If you are making yeast starters where the necessary oxygen for the yeast reproduction is allready done by the time the slurry is pitched, is it a safe assumption that oxygenation of the wort itself is un-necessary? Just a thought..
kh54s10 said:No, The yeast will still need oxygen to ferment the wort. If not you are limiting the ability of the yeast to do their thing.
DerekJ said:I think you are asking, "If I make a starter big enough to produce enough yeast to ferment my whole 5 gallon batch so the yeast don't have to reproduce after I pitch them, then I don't need to add oxygen, right?"
wyoast said:Thanks for the insight...what I'm taking away here (correct me if I'm wrong) is that if a big enough starter is prepaired, oxygenation of the wort is not necessary but if its only a simple starter to get the yeast active, additional o2 is needed for the cells to reproduce.
cluckk said:This is the reason some people aerate again (18 hours or so into the process) when fermenting really big batches.
Is this a theoretical question, or a practical one? If you have the ability to make a proper starter and the ability to aerate the wort, it is a lot more practical.
I do not use pure o2, although that would be the best option from a control standpoint. I use a pump with a filter and air stone. I also do not airlock my Carboys during growth phase, just a piece of sanitized tin foil.
You can get pretty good aeration from just swirling the thing every few minutes for 15-30 minutes. Especially if you don't airlock it for the first 24 hours or so.
wyoast said:but am allways leary of wild yeasts or pollen of some sort getting in before I pitch and get get it sealed up.
Brulosopher said:The real question (as I see it):
If I make an adequate sized starter, do I need need to worry about using an O2 tank and stone to oxygenate my wort? My anecdotal answer based on 100+ brews is a resounding NO. With a good sized starter and some vigorous splashing of the chilled wort, I have never had a stuck fermentation or noticeable off-flavors as a product of fermentation.
Cheers!
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