that. It had to be stepped-down.

 

[dgoldb1]

I'll need to call and verify the max PSI on this regulator. If below 50PSI should I look elsewhere?

Even better I found a regulator from the same manufacturer that does 0-8lpm. There is a 1/8 (.125) lpm flow rate setting on the regulator which would give me the almost exact level of 02 for my wort. 1/8 L per min = 0.125 for 1.5 min would give me the ~10ppm of O2 I need for proper aeration.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thanks!

 

[Reelale]

Either sounds good. I would just ask the supplier if that regulator is designed to hook straight to the 02 tank you plan to purchase. Just let them know what you are wanting to do. It probably does, with those connectors. I don't know how those work, as mine is like a secondary regulator that requires 50 PSI to work correctly. I'll bet that one will work fine, but it never hurts to find out for sure....it's just an email or phone call.

 

[ClaudiusB]

That's nice! Is that the aeration wand from morebeer?

No, an extra carbonation stone from a dispensing tank originally sold by William's.
The 22" wand from William's Brewing is the same thing.

And I'm assuming a 1/2" fpt on the other end of that tri-clover reduced to a 3/16" compression fitting?

All 1" T's.

I want to do something similar, but I don't relish cutting the $40.00 wand to do it.

Use the leftover pieces to aerate the starter, works for me.

Very old picture
The tube is cut short, created useless foam.

And how long do you run the 02 and at what pressure??

The pressure is set close to 20 psi to overcome the pumps back pressure and all losses in the system.
If set to low the pump will push the wort into the O2 line.
The O2 is on for the complete wort cooling cycle.
The flow rate is 300 cc/min. which creates the least amount of foam.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[BrewBeemer]

That is a CGA 540 regulator compatible with any high pressure O2 bottle with a 540 valve. The internal regulator is set to 50 psi the pressure the unit is calibrated at for the proper LPM.
This will all work but I question the seller being able by law to sell the flow meter without you having the medical papers as stated in his add, I would check first before ordering the bottle.
The bottle is a great price also you'll need to have it filled at a LWS.

 

[Reelale]

All 1" T's.


Cheers,
ClaudiusB

That's quite the set-up. Very nice. Drool. I was asking about the fitting for the oxygen stone/tri-clover combination. The part that holds the wand. Is it just a compression fitting into a 1/2" FPT Tri-clover?

 

[ClaudiusB]

I was asking about the fitting for the oxygen stone/tri-clover combination. The part that holds the wand. Is it just a compression fitting into a 1/2" FPT Tri-clover?

No fitting required.
Just drill the end cap and press on the wand.

Cheers,
ClaudiusB

 

[ultravista]

Reelale - If the stone is attached to the wand, how do you sterilize and clean the stone and want? A loose stone could sit in a solution, but the want makes it cumbersome.

?

 

[SirBC]

I boil the stone with the wand sticking out of the boil, then drop in a wallpaper tray filled with starsan

 

[Reelale]

I soak it in a bucket of starsan that I keep mixed-up. I spray what is not submerged with starsan. And like the previous poster said, boiling is the way to clean it. Although, keeping positive pressure on the stone and rinsing in 180 F water worked. I also make sure there is positive pressure at the stone before I submerge in the wort. Keeps the pores clean.

 

[tprokop]

I think this setup may work...maybe...

H/M Medical Oxygen Regulator 0-15 lpm O2 Tank Cyl

20 CF welding cylinder tank bottle OXYGEN

The regulator has a CGA-540 inlet connector and the tank has a CGA-540 valve.

Am I missing something here?

I use a setup just like that and it works great. 20cf tank that I got locally for $60. The hardest part was the barb fitting for the CGA-540 regulator, as all the ones I could find had threaded outlets - but it looks like that one has a barbed out. Go for it.

 

[BrewBeemer]

I use a setup just like that and it works great. 20cf tank that I got locally for $60. The hardest part was the barb fitting for the CGA-540 regulator, as all the ones I could find had threaded outlets - but it looks like that one has a barbed out. Go for it.

A quick fix remove ther outlet thereads on a lathe but still leave a bulb at the end preventing the tubing from blowing off.

 

[John000smith]

"dgoldb1" I'm looking into purchasing a similar system. How did the tank and regulator work out for you?

 

[cjever19]

great thread, just what I was looking for. Thanks guys!