Poll: How do people aerate their wort?

[user 73497]

Shake rock vigorously for a couple minutes immediately before pitching. -not a lot of back strain violently rocking on a padded surface (usually in a bucket).

I've seen this study before and there's another floating around out there that compared O2 and "pouring/splashing". The first one I found when looking again... http://hw.libsyn.com/p/6/8/b/68bd31...30901683&hwt=c5e312465da5014955335a631cbc195c

Cheers, Werbi

 

[wailingguitar]

When I get my wort cooled via immersion chiller, I pour it from about chest high into a bucket fermenter. Froths up nicely. Have quick starts and good ferments.

 

[Bernie Brewer]

Pure O2.

This.

 

[jamoke]

The Mix Stir, works for me...Love my power tools.

 

[flipfloptan]

Put my bucket on top of a tennis ball and work back in forth, side to side for a couple of minutes. Works everytime.

Only problem is when the dog hides all the tennis balls.

 

[overdbus]

bait tank airator ( walmart special$14.00) and an air stone from morebeer
ya no filter just let her go fer 25 min er so seem to work alright let ya all
know in a month er so - yee ha

 

[jlatenight]

Put my bucket on top of a tennis ball and work back in forth, side to side for a couple of minutes. Works everytime.

Only problem is when the dog hides all the tennis balls.

I think next time, I'm going to try the tennis ball trick, and/or I'm going to build a cheapo aeration attachment for my drill like this guy did.

 

[jlatenight]

Vacuum T inline seems to work well for me.

The vacuum T idea seems pretty cool. You could put one of those little filters on it too if you're worried about contaminating your wort.

What kind of fitting is that, automotive?

 

[jonmohno]

5$ Paint mixer i got at the Depot/drill.Pouring it throught a strainer does a good job of getting it foamy allready but i still mix it for 5 min or so.I wouldnt mind trying pure o2 sometime. Lately ive been shaking it every few hours for the first 5-10 hrs or if its clear on top still.

 

[Brewham]

What Remmy/Bernie said. Nothing beats the bottle of O2 and a stone and wand from Williams Brewing

 

[aubiecat]

Sanitize two buckets. From BK thru chiller to bucket 1. When all in bucket 1 pour to bucket 2, pour to bucket 1, pour to bucket 2, back to bucket 1. Works like a champ, foamy frothy wort!

This method has worked very well for me.

 

[chumpsteak]

The vacuum T idea seems pretty cool. You could put one of those little filters on it too if you're worried about contaminating your wort.

What kind of fitting is that, automotive?

Yeah, just an automotive T fitting. You could put a filter on it but that would probably restrict the airflow and pulling in outside air is no different than the other methods mentioned here save for the pure O2 method.

 

[Dan]

Vacuum T inline seems to work well for me.

I don't have the exact same setup but same air sucking venturi effect. Works great!

 

[neko]

I use pure O2 with a stone. There's something peaceful about being able to sit down at the end of a brew session and swirl a tiny wand around instead of trying to vigorously shake 5 heavy gallons of wort.

 

[user 103393]

How come blowing bubble through the siphon tube isn't an option? Is that a bad idea?

 

[Dan]

Hhat do you mean?

 

[udt89]

Food Grade Oxygen using the SABCO Chill- wiizard....http://www.brewmagic.com/products/chill-wizard-system-2:rockin:

Amazing

 

[Quaker]

I ferment directly in the kettle. After chilling I simply stir, not overly aggressively, with a spoon for about a minute. Then I repeat about 12 hours later. I also use starters which were on a stir plate for 36-48 hours ahead of time, and chilled at the start of the brew day to decant a bit before pitching.

 

[spearko520]

o2 and ss stone. i have noticed marked improvement in my fermentation and yeast health (post ferment) since moving to this method. my wife hates having welding gases in the house, because she's scared to death of exploding. i'm near flammable gasses most of the day, so it doesn't bother me. i determined my flow in liters per minute to set my reg with a stopwatch and an inverted 2 liter bottle full of water in my sink, also full of water. gas displacement, per aj delange- now i am confident i hit my ppms.

 

[TalkingGoats]

Kettle on the stove...fermenter on the floor...open the spigot and let it fall!

This, and with hoppy brew I use a sanitized metal strainer to keep a lot of it out.

 

[neko]

How come blowing bubble through the siphon tube isn't an option? Is that a bad idea?

1. It's not sanitary
2. You want to oxygenate the wort, not carbon dioxideate (word?) it.

 

[Camride]

I pour vigorously from the kettle to the fermenter, then use a sanitized slotted spoon to stir the crap out of it. I end up with a nice foamy head on the top, enough so that I usually have to carve it away so I can drop the yeast into the wort and not on top of foam. I've only made two brews though so I'm no expert, just doing it the cheap way.

 

[Kuhndog]

I use a plastic tip aerator by Fermentap that is gravity driven. It attaches to the end of your tubing from the kettle to the fermenator. It fans out the wort about 4-6 inches almost like one of those water fountains that fans out the water like a bubble. Very effective and very cheap....the added bonus is that it's being done as I drain the wort from the kettle. When it's done...I'm ready to pitch the yeast. Like another poster said - it foams up the wort in the fermentor pretty good.

 

[scottvin]

I currently use the wine whip/drill for about a minute.

 

[jsherlock22]

O2 and an airstone

 

[Sippin37]

Air pump with filter and micron stone for 15 min or so.

 

[psymonkey]

"Other" I use one of those standard-issue white funnels with the screen in it. I run the beer through a racking hose and into the mesh and by the time I've moved transferred the beer there's a frothy head of about five or six inches, typically.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Oxygen for big boys (1.070 plus). 5 minute shaking for smaller beers. Not at all for dry yeast.

 

[Dr. Francois]

Oxygen for big boys (1.070 plus). 5 minute shaking for smaller beers. Not at all for dry yeast.

Any reason for skipping on the dry yeast? I know the mfgr of Notty says aeration is unnecessary, but I believe Fermentis still recommends aerating the wort.

I ask because this is a step I would love to skip if I can, and I use dry yeast exclusively.

 

[Pilgarlic]

Any reason for skipping on the dry yeast? I know the mfgr of Notty says aeration is unnecessary, but I believe Fermentis still recommends aerating the wort.

I ask because this is a step I would love to skip if I can, and I use dry yeast exclusively.

I don't do it and haven't suffered for it, with both Danstar and Fermentis. I'd probably give a big wort a shot, just in an abundance of caution.

From the Fermentis site's HB FAQ's:

8/ Does the wort need Oxygenation / aeration?
As the yeast is grown aerobically, the yeast is less sensitive on first pitch. Aeration is recommended to ensure full mixing of the wort and yeast.

So it's not aeration for oxygen's sake they're recommending, it's to ensure mixing.