Oxygenating wort

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Blackdirt_cowboy

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For those of you who use pure O2, do you just use the 1.4 oz oxygen bottles from Home Depot? Does anyone use oxygen from the welding supply store? I can buy a 20 pound tank of O2 from Airgas for $10-12. This beats the heck out of $10-12 for 1.4 oz. if I go this route, do I just need a regulator with a hose barb, some hose, and an oxygen stone?
 
I use the disposable O2 tank setup. The extra cost of a 20 cubic foot rig just wasn't worth it for as much as I brew. The larger tank is supposed to be good for "400-500 5 gal. batches" and would be about 50 years worth of brewing for me. But to answer you question yes all you need is a tank. regulator, hose and stone Like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E40UP66/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
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Aside from the $10-12, you'll probably need to put down a deposit on that O2 tank if you don't bring your own. Those are not 20# they're 20 cu ft, yup a lifetime's supply using only 1-2 liters per batch.

Get a regulator that goes down to at least 1/4 l/m. I apply O2 for 4 minutes at 1/4 l/m, moving the wand every 30". Works like a charm.

With 1 l/m I get way too much bubbling on the surface, meaning O2 escaping that didn't go into solution...
Mine goes down as far as 1/32 l/m which is probably overkill, but I use that setting for starters.
 
You may want to consider a wand instead of a stone on a piece of tubing. It's easier to control with the wand. This is the kind of thing I'm talking about:

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/oxygenstonewand.htm

I use the small tanks of oxygen from the home store. I grew tired of wrestling with the bottle and the tubing and the wand so I built this:

oxygen1.jpg oxygen2.jpg

It holds the tank steady, and the small oxygen flow meter lets me control the flow more easily than the regulator. I screwed up when i ordered that flow meter--it's calibrated from 1-10 liters per minute; I should have had a 1-5 or even a 1-3. It still works, though.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...prefix=oxygen+flow,aps,280&crid=23MO9ZJ7WGTL8
 
I thought it should be ok to use this topic to keep information regarding oxygenating wort in one place.
I was doing some experiment on my last brewday. I split a batch into two plastic fermenters, 2,5gal each. I was wondering if I should also oxygenate each bucket with 1l/min flow per one min for some standard gravity wort? Or giving it's half of the "standard" batch it should be half minute only?
 
I thought it should be ok to use this topic to keep information regarding oxygenating wort in one place.
I was doing some experiment on my last brewday. I split a batch into two plastic fermenters, 2,5gal each. I was wondering if I should also oxygenate each bucket with 1l/min flow per one min for some standard gravity wort? Or giving it's half of the "standard" batch it should be half minute only?

Same amount of time, with the oxygen bubbles barely breaking the surface.
 
Below is my setup. I got tired of burning thru the disposable $10 oxygen tanks so I acquired a 20 cu ft tank along with a oxygen regulator, flow meter and oxygen stone. The toilet paper holder makes it easy to carry around.

IMG_0398.JPG
 
The bubbles have half the distance to rise. You dial it back so they're just barely breaking the surface.

I see what you're trying to say now that you mentioned dialing the rate back, but he specifically asked if he should halve the time at the same flow rate.

You may or may not get the same amount of O2 into the wort that way. It's pretty hard to say.
 
I see what you're trying to say now that you mentioned dialing the rate back, but he specifically asked if he should halve the time at the same flow rate.

You may or may not get the same amount of O2 into the wort that way. It's pretty hard to say.

He shouldn't halve the time. Assuming the bubbles are just breaking the surface with a full amount, you'd have a lot more of them breaking the surface at a half batch. There isn't as much distance for those bubbles to travel and be absorbed.
 
the idea of using the same amount time because of shorter distance is interesting. Sounds like good experiment for a someone with a DO meter.

I have different fermentors for different sizes batches and have always reduced the time for my half size(3gal and 2gal) batches. I have a flow rate valve and use .12L/min and gently stir the wort/beer while it gets oxygen, not much foaming with either size fermentor.

edit: I use 1L of oxygen for 5gals(8min at .12L/min) and 1/2L for 2 and 3 gal batches(4min at .12L/min).
 
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Thanks for all responses. During last brew day for 2,5gal I used standard 1l/min for 1 min as I hadn't forseen that issue earlier. As @mongoose33 mentioned, it was a lot of breaking the surface at this rate. Next time I'll try 0,5l/min instead. Unfortunately, I don't have DO meter, so I won't be able to provide you with any measurements.
 
Thanks for all responses. During last brew day for 2,5gal I used standard 1l/min for 1 min as I hadn't forseen that issue earlier. As @mongoose33 mentioned, it was a lot of breaking the surface at this rate. Next time I'll try 0,5l/min instead. Unfortunately, I don't have DO meter, so I won't be able to provide you with any measurements.

I made a starter last night. I always oxygenate my starters (which only about 3 of us here on HBT do). I have a sintered stone on a wand, and I turn down the rate to where the bubbles just barely break the surface, then I stir that wand around the Ehrlenmeyer flask for about 35-40 seconds. My starters take off--I pitched last night at 11pm, at 7am this morning I have a nice krausen ring already formed in the flask.

IMO, as long as you're only barely breaking the surface of the wort with the bubbles and you stir it around making sure to mix as you oxygenate, and you do it for about a minute, you'll be in good shape.

[Why do I oxygenate my starters? When I started to adopt some LODO techniques, one practice is to boil the strike water to drive off oxygen and then chill back to strike temp. That way no oxygen in the strike water to oxidize malt flavors.

I was thinking about that, and realized when we boil DME in water to create the starter medium, we are doing the same thing--driving off oxygen from the water. While obviously some oxygen gets back into the starter from using a stir plate, IMO it's not optimal. Thus I oxygenate the starter.

I also pitch the entire starter into the wort; I don't crash or decant or anything like that. I try to time it so the starter goes in around 17 hours after beginning, so it's past the lag stage and going strong. ]
 
You may want to consider a wand instead of a stone on a piece of tubing. It's easier to control with the wand. This is the kind of thing I'm talking about:

https://www.brewhardware.com/product_p/oxygenstonewand.htm

I use the small tanks of oxygen from the home store. I grew tired of wrestling with the bottle and the tubing and the wand so I built this:

View attachment 587440 View attachment 587441

It holds the tank steady, and the small oxygen flow meter lets me control the flow more easily than the regulator. I screwed up when i ordered that flow meter--it's calibrated from 1-10 liters per minute; I should have had a 1-5 or even a 1-3. It still works, though.

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_...prefix=oxygen+flow,aps,280&crid=23MO9ZJ7WGTL8

Similar idea. The flow meter goes from 0.1-1.5 L/min.

JIAWANSHUN Oxygen Air Flow Meter... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N0UWZ2T?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

The sanitary filter is probably unnecessary.
20190724_094844.jpg
20190724_095000.jpg
 
What kind of O2 are you using?
Let me clarify my question.
There is a difference between oxygenation (using more or less pure O2) and aeration (using air) as to the level (how many ppm) of dissolved O2 that can be reached. With air, the maximum lies around 8 ppm. With pure O2, much higher and much quicker.
 
Yes, its a new starter. I aerate the starter in the flask, add my yeast, cover and then put the stir plate back on normal speed for 48 hrs. Then i chill, decant and pitch into a 5 gallon batch of wort. The wort I O2 with pure O2 from those red bottles
 
To the OP - I made the switch to a 5lb tank from the welding shop. I think it is better to have a real regulator with all of the measured outputs. I use the 1/2 LPM setting and do 1-2 minutes for a 5 gallon batch depending upon style. A Lowes employee told me that quite often people use those red tanks and return them. Since there is no gauge nobody knows if the things are full or not. Seems like a bit of a gamble. They work fine but I ran out a few times.

To Mongoose - I also use pure O2 for my starters and they often go crazy. The yeast really seem to respond to O2, which is a good lesson about primary fermentations. Bring the gas!
 
Impure O2
The O2 from the wrong side of the tracks
The kind of O2 you don't bring home to mother
The kind of O2 that hangs out late at night, making dirty covalent bonding jokes and doing all manner of dirty brownian motion dancing.

what happened to you as a child
 
A Lowes employee told me that quite often people use those red tanks and return them. Since there is no gauge nobody knows if the things are full or not. Seems like a bit of a gamble. They work fine but I ran out a few times.

I have never had one that didn't appear to contain a hair more than the label claims.
 
I also oxygenate my starters but instead of using the wand, which I'll have to clean, I just blow some O2 in the flask then put the stopper in and shake for a bit then pitch.

I'm sanitizing the wand w/ boiling water; after I'm done oxygenating the starter wort with it, I put it back in the water and let it run for a few seconds to clean it off. Works pretty well. I've done that....well, I'm sure over 100 times with this particular wand, and still going as if it was new.
 
Just bought a replacement red cylinder the other night as I am on use number 25 or so. I picked up a few and bought the one that felt heavier.
I've tried weighing them to get an idea where I stand. It seems to me like the variation in weight of the empty cylinders themselves is similar to the weight of O2 they're supposed to contain, so it's hard to judge.
 
I'm sanitizing the wand w/ boiling water; after I'm done oxygenating the starter wort with it, I put it back in the water and let it run for a few seconds to clean it off. Works pretty well. I've done that....well, I'm sure over 100 times with this particular wand, and still going as if it was new.

I apologize if it seemed like I was questioning your sanitation routine.. simply offering up the lazy mans approach to adding O2 to starters.

P.S. I do believe this is the first and only 'short and shoddy' technique I've ever posted to a brewing forum.
 
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