Aeration

[colbreeze]

Hats the best way to aerate the wort before pitching the yeast. I have read about using an oxygen tank and a stone, but I am having difficulty finding info on purchasing them. Everyone just has the aquarium pumps.

 

[thadass]

The oxygen+stone is the best way to oxygenate the wort. Most online stores I know of offer the oxygen kit. Are you in the US?

http://store.homebrewheaven.com/oxygenation-system-kit-p571.aspx

http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/oxygenation-kit.html

 

[johngaltsmotor]

I use an aquarium pump with a ?5? micron filter after it. It's not AS effective, but I recently did a 1.098 stout and it took off within 12 hours on dry yeast.

 

[colbreeze]

Yes, I'm in IL. So if you aerate the wort you don't ferment as long?

 

[Sippin37]

I am personally a fan of the aeration wand, makes it a lot easier getting the stone to the bottom of the fermenter than just the loose tubing.
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/WILLIAMS-OXYGEN-AERATION-SYSTEM-P699C106.aspx

 

[peterj]

Yes, I'm in IL. So if you aerate the wort you don't ferment as long?

Fermentation just takes as long as it takes. You should always aerate because it gives you healthier yeast which equals better beer.

 

[d2xx]

I am personally a fan of the aeration wand, makes it a lot easier getting the stone to the bottom of the fermenter than just the loose tubing.
http://www.williamsbrewing.com/WILLIAMS-OXYGEN-AERATION-SYSTEM-P699C106.aspx

I agree with sippin, bought the oxygen tank(red) at HD for 10.00. has made a really big improvement on fermentation. we give it a 30 second shot on a 5.5 gal batch. definitely worth the investment.

 

[dangerbrew]

I always think it's pretty funny as to what lengths people will go to aereate their wort. Stones, wands, etc. Buying extra devices to do something that can be done very, very simply.

Just get your wort to pitching temp and then just splash it into your fermenter.

Oxygen gets introduced pretty well using that method, and it doesn't cost anything or require any special equipment. Just splash it in.

A professional brewer friend of mine was having problems with his yeast starting off by transferring the wort very carefully and using a stone for aereation. I told him to give splashing a shot, just for one batch (because he's pretty leery of trying new stuff, messing with his livelihood and income and what have you) and to not fill his fermenter from the bottom through the valve and to instead open the top and just spray the wort down into it, splashing it around in there.

He tried it once and it worked great for him. It's what he does every time now.

But hey, if you like your stone or wand or whatever and it's working well for you, that's fine. I'm just saying there are simpler ways.

 

[peterj]

I built this venturi with stuff I had laying around: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/cheap-easy-aeration-gadget-68218/.

It's really easy to make and use. I just cool my wort in the kettle and transfer through tubing with that in the middle of it to my fermenter. You just gotta watch out because it will spray through the holes when you're first starting it.

 

[ACbrewer]

I always think it's pretty funny as to what lengths people will go to aereate their wort. Stones, wands, etc. Buying extra devices to do something that can be done very, very simply.

Just get your wort to pitching temp and then just splash it into your fermenter.

Oxygen gets introduced pretty well using that method, and it doesn't cost anything or require any special equipment. Just splash it in.
.

Well I am an avid splasher, so I don't doubt the method, however it depends on how MUCH O2 density a brewer wants. That intern is driven by both the Starting gravity (needing more yeast/O2) and quality of the end product (as measured by what most consider off flavors that are allowed).

The science as done by White Labs (yeah the guys who sell us yeast) seems to indicate that the max you can get by splashing or by aerating with air is about 4 to 5 units (I forget the units, ppm?). With an O2 want depending on the time, and the size of the aeration stone, it can go 8 to 12 ppm - as a side note, 12 ppm is about as loaded with O2 as it can get.

So the 'do you have to use a stone' or 'Should I be using more than splash aeration' comes down to Starting Gravity (OG) and beer style. A Belgian or a porter is going to be more tollerant than a Pilnser or extra 'off' flavors from poor aeration.

NOTE I personally prefer Belgian beers and others whose flavor is something other that 'bitter'.... I came late to beer drinking precisely because that was the only flavor I found in beer when I was younger.

 

[BigFloyd]

When you boil the wort, you drive much of the dissolved gases out of it. Yeast need dissolved O2 to reproduce during the early stage (aerobic) of fermentation. Dry yeast is packaged with sterols which provides the O2 needed to get them through that stage, but not the case with liquid yeast so extra aeration/oxygenation of the wort is critical to yeast health and a good fermentation.

Splashing into the fermenter is fine if you're using dry yeast and that's what I'll do even though I have an O2 tank and stone. With liquid yeast (especially in a lager ferment) however, you really ought to make the extra effort to introduce new O2 into the wort. Pure O2 through a 0.5 micron stone gives the highest level of dissolved O2, but it's not cheap to get set up that way. Next best is the aquarium pump/stone or aeration wand on an electric drill. Some folks will shake the fermenter, but 5+ gallons is a wee bit heavy.

It's also important to aerate your starter wort.

 

[HopSong]

With O2 you have to be careful on how much/long to aerate. 15-30 secs should be fine. Too much O2 can be detrimental to the yeast.

 

[corax]

I always think it's pretty funny as to what lengths people will go to aereate their wort. Stones, wands, etc. Buying extra devices to do something that can be done very, very simply.

I share your skepticism, but I rarely make anything north of 1.060. If I was a high-gravity aficionado, I might give pure O2 more serious consideration.

(I actually just added a simple in-line Venturi areator, but that's as far as I'll go for now.)

 

[colbreeze]

Thanks everyone, just bought the unit from Williams brewing. Happy holidays!