Recommend me an oxygenation kit

[beertastic]

I've decided this is going to be my next equipment upgrade.

I'd like to stick with the little disposable oxygen tanks, instead of buying a big tank and trying to figure out how to get it filled.

I was looking at the William's Brewing kit, which looks nice because it has a wand. But I've heard the regulators in this model are prone to leaking, emptying the tank quickly. Not sure if that is an issue with all disposable tank models.

Practically every major homebrew online store offers one, which do you guys recommend?

Also, what are your thoughts on 2 micron stone vs .5 micron stone?

 

[Cyclman]

I like the wands, though I have the old fashioned plastic tube with the stone on the end. I did a .5 micron, had problems with it gumming up, boiled it every time I used it, still clogged, so I went to a 2 micron, no issues since, get lots of healthy bubbles in my wort.

O2 is great for strong fermentations, I get outstanding attenuation. If you don't have one, I also recommend a stir plate to get a strong pitch yet only having to use a single yeast tube.

 

[beertastic]

Yeah I've been using a stir plate now for a couple of years, it's ugly but it works great. Also have a dedicated chest freezer/stc1000 for fermentation.

With the 2 micron stone do you have to run it for longer or do you just do the same 60-90 seconds as the .5?

 

[losman26]

Get the williams big oxygen one. You can control the exact of o2, and the tank lasts forever. I had the cheap regulator with the wand, but it broke after a year of use. The new one is awesome.

 

[Brickman]

Do the wand. I have the vinyl hose and it is a pain in the butt. I likes to coil itself up and is a pain to get it the carboy without it getting dirty.

 

[keggle]

I have the wand with disposable tanks. I'm not at all happy with the regulator or tanks. You can't leave the regulator on there because it leaks and the tank doesn't last long at all. I would get the big tank kit.

 

[dmcman73]

I built one myself from and I agree, having only the vinyl tubing is a pain in keeping the stone down into the wort. I have some extra straight stainless tubing that I am going to retrofit onto my setup to make it into a wand.

One thing I have on mine that I didn't see on these is a sanitary air filter between the O2 tank and the stone: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0064OGJHO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

 

[hunter_le five]

I have this one. I don't know how it compares to others in terms of function or price, but it works fine for me.

 

[Rcbandl]

I have the .5 micron stone from williams and it works great. Just make sure you clean it immediately after use, do not touch the stone with your hands or skin and store the stone end in a ziplock secured with a baggie tie and you wont have any problems.

I sanitize it in the brew kettle when I am heating up my sparge water.

 

[Stealthcruiser]

In regards to a "gunked up stone", I have always turned it on before submerging, and surfaced and purged before turning it off.

 

[nutty_gnome]

Williams wand works for me. I do take the regulator off every time I use it. Works a treat if you have positive oxygen flow through the stone before putting it in your wort and leaving it on as you take it out and put it in a hot cleaning solution of you choice.

 

[Spartan1979]

Get a wand. It's not a big deal to take the regulator off after each use.