What size pump do you use? - diffusion stone

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Earthson

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I am about to smash my face into a brick wall.

Every time I try to use my diffusion stone, it doesn't work. I boil it, while hooked up to the pump, and it'll start working fine. Then I put it in the wort, and it doesn't work.

It seems like it'll only function when it is hot, and the metal expands, allowing air out. And, it isn't like I can use it while my wort is boiling...so...the only thing I can think of is to get an industrial size aquarium pump, and blast the SH#T out of it. (If the pet store was open, I would go get one right now...but, alas, it is Sunday night...typical)

So, anyone else have this issue, and did you fix it with a BIG MOTHER F-ING PUMP? :drunk:
 
Excellent idea to use a fish tank pump. Since ambient air being 21% O2 it is a good way to get adequate O2 into the wort but I'd worry about inoculating the wort with nasties from the ambient air. Is the air filtered?

Go to Walley-World or pet store and get a cheapie fish tank stone. Sanitize with your favorite booze. I use Everclear; nothing can live in it. I also use pharmaceutical grade oxygen bought at a medical supply store. I strap the sterilized cheapie stone/hose to a sterilized section of wire (a straightened coat hanger will suffice) with a small boat tie (cable tie) to facilitate getting the stone down to the bottom of the cooled wort and stir the wort with it. Forget the 2micron vs .5 micron stone; O2 is O2 so the size of the stone is irrelevant; using ambient air instead of pure O2 it would be difficult to over-oxygenate.

Good luck
 
Well, problem solved. I went to the same place I bought my co2 tanks for kegging. Picked up an o2 bottle, an argon/co2 regulator (modded to work with o2), and I shouldn't need to worry about aerating ever again :)

At first they tried to sell me a regular o2 regulator...started at 10psi, and went up to 200psi. I passed...the last thing I need is an itchy trigger finger, and to blow 23 litres of beer all over my walls :(

So, I'm anxious try to this setup on my next batch...too late to try it on this one, as the yeasties were already working this morning (I'll just cross my fingers that I have enough 02 in this batch)
 
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