stir plate or oxygenation kit?

[raven77]

Hey guys and gals,
Just trying to figure out what piece of equipment should I get next? Which one would i benefit more from on brew day? Right now I just swirl my yeast starter a few times and I seem to be doing well with that and as for oxygenating my Wort I just splash it side to side and that works too. So which piece would I enjoy and get the most benefits from? Also if I go with the oxygenation kit how much does an oxygen tank usually run at the local hardware store?

 

[basilchef]

Hey guys and gals,
Just trying to figure out what piece of equipment should I get next? Which one would i benefit more from on brew day? Right now I just swirl my yeast starter a few times and I seem to be doing well with that and as for oxygenating my Wort I just splash it side to side and that works too. So which piece would I enjoy and get the most benefits from? Also if I go with the oxygenation kit how much does an oxygen tank usually run at the local hardware store?

Stir plate. They are fun to build as well.

 

[Cbaddad]

I don't have a stir plate, but I love my oxygen wand. One of my best purchases. Cans are about $6 and last quite a long time.

 

[bovineblitz]

I'd say buy an o2 kit. IIRC the canisters cost about eight bucks.

You can make yourself a stirplate for super cheap, the only thing I paid for was a stir bar.

 

[Rbeckett]

An O2 cylinder from a welding or gas supplier is around 200 bucks. Then you have to deal with hydro testing, maintaining proof of ownership and a myriad of other issues. For the money and bang for the buck, get a stir plate and save up for a good grain mill on your next purchase. If I didn't already have an O2 tank for my welders I would never spend that much to brew a batch of homebrew. A cylinder would last virtually a life time if you just give it a 10 second blast ever time you run a batch. Plus there are hazards associated with storing a cylinder and oxy is an accelerant and oxidizer, so you should be extremely carefull when using and handling it, Stir plate for abot 70 bucks versus 200, that is a no brainer to me... Youre mileage may vary.
Wheelchair Bob

 

[Pappers_]

An O2 cylinder from a welding or gas supplier is around 200 bucks. Then you have to deal with hydro testing, maintaining proof of ownership and a myriad of other issues. For the money and bang for the buck, get a stir plate and save up for a good grain mill on your next purchase. If I didn't already have an O2 tank for my welders I would never spend that much to brew a batch of homebrew. A cylinder would last virtually a life time if you just give it a 10 second blast ever time you run a batch. Plus there are hazards associated with storing a cylinder and oxy is an accelerant and oxidizer, so you should be extremely carefull when using and handling it, Stir plate for abot 70 bucks versus 200, that is a no brainer to me... Youre mileage may vary.
Wheelchair Bob

Most oxygenation kits, or at least the ones I'm familiar with, are built to be screwed onto a small canister of O2, not the big welding tanks. I bought mine at William's Brewing and its worked well.

 

[Cyclman]

I have both (and highly recommend both, eventually). You can make a stir plate cheap, or you can put your starter in a very clean, sanitized 2L bottle, swirl it regularly, and make an adequate starter on the cheap.

You can shake the heck out of your wort, but you can't possibly reach the oxygenation level of an oxygen injector kit. If you're doing high OG beers, it is more useful.

So, I would start with the oxygen stone. When I got mine, my fermentations improved dramatically, no stir plate or starter.