Should I aerate?

[Ernst-Haeckel]

I brewed 5 gallons black IPA yesterday (O.G. 1.077, 85% efficiency). The wort has been sitting in the primary since last night while the yeast starter gets going. I am ready to add the starter now, but not sure if I should aerate the wort first. I normally aerate by rocking the primary, but I forgot to do this last night (I did do a 10 minute post-chill whirlpool, which I have heard aerates the wort pretty good).

So, should I go ahead and rock the primary before I pitch the starter, putting all the settled trub and hops back into suspension?

Thanks! :cross:

 

[Northcalais40]

Shake the crap out of it, and your starter too. All the trub will settle once again. Back in the day I would let the wort sit overnight to cool (no chiller) in the morning I'd carefully pour it into a new fermenter, aerating it and leaving the trub behind. I used buckets and cornys. Now I'm too paranoid about infection to leave it sitting without yeast. Not very good logic, but probably more safe practice.

But yes, you should most definitely aerate. Nothing to lose: the trub will end up right where it is now. No guts, no blood pudding.

 

[ChshreCat]

+1 don't be afraid to shake it up. Any O2 you introduce will get eaten up by the yeast when you pitch. Next time, you can get your starter going a day or two before you brew and you won't have to leave your wort sitting out like that.

 

[Ernst-Haeckel]

Cool, thanks. This is my first time doing a yeast starter, and I realized too late that I should have done it the day before.

 

[AKbrewer]

Yea its always best to pitch s soon as possible, but if you have to wait for some reason its best to wait on aeration also. No need to give the nasties an advantage.

 

[Dunerunner]

I used to aerate but don't bother with it since I use a starter and stir plate. My yeast reproduce in the starter (aerobic), not in my beer where I want them (anaerobic) and making alcohol. So far, so good!

 

[AKbrewer]

I used to aerate but don't bother with it since I use a starter and stir plate. My yeast reproduce in the starter (aerobic), not in my beer where I want them (anaerobic) and making alcohol. So far, so good!

Really everything I`ve read says to aerate. Besides the yeast are going to grow in your wort anyway. If you pitch 200 bil cells you end up with a hell of a lot more than that after fermentation. correct me where I`m wrong.

 

[Dunerunner]

AKbrewer...When I started brewing, I read the same thing!! I'm on the coast of Oregon and 60 miles from a HBS, so, I use dry yeasts. Danstar product cut sheets specifically indicate no need to areate, however; the data sheets for Fermentis products all recommend aeration by agitation. As I said, I haven't with either, with no problems.

I'm sure that in pumping the wort through my Shirron Plate chiller and into the bottom of my conical fermenter, it does get some areation but I do not deliberately add Oxygen nor do I pump air into the wort prior to fermentation.

 

[AKbrewer]

Well I guess if it works it works. Have you done this with liquid yeasts also?

 

[boo boo]

Dry yeast don't need as much oxygen as liquid because generally you are
pitching more cells than you would with liquid yeast unless you are using a calculator for pitching.
Still some aeration is good for the yeast. Some yeast growth will benifit the flavour of your beer.

 

[Dunerunner]

Well I guess if it works it works. Have you done this with liquid yeasts also?

No, because by the time I receive the yeast (Fedex, UPS, USPS) I have no idea if the weather is going to cooperate enough for me to brew. I've had liquid sit around for 6 months waiting for an opportune time to use it in a brew.

I believe that by using a large starter and stir plate I would be pitching a large enough population that it would be unnecessary. I'll try it next time and let you know.

 

[darylwoodman]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

 

[Roadie]

I pitch large starters from a stir plate and always aerate (with pure O2) before pitching. On big beers like the imperial stout (OG: 1.101) I have fermenting now I aerate, pitch, then wait 12 hours and hit it with O2 again. In your instance it was ok to forgo aeration until the yeast were ready, then you'd aerate and pitch.