Question on aerating

[cease]

So I brew all grain and use an immersion chiller which gets my wort from 212 to 80* rather quickly but getting it any lower is a challenge specially with the heat we have been having. I use a Cool Brewing bag which is basically a large insulated bag as a fermentation chamber. After I chill to 80* I aerate my wort by shaking it in the carboy then placing it in the Cool Brewing bag with two 1G frozen water bottles. After about 4 hours I am at 68* and pitch rehydrated dry yeast or my starter.

Question is, would I be better off aerating right before pitching? Does the wort become less aerated as time passes?

Thanks all! Happy brewing!


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[stpug]

You WOULD be better aerating right before pitching as the cooler/colder the wort then the more oxygen it can dissolve into solution. Therefore, your efforts are better served at cooler temperatures.

 

[unionrdr]

Spot on there. I feel the same way after results I've gotten aerating when mixing wort & top off. Top off water is chilled before use,so it gets the wort down to 65F. Then I pitch the starter or re-hydrate to within 10 degrees of each other. Did that last night with my ESB & re-hydrated S-04. Started fermenting in a couple hours!

 

[cease]

Right on guys thanks. I am going to aerate after I get the temps down. When I was doing extract I had no issues because I would top off with cold water but now doing all grain I have dialed my system in to get exactly 5.5 gallons in the fermentor.

Any thoughts on ice water recirculating in the immersion chiller with the use of a pump? Maybe I gotta just get a plate chiller


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[unionrdr]

I've been thinking of a two stage wort chiller. We have the dual basin sink,so one coil in ice water where the tap water runs through. The other in the brew kettle where the chilled cold water would circulate. I thought this should get it chilled faster,or at least to a lower temp?...

 

[cease]

That's kind of what I was thinking. I saw something on Basic Brew Radio where James had an aquarium pump in a cooler with ice and water. He had his chiller in the kettle, got the initial 212* to 100* with tap water then switched to the pump in the cooler and recirculated the water back.

It got me thinking about trying something similar with a bucket and a cheap pump but I don't wanna get too crazy with a build if at the end a counter flow or plate chiller will be more efficient.


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[haberdasher]

I made one from a 15ft scrap of 3/8 copper - used compression fittings on both ends and use one of those 4 ft "leader hoses" between it and the main coil.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,but plate chillers can clog. Counter flow or regular wort chillers don't have that problem if you get the connections tight.

 

[j1n]

I thought you run the risk of hot side aeration with wort 80* or more.

i cool to mid 70s then put it in the carboy and fermentation chamber and let it cool down some more before i aerate and pitch.

 

[unionrdr]

I don't beleive in that hot side aeration thing myself. At least,not at 80F.

 

[cease]

Hot side aeration is more of a problem in commercial brewing. I have heard it's really nothing to worry about and more of a homebrew myth.i transfer at around 80* and once aerated the stick on thermometer starts to register 76-78*.

I've never had an issue or off flavors I was mostly seeing how I can make my yeast more happy.


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[unionrdr]

Or maybe you're just not noticing them. High 70's or 80's temps can produce more fermentation by-products that are perceived as off flavors.

 

[cease]

I don't ferment at 70 to 80, I ferment at 67-68*.


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[unionrdr]

Then what are the temps you listed at the beginning?

 

[cease]

Then what are the temps you listed at the beginning?

My immersion wort chiller can only cool my wort to the high 70s low 80's so I place my carboy in an insulated bag for a few hours with ice etc to get it to 68 or whatever I am fermenting at THEN pitch.

I am very cognizant of my ferm temps but was curious as to when is best to aerate, before or after the chill. No harm in just shaking the carboy both before and after though. Thanks for the replies!


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