Poll: How do people aerate their wort?

[arturo7]

Where's the option for coke whores blowing on extra long straws?

 

[spearko520]

i have one that reaches all the way to my neighbor's living room!

 

[cl330b]

Where's the option for coke whores blowing on extra long straws?

It's expensive, but it does work....

But I use this little gem

 

[Screech]

Pour 3 feet high into primary, through a screen filter, then stir vigorously with ladle.

Kevin

 

[spearko520]

See, now I am enlightened and if you were a vendor, I would consider shopping at your place of business.

oh - you don't want to buy anything from me. i hid pubic hairs in all the merchandise.

 

[Bobby_M]

Sorry if I came across as smug. There are a lot of different methods that will achieve enough dissolved oxygen and many of the ones listed here are fine. I was simply referring to statements about how much foam head is generated as being an indication of "job well done". My point, more specifically, is that you can generate a bunch of foam on the top of wort without getting anywhere near the 8ppm DO we're looking for. It would be better to say something like "I shook the hell out of my carboy and I'm pretty confident that it's well aerated".....and leave off the "because there's a huge frothy head on it". That's all.

 

[Brewskii]

Sorry if I came across as smug. There are a lot of different methods that will achieve enough dissolved oxygen and many of the ones listed here are fine. I was simply referring to statements about how much foam head is generated as being an indication of "job well done". My point, more specifically, is that you can generate a bunch of foam on the top of wort without getting anywhere near the 8ppm DO we're looking for. It would be better to say something like "I shook the hell out of my carboy and I'm pretty confident that it's well aerated".....and leave off the "because there's a huge frothy head on it". That's all.

Agree... Foam is not a litmus test for good aeration. It's more about how it got there.

 

[wildwest450]

I'm just curious why people think that a head of foam on top of wort is an indication of dissolved oxygen.

I'm just curious as to why you don't enlighten us instead of being smug about it.

There was nothing "smug" about that question. Perhaps you're just too sensitive.

 

[ncbrewer]

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.

I was looking through the Fermentis Tricks & Tips http://www.fermentis.com/fo/pdf/Tips-Tricks.pdf

It states "Oxygen is required to assure a healthy cell multiplication. Oxygenation is either made by top filling and splashing wort against the wall of the fermenter, aeration or direct oxygen injection. It is usually recommended to make the oxygenation on cooled wort."

Their information seems to be contradictory. I aerate to be on the safe side.

 

[BamaRooster]

I use a mesh strainer and then I whip the S%$T our if it with a stainless steel whisk

 

[Snafu]

I'm not sure how accurate this is, but the guy at my LHBS that sold me the de-gasser to aerate my wort said that its used mainly to remove O2 from wine by starting from the bottom of the container and slowly raising the stir paddles to the (near) top. If I wanted to add O2, start at the top and pull O2 down into the wort by slowly lowering the paddles.

 

[Trokair]

Strain through a grain bag, into funnel, down the neck of the carboy. Fermentation has been fine so far.

 

[Pilgarlic]

I was looking through the Fermentis Tricks & Tips http://www.fermentis.com/fo/pdf/Tips-Tricks.pdf

It states "Oxygen is required to assure a healthy cell multiplication. Oxygenation is either made by top filling and splashing wort against the wall of the fermenter, aeration or direct oxygen injection. It is usually recommended to make the oxygenation on cooled wort."

Their information seems to be contradictory. I aerate to be on the safe side.

There's another place on the site, too, as I recall that contradicts the "dry doesn't need it" dictum. But hell, few homebrewing truths are uncontradicted, beyond sanitation. A thread of "irrefutable homebrewing process truths" would make an interesting (and explosive) thread, wouldn't it?

 

[BuddyWeiser]

My faucet has a spray/shower setting that I use to fill my fermenter after the wort has been cooled and been added. This setting causes the wort to foam up like crazy, and seems to be aerating adequately.

I have not noticed any issues with using straight cold tap water, but I am located in a rural area with tasty/clear/clean water and my house is only a handful of years old.

 

[DroolingNeoBrewery]

my first brew i stired it until my arm hurt. it took forever to start (about 30 hours). Since then i have shaken it by rocking the fermenter back and forth until the wort froths. With this technique i am getting visable signs of fermentation in 3-6 hours.

 

[akervin]

I thought I would post some pictures of what I use.




This strainer I picked up on clearance for $12. The handles expand to fit different size containers out to 30" wide.





A little hop sediment captured by the strainer.





My paint mixer going to town. Use this for 3-5 mins.

 

[Bobby_M]

The biggest detriment to the splashy, swirly, whisk methods is the clear exposure to room contaminants. I'd be curious to know how different wort stability tests would look between two identical samples hit with pure O2 vs an open top whippy-do aeration.

 

[brian2can]

ambient O2 infusion (fish tank pump)

 

[JonK331]

Pure O2

 

[Brewskii]

The biggest detriment to the splashy, swirly, whisk methods is the clear exposure to room contaminants. I'd be curious to know how different wort stability tests would look between two identical samples hit with pure O2 vs an open top whippy-do aeration.

You got me there.'I won't say I've never had an infection, I have had 2 in the past year to be honest. I don't believe that the aeration method was an issue in either one and believe my fermentations lag times due to this method are short enough to quell any opportunistic contaminants. I have this and my copper IC that are rather "old fashioned"'methods that I believe make the difference in The beers I make and although I want to make big modern improvements in my brewery in the near future, I'm not interested
In changing those as I believe they directly impact the quality of the fermentation.

But; Who knows?!