Aerating

[Cummy]

Hey, to aerate my no chill cubes I simply whack the spoon in the end of a drill and give it a good spin for a few minutes. Yeast is sprinkled onto top of the 2inch layer of foam created. Would there be any benefit in going back at a later date and giving it another spin to mix the yeast in? If so, what time would be best? Thoughts?

 

[Rocker1986]

I don't know, but once the foam subsides the yeast would get into the wort anyway.

Without getting into the age old debate, you could just re-hydrate the yeast to get it through the foam and into the wort straight away. I did this after my first cube created a much higher layer of foam (about 5 or 6 inches) after being tipped into the FV from a height; that batch I pitched dry but after that I re-hydrated to get the yeast into it straight away.

 

[manticle]

You won't oxygenate enough by simply shaking or stirring but it does help. It is all I do at the moment too.

Yes an additional shake or two (or stir - super clean and sanitary) can help if most of the yeast is in the growth phase. Avoid once it moves beyond. Basically once I see visible krausen is when I avoid agitation.

 

[drsmurto]

Foaming tells you very little about how much oxygen you are getting in. Wort will foam in the absence of oxygen due to the proteins entrapping gas molecules. The gas is not important. If you have access, try shaking a container of wort in an anaerobic chamber. It still foams up.

 

[Cummy]

So does using a spoon in the drill help? Should I not bother doing it or do it for a longer period of time?

 

[SBOB]

Foaming tells you very little about how much oxygen you are getting in. Wort will foam in the absence of oxygen due to the proteins entrapping gas molecules.

and if you believe the guy who knows all about foam (Charlie Bamforth) those foam making proteins only get one go at making foam... so the more foam you churn up, the less you can make post fermentation (ie head retention)


You would get more benefit rehydrating that yeast (yep, i said it). You can only add so much oxygen by shaking/stir motion.

 

[Coldspace]

Get one of those long handled paint stirrers , they wisk and aerate it better than a spoon, used to do this for about 2 mins. Got real foamy, sometimes all the way to top of fermenter. I then would dump my dry or yeast starter in and stir in slowly for another few secs then seal.
Beers have been excellent.
But I'm now going oxygen, as a quick bubble thru is where I'm at now.

Stirring up well is good enough for the homebrewer.

Unless you want to get fanaticle like the rest of us crazy ones

 

[MHB]

SBOB, I think that is a bit of a misreading of what Charlie Bamforth has to say.
Yes there are a finite amount of head building ingredients in beer, some practice like skimming and using a blow-off tube can reduce them, buy what is in the beer at the end of fermentation can and will form head collapse and be available to do it all again.
Mark

Foam By Bamforth is a pretty good read, probably aimed more at commercial brewers but good solid info!
M

 

[Yob]

all depends on your gravity, a pale at 1.040 will require less than a RIS

For higher gravity brews, double 'whisking' is certainly an advantage.. ive definitely noticed a difference in NOT doing it and I schedule my pitching now so I can time it better, helps in finishing HG brews, not sure its needed in lower gravity worts

 

[SBOB]

SBOB, I think that is a bit of a misreading of what Charlie Bamforth has to say.
Yes there are a finite amount of head building ingredients in beer, some practice like skimming and using a blow-off tube can reduce them, buy what is in the beer at the end of fermentation can and will form head collapse and be available to do it all again.
Mark

Foam By Bamforth is a pretty good read, probably aimed more at commercial brewers but good solid info!
M

I'm more a listener than a reader, so I'm taking my comments from his representations on BN podcasts like Brew Strong where he has been on a several times..
But its likely he gave a simplified summary in his discussions

 

[Mozz]

So does using a spoon in the drill help? Should I not bother doing it or do it for a longer period of time?

Yes it will help.
After boiling the wort will have no oxygen.
Once chilled and with enough stirring you would be able to saturate the wort with oxygen from the air (around 8 parts per million).
I don't know how much mixing that would take (without testing using a dissolved oxygen meter) but I'd think what you describe means you're probably getting good liquid/air surface contact and good gas exchange.