Wort Aeration

[Moccasin Brewer]

I'm looking into getting a stone for wort aeration because I'm tired of shaking my glass carboy with about 5 gallons of wort after I finish brewing and I'm always worried about dropping my carboy creating a giant sticky mess in my basement. I am wondering what everyone else does for aeration that uses a stone if it's easier to just get a small oxygen tank or if people use aquarium pumps with a filter on it.

I am leaning more towards a pump so I don't have to get a tank filled every so often, and if I go that route, what would be a good size and how long do you aerate the wort for?

 

[mongoose33]

I'm looking into getting a stone for wort aeration because I'm tired of shaking my glass carboy with about 5 gallons of wort after I finish brewing and I'm always worried about dropping my carboy creating a giant sticky mess in my basement. I am wondering what everyone else does for aeration that uses a stone if it's easier to just get a small oxygen tank or if people use aquarium pumps with a filter on it.

I am leaning more towards a pump so I don't have to get a tank filled every so often, and if I go that route, what would be a good size and how long do you aerate the wort for?

I use oxygen; an aquarium pump will be limited in how much O2 you can put into the wort.

I buy the little red oxygen tanks from the home supply store. I get 15-20 aerations with one tank, and just buy a new one. Getting a tank that you can refill will cost a lot--though you may never use all the oxygen in it.

I use a stone on a wand, and I'll aerate for about 60-75 seconds, with bubbles breaking the surface.

I also oxygenate my starter wort, same amount of time, 60 seconds.

You can get the little aeration stone that attached to vinyl tubing, but I'd recommend the wand. Much easier to control than a stone flopping around on a tube.

 

[mongoose33]

I might as well add this; I always found it a bit difficult to wrangle the tank, the hose, the wand, etc. as well as the fermenter. I finally built this little caddy that in addition to keeping the tank stable, also lets me adjust the O2 flow more finely.

In the previous post I didn't indicate a rate because the normal regulator doesn't allow that. On mine, I have the following flow meter which allows me to get close to what many consider the right flow rate, i.e., .5 lpm.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N0UWZ2T/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Jag75]

15 - 20 is pretty dang good with that tank. I'm looking at going that route as well.

 

[Shwagger]

What I do or did, is transfer the cooled wort to a bucket first, then pour it into my fermenter through a funnel that had a mesh screen in it. Aerated like a mofo

Or at the very least it looked like it was aerated. And filtered left over trub that whirlpool didn't get

 

[RPh_Guy]

I use this:
https://www.morebeer.com/products/vortex-carboy-cleaner-wort-aerator.html

 

[Chad Bowman]

This is what I use. https://www.williamsbrewing.com/Williams-2-Micron-Oxygen-Aeration-System-P3830.aspx

 

[Soulshine2]

I'm looking into getting a stone for wort aeration because I'm tired of shaking my glass carboy with about 5 gallons of wort after I finish brewing and I'm always worried about dropping my carboy creating a giant sticky mess in my basement. I am wondering what everyone else does for aeration that uses a stone if it's easier to just get a small oxygen tank or if people use aquarium pumps with a filter on it.

I am leaning more towards a pump so I don't have to get a tank filled every so often, and if I go that route, what would be a good size and how long do you aerate the wort for?

omg, not this again.
Just crack the valve when you drain your chilled wort to the fermenter ,let it trickle in the carboy/fermonster so it creates a foamy head,pitch your yeast . its really that simple. no pumps, no stones- if you think about it ,these just offer an opportunity to introduce an infection either by the air youre pumping in or the stone itself- I doubt any are made in food safe conditions. You just boiled it to eliminate anything to infect it, so why add any step to create one. just use simple gravity. Air by nature is basically 20% oxygen. After almost 4 yrs , Ive used this method only. Target numbers hit every single time.

 

[Jag75]

This is what I do when the temp is right ^^^
Problem I have is in the summertime. I get the wort down to 90 then hook up to my chiller and get it to pitching temp. Once it's down to pitching temp I stir with a plastic brew spoon because I'm not sure how long aerating last. If it takes 15 minutes to get to the correct temp I feel like I should aerate right before I pitch.

 

[Vale71]

Once it's down to pitching temp I stir with a plastic brew spoon because I'm not sure how long aerating last.

In an oxygen-rich atmosphere like you'll find on Earth's surface it will last forever, or at least until the end of days...
Since it's impossible to oversaturate wort with oxygen using air there will be no transfer of oxygen from wort to atmosphere, if anything oxygen levels will increase with time albeit very slowly. Now if you oxygenate with pure oxygen and get the wort to 20 ppm O2 then this will partially degass in the atmosphere but it's still a slow process that will take a considerable amount of time.

Of course the LODO guys will tell you that your wort will be completely ruined by oxidation if you don't pitch within 12 milliseconds of aerating but that's an entirely different issue.

 

[Jag75]

So what your saying is if I transfer to my cf5 at 90f and let it pour in which will aerate it then 15-20 min later I pitch it wont need to be aerated again because the transfer to the FV was adequate?

 

[Vale71]

Well now you're piggybacking another question on your original question. Not fair at all...

I would say that provided that aeration was indeed adequate since oxygen levels will not have changed at all after 15-20 minutes then aeration will still be adequate even after that time has elapsed.

 

[Jag75]

Well now you're piggybacking another question on your original question. Not fair at all...

I would say that provided that aeration was indeed adequate since oxygen levels will not have changed at all after 15-20 minutes then aeration will still be adequate even after that time has elapsed.

Sorry man lol , I'm making you work haha

 

[lump42]

omg, not this again.
Just crack the valve when you drain your chilled wort to the fermenter ,let it trickle in the carboy/fermonster so it creates a foamy head,pitch your yeast . its really that simple. no pumps, no stones- if you think about it ,these just offer an opportunity to introduce an infection either by the air youre pumping in or the stone itself- I doubt any are made in food safe conditions. You just boiled it to eliminate anything to infect it, so why add any step to create one. just use simple gravity. Air by nature is basically 20% oxygen. After almost 4 yrs , Ive used this method only. Target numbers hit every single time.

On top of this, once wort is below 80F I start stirring more vigorously to incorporated air. Then when I'm done cooling, I use my IC like a large wisk for 5-10 min till a large foamy head, raising and lowering it into the wort to not only whip air into the wort, but also creates a thin film of wort draining off the IC. Whirlpool, settle, then transfer to fermentor with plenty of splashing,

If you're pitching a large healthy dose of yeast, there's a low chance of infection taking over. It's not like the air inside a fermentor is sanitized just the surfaces that are wet.

 

[BlutoA10C]

All, I recently purchased this aerator assembly:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MXH3CH1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I cannot find any oxygen tank on which it will fit - I'm a bit frustrated! The valve fitting appears to be 7/8" very fine thread. A standard refillable (small, 20cf cylinder) uses a 3/4" course thread nozzle. What am I missing?!? I saw the pictures above of the disposable tank setup, went to Lowes, and looked at them, the nozzle on those tanks is much smaller than 7/8".

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Regards,
Dave

 

[CodeSection]

All, I recently purchased this aerator assembly:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MXH3CH1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I cannot find any oxygen tank on which it will fit - I'm a bit frustrated! The valve fitting appears to be 7/8" very fine thread. A standard refillable (small, 20cf cylinder) uses a 3/4" course thread nozzle. What am I missing?!? I saw the pictures above of the disposable tank setup, went to Lowes, and looked at them, the nozzle on those tanks is much smaller than 7/8".

Any help is greatly appreciated!!

Regards,
Dave

The Amazon reviews show pictures using it with the disposable Benzomatic O2 tank that can be purchased at Home Depot and Lowes. There's even a review that addresses screwing it on the tank.....

Buy a tank and try it rather than trying to rely upon what you are seeing. Or, see if you can return the assembly to Amazon and then buy one from MoreBeer or some other retailer.

 

[BlutoA10C]

Appreciate the reply, I took the fitting to Lowe's with me. The are absolutely not even close to the same size. I believe I will follow your second suggestion - return and reorder.