Oxygenating using a Welding Oxygen Tank

[eelgerg]

Well,

Call me crazy, but I picked up a 1/2 full 120 cu ft oxygen tank today.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1425342073.863120.jpg

Also got me a regulator from Princess Auto

http://www.princessauto.com/en/detail/powerweld-medium-duty-oxygen-regulator/A-p8591125e

Now all I need is some tubing - I have some 3/16" master flex and some vinyl or Teflon tubing that should work, and an aeration stone, and i'm set! Looking forward to my first brew using this to help fermentation.

Wondering if any others out there use a similar setup and whether there are any tips? I know over - oxygenating is a possible issue. Anything else to watch?

 

[EuBrew]

You may consider putting an inline filter between the tank and the O2 diffuser. Welding or industrial O2 tanks aren't the cleanest things in the world.

 

[BigDog007]

Love the overkill tank. In my opinion oxygen is oxygen. I use the little tanks from Home Depot. Easy to handle and store. Sounds like a great setup!

 

[k1ngl1ves]

I'd recommend an oxygen flowmeter. Makes life easier.



I use a welding tank too. Mines only an 80 cu. ft.

 

[MaxStout]

William's sells a neat little regulator with a CGA 540 threaded connector. It's adjustable by flow volume (liters/min).

 

[Gavin C]

I got mine from northern brewer. Similar product I think. ( quite dissimilar after all )

The little oxygen tanks last along time. Still on my first tank 7 batches in

Just be sure to secure the tubing to the SS wand. I had mine pop off into the wort twice before I fixed it up.

Your tank should last to infinity and beyond. ( watching toy story with the nippers. Couldn't resist)

 

[eelgerg]

Yeah I can't wait. I think I have enough for 100 1bbl batches!

First time I may do an exBEERiment and try a 5gal with no oxygen, and a 5gal with O2, just so I can hopefully taste the difference!

 

[eelgerg]

I plan to use an inline filter and wand.

Anyone know if there is much of a difference btw a 0.5 micron stone and a 2 micron stone (other than 1.5 microns?)

 

[MaxStout]

I plan to use an inline filter and wand.

Anyone know if there is much of a difference btw a 0.5 micron stone and a 2 micron stone (other than 1.5 microns?)

The 0.5 micron stones produce smaller bubbles, thus more surface area between the O2 and the wort. But those stones have a greater tendency to clog up. Be careful not to touch them with your fingers, as the oils in your skin can clog the tiny pores.

The 2 micron stones work just fine.

 

[mikescooling]

I'm using an 80cf tank. They have some youtube videos about how O2 is filled. I'm not going to start a how clean is O2 debate, but it's cleaner than you think.

 

[MaxStout]

I'm using an 80cf tank. They have some youtube videos about how O2 is filled. I'm not going to start a how clean is O2 debate, but it's cleaner than you think.

Plus, O2 has antimicrobial properties. Adding a sanitary filter inline in the tubing is sort of overkill.

 

[sky4meplease]

It doesn't take long to oxygenate your wort.
My last batch I hit for 45 seconds with a .5 stone and tested it for dissolved oxygen and it was 15 ppm.
Next batch will be 30 seconds and I will be hoping for 10ppm.

 

[eelgerg]

Isn't the filter to prevent water from going backwards into the tank?

 

[MaxStout]

Isn't the filter to prevent water from going backwards into the tank?

If you have positive pressure of O2, you won't have water flowing back to the tank. Even if you did, those sanitary filters won't stop water. They are just a filter paper membrane inside a plastic case.

 

[eelgerg]

Thanks. We use the same filters for hydrocarbon monitor say work, and I thought they were hydrophobic filters but it turns out they are also just air filters.

 

[BigFloyd]

Consider one of these to regulate the flow. http://www.amazon.com/Low-Cost-Regulators-Regulator-0-15LPM-CONNECTION/dp/B002J7FLTW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425359674&sr=8-1&keywords=cga540+oxygen

I use one on my welding O2 tank with vinyl tubing and a stainless 0.5 micron aeration stone. Works great.

 

[king5899]

I got mine from northern brewer. Similar product I think. ( quite dissimilar after all )

The little oxygen tanks last along time. Still on my first tank 7 batches in

Just be sure to secure the tubing to the SS wand. I had mine pop off into the wort twice before I fixed it up.

Your tank should last to infinity and beyond. ( watching toy story with the nippers. Couldn't resist)

I picked up the same regulater and stone kit. I had issues hooking it up at first (lefty tighty not righty) and O2 was leaking out. Moral of the story was I got about 30 seconds of aerating and then my first tank was dead. Did you have any O2 leaks when you attached it? Mine leaked even when I went the right way.

 

[Gavin C]

I picked up the same regulater and stone kit. I had issues hooking it up at first (lefty tighty not righty) and O2 was leaking out. Moral of the story was I got about 30 seconds of aerating and then my first tank was dead. Did you have any O2 leaks when you attached it? Mine leaked even when I went the right way.

No I've had no leaks.

 

[schematix]

I use this: http://www.morebeer.com/products/12-mpt-oxygen-stone-2-micron.html

I boil it (and the rest of the manifold assembly) for 10 minutes every single time before I use it. Sanitizer is not enough.

 

[MaxStout]

Consider one of these to regulate the flow. http://www.amazon.com/Low-Cost-Regulators-Regulator-0-15LPM-CONNECTION/dp/B002J7FLTW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1425359674&sr=8-1&keywords=cga540+oxygen

I use one on my welding O2 tank with vinyl tubing and a stainless 0.5 micron aeration stone. Works great.

Interesting. That looks just like the William's model, and $10 cheaper. Free shipping, too.

I also spotted this one on Amazon.

 

[k1ngl1ves]

Cheapest I could find. Admitting I half-ass looked...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002J7FLTW/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[Dolomieu]

I got mine here: http://www.emergencyresponderproducts.com/cgoxre.html

 

[MaxStout]

I use this: http://www.morebeer.com/products/12-mpt-oxygen-stone-2-micron.html

I boil it (and the rest of the manifold assembly) for 10 minutes every single time before I use it. Sanitizer is not enough.

I do the same with mine. Those millions of microscopic pores make a great place for microbes to hide. I can't be sure that sanitizer will reach in there.

 

[schematix]

Here's a pic of how I do mine. Comes from the plate chiller on left. O2 comes in from right.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1425441397.560852.jpg

 

[eelgerg]

Nice 4-way T! So you use the inline oxygen stone? And you seem to have aerated wort coming out in two different lines - is that correct? Are they both oxygenated the same? Is it a pain in the arse to unthread the stone for cleaning each time? ( or no problem?)

 

[schematix]

Nice 4-way T! So you use the inline oxygen stone? And you seem to have aerated wort coming out in two different lines - is that correct? Are they both oxygenated the same? Is it a pain in the arse to unthread the stone for cleaning each time? ( or no problem?)

Thanks.
Yes.
Correct. It's a 2 micron stone. I posted link earlier in the thread.
Haven't scientifically measured but they appear to have the same amount of bubbles. The stone sits in the center of the cross.
I only hand tighten it so easy to remove for boiling.

 

[eelgerg]

It looks like the line with the stone fills with wort - how do you prevent it from backing up into the regulator?

 

[eelgerg]

It looks like the line with the stone fills with wort - how do you prevent it from backing up into the regulator?

 

[schematix]

By keeping the O2 pressure on... When I'm done with O2 I disconnect it.