Hot Wort Aeration

[manticle]

I understand I'm not meant to splash hot wort around as it may lead to oxidation/wet cardboard later.

I'm doing partials at the moment so in order to cool the wort to pitching temp quicker, I have several litres of pre-boiled, pre-cooled water in my fridge for 1 or 2 days.

however my understanding of not splashing the hot wort means that I try and cool it in a water bath before adding the cold water. I'm trying to get to pitching temp as soon as possible but obviously I don't want to make bad beer. Am I being to cautious or is this the correct approach?

I'm generally boiling 12 -15 L of wort and making a total volume between 18 - 23 with the remaining cold water.

Cheers

 

[NickB]

Honestly, I don't believe there's proof on a homebrew scale that HSA effects your beer quality. I will say however, that post boil, it should not be an issue, as during the boil you will drive off any extra oxygen in the wort. Post boil, I would be more cautious, but once you're under pasteurization temp (75c IIRC) then you should be OK.

This is, however, the opinion of one brewer, who has not, to his or any other's knowledge, suffered the effects of HSA...... h34r:





Cheers!!

 

[manticle]

Something I realise wasn't clear in the first post - I'm boiling 12 L of wort in a 15 L pot so adding the cold water gently to the wort is not an option. I have to add wort to water - hence the concern about splashing/aeration too early.

@ NickB : Thanks.

 

[///]

Crock of Crap. If you worry about HSA you have too much to worry about. Relax ... have a beer ...

Go look at the older systems with lauter taps and then you will never worry about moving your wort about ....

Scotty

 

[manticle]

Good to know. Less worry is usually my friend but learning is my friend also.

Cheers

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Crock of Crap. If you worry about HSA you have too much to worry about. Relax ... have a beer ...

Go look at the older systems with lauter taps and then you will never worry about moving your wort about ....

Scotty

But... one of the key reasons nobody much uses lauter grants and taps these days is to reduce hot wort aeration.

Mind you I 100% agree that HSA is often overstated as an issue for homebrewers and that not worrying about it is the best course of action. For sure, keep splashing etc etc to a minimum where you can - but don't freak out if you have to splash a little, or let it affect your practice because you are afraid to stir the mash or silly things like that.

Avoid the issue where its sensible to do so - where its not sensible, dont worry about it.

 

[manticle]

Main thing is just wondering how cool I should have my 12 L of wort before I add my 8 L of cold water to bring it within pitching range. The reason I ask is because I've just finished my boil. Cold water is ready, 12 L hot wort sits in an ice water bath as we speak. How cool is cool enough? 80 deg? 60 deg? 40 deg?

Cheers.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Just bung it in whenever you want to - HSA will not be an issue for you in this circumstance. By the time your cold water mixes in... things will no longer be hot. Ergo no problem even if you are an HSA believer.

 

[manticle]

Thankyou.

I've just put it in so hopefully pitching temp should be hit in the next hour or so.

I don't know if I've mentioned this but I really like beer.

 

[NickB]

As TB said, because you're adding more than 50% cold water to your wort, you'll have no issues. In reality, adding the cold water to the wort straight out of the boil would give you no issues....

Cheers

 

[manticle]

So it's only ever an issue if the wort splashes hot and stays hot?

Not majorly concerned about current brews but I do like to learn new things.

 

[NickB]

Pretty much..... Over 75c, supposedly the HSA will cause premature staling and carboardy flavours.

If you're *chilling* by adding cold water to wort then it should be no issue at all. You will hit sub 75c pretty bloody quickly!

Cheers

 

[scott_penno]

Jamil did a show on Hot Side Aeration on BrewStrong that can be found here.

sap.

 

[THBF Wez]

HSA on a home brew scale is a crock of crap

Splash away

 

[chappo1970]

HSA on a home brew scale is a crock of cr@p

Splash away

Well said Wez! Couldn't have said it better myself!

 

[Bribie G]

If you want it colder quicker, a couple of guys on the forum make 2 Litre ice blocks in sanitized ice cream containers and run the wort onto a couple of those placed in the fermenter. Two of those is actually the same as a bag of party ice (4kg).

 

[mwd]

If you want it colder quicker, a couple of guys on the forum make 2 Litre ice blocks in sanitized ice cream containers and run the wort onto a couple of those placed in the fermenter. Two of those is actually the same as a bag of party ice (4kg).

+1 just got to remember to make them up a couple of days before brewday.
I use cooled boiled water from the kettle to make the ice blocks.

and be careful dropping the blocks into the fermenter they are hard and heavy I would hate to see a cracked fermenter and all that precious fluid all over the floor.
AND shut that tap. Not done it with wort but have done it with sanitiser.

 

[Renegade]

Not an issue, they actually float in wort.

 

[matti]

In my partial days I had 15L of chilled water to top up my concentrated boils.
I use to put the 19L pot into a bucket of ice. it still had about 15 liter of hot wort left in there.
After the wort cooled to about 60 degrees I proceeded to syphoning the hot wort into a fermenter sitting in a bucket of ice or similar and splash the buggery when I added the chilled water until I reached desired OG.

HSA aeration is not likely to happen in these circumstances.
psss HSA is a myth in HOmebrewing

 

[rich_lamb]

Hi Manticle.
I'm more concerned about the loss of your avatar than HSA.
At various stages in my brewing past I used to strain hot wort though a common kitchen strainer - absolutely the best way to aerate it - yet I have never managed to oxidise a beer. I'm with the consensus on this; I think somebody just found a reason to worry which is pretty common in this field

BUT, your cooling regime provides you a couple of options which might have other positive effects on your beer, or effort:

Like if you wait for the wort to cool to about 60 you can take maximum advantage of natural cooling, since the temp difference to ambient is high, then chuck in your cold water and be right on or below pitching temp. This allows you to have a nice controlled start to fermentation (I find it's easier to control ferment temp when approaching from below).

Or if you chuck you cold water in at the start you knock down the temperature REALLY quick initially, which gets rid of any ongoing DMS production (a minor concern) and gives you maximum cold break for possibly cleaner and more stable beer. Nothing major but possibly useful tweaks.