Recommendations on O2 flowmeter.

[BrewAlchemy]

I just got my small o2 canister and my .5 micron. The last addition i need is a cheap, reliable flow-meter that reads in liters. Any recommendations?

 

[MalFet]

Don't own one, but these look promising:

http://www.omega.com/ppt/pptsc.asp?ref=FL2000

 

[kladue]

Here is the type that I use, a Dwyer VFA-1-SS, the flow rate that is effective is .23LPM /.5 CFH, more and the O2 just makes foam instead of absorbing. Testing with flow rates and time has shown .5 CFH and 3 minutes in a 6 gallon batch will give you rated yeast attenuation, longer durations, lag time and attenuation increase, higher flow, reduction in absorption and effect. You can blow a lot of O2 into the wort and create a lot of foam but not get much effect because the O2 went up in the bubbles, not into the wort, that is why a low flow rate was used.
Here is a picture of the flow meter installed on the new system panel between the 2 orange valves http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.ladue/BoilerControlPanel#5164685502424247906.

 

[BrewBeemer]

http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.ladue/BoilerControlPanel#5164685502424247906[/URL].

Houston We Have A Problem, all I can say looking at this panel.
It sure looks sharp, a up and running video would be sweet.

I gave a friend 5' of SS tubing he added four #60 holes aorund the
end then welded the end shut.
With his welding bottle blasts O2 at wild amounts for a minute calls it good.
His O2 percentage checking with a aquarium test kit is lower than using a .5 stone at 1/100 the amount of O2 used.
With the Timeter 0-15 LPM meter the ball is as wide as the 0 to 1 line, .5 LPM is as low accurately that I can read unless I lower the ball and guess.
Thanks for posting the LPM / CFH numbers, i've seen a wide variation amount to use depending who you talk with.

 

[kladue]

BrewBeemer, I spent about 1 year with the old system varying time and flow to observe the effects when using a ready to pitch vial to keep yeast cell count the same. High flow rates were pointless as all the O2 went to the top as foam and did not absorb, when the flow is reduced to where there is very little foam the absorption is highest. When I used 3 [email protected] CFH the yeast performed as described by the vendor, increasing the time raised the attenuation and fermentation speed quite a bit. The most suprising test was a 1.038 english bitter that fermented to 1.006 in 36 hours from fermentation start, and a 1.062 weizenbock with Wyeast 3056 that went to 1.010 in 72 hours from fermentation start. Both of the fast ferments were with 4+ minutes of O2 flow at .5 CFH.
Here is an after picture with panels in place and connected (bottom)http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.ladue/Phase2ProgressPictures#5217507773381521138 and (top)http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.ladue/Phase2ProgressPictures#5217507731685388290. The water tank in the back wall has gone away after some software changes to fill and sparge using level and flow sensors instead of measuring water in tank and then pumping it through boiler.

 

[Egbert]

O2 obsorption, like any gas, is going to depend on the temperature of the liquid. The lower the temp, the better the O2 will dissolve in the liquid.

 

[kladue]

Yes the temperature affects the solubility of the O2, but if flow is at a higher rate you generate larger bubbles that rise quickly to surface instead of absorb like the small bubbles do, and the effort is mostly wasted. I would hope that the O2 injection is done at pitching temps around 65 degrees, not at post boil temps before cooling.

 

[BrewBeemer]

BrewBeemer, I spent about 1 year with the old system varying time and flow to observe the effects when using a ready to pitch vial to keep yeast cell count the same. High flow rates were pointless as all the O2 went to the top as foam and did not absorb, when the flow is reduced to where there is very little foam the absorption is highest. When I used 3 [email protected] CFH the yeast performed as described by the vendor, increasing the time raised the attenuation and fermentation speed quite a bit. The most suprising test was a 1.038 english bitter that fermented to 1.006 in 36 hours from fermentation start, and a 1.062 weizenbock with Wyeast 3056 that went to 1.010 in 72 hours from fermentation start. Both of the fast ferments were with 4+ minutes of O2 flow at .5 CFH.
Here is an after picture with panels in place and connected (bottom)http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.ladue/Phase2ProgressPictures#5217507773381521138 and (top)http://picasaweb.google.com/kevin.ladue/Phase2ProgressPictures#5217507731685388290. The water tank in the back wall has gone away after some software changes to fill and sparge using level and flow sensors instead of measuring water in tank and then pumping it through boiler.

When you ever going to get that rig up and running?
More spare time needed like a month off without distractions plus some money $$$$$$$ to complete?
I hate looking at your rig makes me feel like a caveman. Prost.

 

[BrewBeemer]

Yes the temperature affects the solubility of the O2, but if flow is at a higher rate you generate larger bubbles that rise quickly to surface instead of absorb like the small bubbles do, and the effort is mostly wasted. I would hope that the O2 injection is done at pitching temps around 65 degrees, not at post boil temps before cooling.

I did not reply before as this is a narrow pitching temp range your dealing with in the first place.

 

[kladue]

Both rigs work, just not enough time to crank out anything and deal with everything else on weekend R&R trips. Looks like it will be a couple more years before a chance at staying in the northwest as new buildings are planned down here and instrumentation work has expanded away from the high tech campuses.
I am currently working on the next generation .Net software and plan to test and tune it with the existing PLC hardware for now, then I might look into writing the communications interface for other PLC hardware. With 30+ hours a week to burn up, the programming has been moving along with conversion completion by next month in sight, then who knows what's next to occupy my free time.

 

[BrewBeemer]

They like you in Az. you might as well move and be a local, NOT!
As many in the trades are out of work they will travel anywhere
for solid employment. Take the money while you can. You take care.

 

[kladue]

The money here even without overtime last year was 4 times the other half's salary as a programmer for state of Oregon, this year looks like it will be 50 hour weeks soon, then 60-60-50 until mid to late 2012.

 

[BrewBeemer]

The money here even without overtime last year was 4 times the other half's salary as a programmer for state of Oregon, this year looks like it will be 50 hour weeks soon, then 60-60-50 until mid to late 2012.

I had them years with one to 3 1/2 year contractors on push jobs, this made life better affordable after my back injuries. Work safe and bank all you can.

Is there a chart handy with LPM to CFH?
I bet you must of had explosive early stage fermentations, just thinking what a high HG Stout or Porter would create plus the heat generated.

 

[kladue]

Here is link to a calculator for unit conversion http://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/flow_rate_volume.
The English bitter lost about 20% to foam out blow off tube, the Weizenbock lost about 15% to foam blow off. The lag times were a bit scary at first, but once fermentation started you needed a blow off hose and 5 gall catch bucket to handle the foam. If you could keep the blow off catch container sterile the yeast that gets blown there would pitch multiple batches later. This will significantly alter the attenuation so recipe temps need to be adjusted up to compensate by increasing the unfermentable dextrins in the wort.

 

[BrewBeemer]

Great site Kevin thanks for posting.
What temps you having days & nights?
I bet less inches rain than in oregon times 1000.

 

[BrewAlchemy]

Thanks for the responses guys. Also what is actually a good flow rate for oxygenating wort. I read like 1 LPM for 1 min is sufficient in a 5-6 gallon batch.