Aeration Times

[masculator002]

just thought I would put this one out there to see how many different responses I would get on the subject. personally I aerate for around an hour to an hour and a half and generally start after the wort has cooled to around 40 degrees. Seems to work, My current brew has gone from 1.052 to 1.010 in 2 days, However it was pitched on top of yeast cake that had just had the brew stripped off of it into the keg.

 

[browndog]

I have yet to aerate a wort and never had a problem.

cheers

Browndog

 

[therook]

Depends how long it takes to get from the cube to the fermenter via the tube.....5 minutes

rook

 

[newguy]

I have yet to aerate a wort and never had a problem.

That used to be my attitude as well. I never aerated and didn't have issues. Until I started getting stuck fermentations. And really weird phenols - bucketloads of them - but I could reuse the yeast and the next batch would be clean.

Turns out I had been aerating, but didn't really know that I was. I have a CFC and I fill my carboys by just letting the wort splash from the top of the carboy from the hose as they fill. I thought the splashing was enough because my beers always turned out. I actually had another mechanism that was aerating my wort, but didn't realize it at the time. The hose that fits onto the outlet of my CFC doesn't fit that well, even with the use of a hose clamp. The wort flowing out of the CFC would suck in air from that leaky connection.

That leak always bugged me because the wort would foam up a lot and end up coming out of the top before I'd be able to get as much wort as I wanted into it. So I started using two hose clamps and finally secured it well enough that it wouldn't suck air. That's about the point that I started have problems with my fermentations.

I didn't figure it out until a friend brewed with me and brought his oxygenation system with him. I was completely floored at how well a 30 second shot of pure oxygen worked. The difference in fermentation lag time and vigour was night & day. I ordered my own system the very next day.

The point? You probably do aerate at present, but don't realize it. It only takes a small and seemingly innocuous change to make you realize that you don't do it well enough.

 

[masculator002]

That used to be my attitude as well. I never aerated and didn't have issues. Until I started getting stuck fermentations. And really weird phenols - bucketloads of them - but I could reuse the yeast and the next batch would be clean.

Turns out I had been aerating, but didn't really know that I was. I have a CFC and I fill my carboys by just letting the wort splash from the top of the carboy from the hose as they fill. I thought the splashing was enough because my beers always turned out. I actually had another mechanism that was aerating my wort, but didn't realize it at the time. The hose that fits onto the outlet of my CFC doesn't fit that well, even with the use of a hose clamp. The wort flowing out of the CFC would suck in air from that leaky connection.

That leak always bugged me because the wort would foam up a lot and end up coming out of the top before I'd be able to get as much wort as I wanted into it. So I started using two hose clamps and finally secured it well enough that it wouldn't suck air. That's about the point that I started have problems with my fermentations.

I didn't figure it out until a friend brewed with me and brought his oxygenation system with him. I was completely floored at how well a 30 second shot of pure oxygen worked. The difference in fermentation lag time and vigour was night & day. I ordered my own system the very next day.

The point? You probably do aerate at present, but don't realize it. It only takes a small and seemingly innocuous change to make you realize that you don't do it well enough.

personally I am using an aquarium pump and as I have been two slack to build a chiller I immerse my boilers in a bath of cold water (works well drops from boil to below 35 deg c in about 15 minutes) and aerate my wort while it is chilling as I say it is nearly finished after 2 days.

 

[rich_lamb]

I think the wyeast site has some recomendations as to aeration times (too lazy to dig it up sorry). I used to use the aquarium pump but found it made no real difference as was just more equipment and more sanitation issues.

So I just thrash away with my big spoon for about 5-10 minutes which is enough to froth up the wort nicely.

I have no issues with attenuation that I can attribute to oxygenation directly - and I don't know how you would unless you did side by side comparisons. Yeast population and temperature would also affect this greatly (and a whole bunch of other stuff)

 

[kevnlis]

Your best bet is to make sure you get as little oxygen into the wort as possible. In fact if you can get NONE in that would be best. Then use the MrMalty calculator and pitch the right amount of healthy yeast to that wort.

 

[drsmurto]

I put my wort on the edge of the back porch which is conveniently about 1m high. Open the tap and its falls into a fermenter underneath it. With 20L of wort i end up with froth level with the top of my 30L fermenter.

Pinched the idea from someone here, foggy memory is saying Kai?

No attenuation problems and i regularly harvest the yeast out of primary (or dump another wort straight onto the yeast cake).

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Your best bet is to make sure you get as little oxygen into the wort as possible. In fact if you can get NONE in that would be best. Then use the MrMalty calculator and pitch the right amount of healthy yeast to that wort.

The man who wrote that calculator also recommends always aerating wort on the basis that you need some yeast growth to produce some esters which are usually a required flavour component. I'm happy to trust him on both counts... B)

Depending on how slack I am feeling, I will either use the stainless steel airstone, filter and pump, or just make a big frothy mess while transferring the wort into the fermenter.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

So, last night I did some basic research, starting with a new (to me) term: lipoxygenase and found my way to one of those research paper sites where you only get to read the abstract unless you shell out some cash. I found this:

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=A...bea4a0b21d2007b

which suggests it doesn't make much taste difference but enhances stability.

And also this, which is kind of related, but not really. It's still a bit interesting:

http://cdavies.wordpress.com/2007/03/13/beer-aging/

 

[matti]

Lagers- alot
Ales- hardly at all...

 

[lokpikn]

I put my plastic spoon which is about 2 foot long and has a handle diameter of 10mm in my power drill and let it rip and also stir it round at the same time. Takes about 2 or 3 min until there is so much froth in the fermenter i have to stop. Seems to work for me.

 

[kook]

Your best bet is to make sure you get as little oxygen into the wort as possible. In fact if you can get NONE in that would be best. Then use the MrMalty calculator and pitch the right amount of healthy yeast to that wort.

The calculated amounts are a pitching quantity intended to ensure that yeast growth still occurs. You need some growth or you won't get any of the flavours for that particular yeast strain. For healthy growth you need oxygen (though there are other techniques being touted at the moment such as olive oil).


I aerate inline, and it normally takes me about 5 mins to fill the fermenter.

 

[troydo]

Well i went to a talk by chris and mike white last week, Chris is the founder of white labs..

We spoke about aeration and he said that ideally you want 10000 ppm oxygen in your brew, stirring and pouring would be lucky to get 50000ppm, he recommends using oxygen and a stone, failing that a fish pump and a stone for about an hr.

he said one of the main things that separates commercial beers and home brews is the FG. he said a bunch of other stuff too but im too lazy to type it... if you have any questions i can try and remember what he said.. was a really great talk actually!

 

[Blackfish]

I aerate inline, and it normally takes me about 5 mins to fill the fermenter.

What do you mean by 'inline' kook?

 

[kook]

http://morebeer.com/view_product/16613/

 

[Blackfish]

http://morebeer.com/view_product/16613/

SHINY! nice one :icon_cheers:

 

[Zwickel]

I aerate inline, and it normally takes me about 5 mins to fill the fermenter.

yes, me too:

 

[Whistlingjack]

I've toyed with the idea of a venturi system attached to a filter. The amount of aeration would be variable by using a flow restrictor, or altering the flow rate of the wort.

In my opinion, aeration is an important component in fermentation. You want your yeast to metabolise aerobicly for as long as possible to allow for a good growth in population. This leads to shorter lag times and less chance for contamination.

WJ

 

[Kai]

I put my wort on the edge of the back porch which is conveniently about 1m high. Open the tap and its falls into a fermenter underneath it. With 20L of wort i end up with froth level with the top of my 30L fermenter.

Pinched the idea from someone here, foggy memory is saying Kai?

That is pretty much what I do. Works well with a good yeast starter but not good for those people uncomfortable with exposing their wort to the open.