Oxygen Options In Australia?

[mobrien]

Hi all,

I've just been reading (and listening to TBN) about wort aeration and I'm convinced enough to give it a try. Does anyone know where you can easily (and preferably cheaply) get O2 cylinders in Au?

M

 

[mobrien]

I should add, I do see craftbrewer has the airstone, inline flter, tubing etc... along with a suitable air pump. What I'm specifically asking about is the small O2 cylinders that are available in the US - I think they are disposable or like the sodastream, swap and go..... Do we have anything like that, or as usual are the options much more limited?

M

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

In theory you would need medical grade Oxygen

Not hard to get, but is the cost ( Rental, re-fill, gauges etc ) going to be worth it...?

Depends how rich you are

 

[mobrien]

Thats just it $$ are the issue! - the craftbrewer system looks good - however, I like the idea of oxygen - it seems its fairly cheap in the US.. but I suspect that it just won't be fiscally viable over here...

M

 

[Jye]

Im pretty sure your talking about the Bernzomatic oxygen cylinders and no you can not get them here :angry: Bunnings stock the MAPP gas and propane but I have never asked if they can get the oxygen ones.

I was at the RBH last year doing some work and found a 95% O2 5%co2 cylinder the same as Bernzomatic which they use for calibration of instrumentation, but it only contained about 10g (I think the bernzomatic are 330g). I grabbed an empty one so I could chase up the supply but never did.

 

[mobrien]

yeah - I think thats the one Jye. Just found you can get it from these guys (well you could in 2006):
http://www.heatcraft.com.au/priceguide/PriceGuide.pdf

They have a local Brisbane office - might try them

If they are able to be got, i could see the point in picking up the O2 kit from morebeer while i'm in the states....

M

 

[kirem]

I use the craftbrewer system on my yeast cultures. This one is a wyeast 3787.
View attachment 13233

 

[JSB]

Yep Craftbrewer set up here too !! works a treat......

Cheers
JSB

 

[Jye]

yeah - I think thats the one Jye. Just found you can get it from these guys (well you could in 2006):
http://www.heatcraft.com.au/priceguide/PriceGuide.pdf

They have a local Brisbane office - might try them

If they are able to be got, i could see the point in picking up the O2 kit from morebeer while i'm in the states....

M

If we can get the cylinders I know a friendly sponsor who could possible get the O2 kit imported

 

[mobrien]

If we can get the cylinders I know a friendly sponsor who could possible get the O2 kit imported

Well there is also that too! Wonder if anyone is reading this

I'm over there for the next month - daresay I'll have to buy some stuff while I am there - how could I help myself?!

M

 

[bonj]

I read on some US forum from some guy that had done a stack of brewing courses in USA and Germany, that said that it is very easy to over oxygenate with a cylinder, and that it is pretty much impossible with air. He reckoned that the airstone with aquarium pump is the best option. Can't find it now, so I can't back any of it up. Anyone else have the link?

 

[mobrien]

I read on some US forum from some guy that had done a stack of brewing courses in USA and Germany, that said that it is very easy to over oxygenate with a cylinder, and that it is pretty much impossible with air. He reckoned that the airstone with aquarium pump is the best option. Can't find it now, so I can't back any of it up. Anyone else have the link?

I've also read that (can't find it either) - and that you can't stuff it with an airstone and aquarium pump.

BUT... if you do the cylinder right, you have less lid open time, and decreased chance of bubbling "other stuff" through the beer... thats my reason for looking at the cylinder.

M

 

[bonj]

Makes sense.

 

[Jye]

Dave Logsdon Of Wyeast gave a presentation here last year which showed that there is no difference between using a pump with air stone compared to shaking.

The whole presentation can be found at the BJCP under 'Copies of presentations on: Yeast', and is well worth a look.

 

[mobrien]

Dave Logsdon Of Wyeast gave a presentation here last year which showed that there is no difference between using a pump with air stone compared to shaking.

The whole presentation can be found at the BJCP under 'Copies of presentations on: Yeast', and is well worth a look.

View attachment 13242

Nice! Some more things to read!

Thanks!

M

 

[mobrien]

Ok - thats very very cool. Even a picture of the Bernzomatic cylinder as the "best" option!

What really impresses me is you could pretty much specifiy the ppm oxygen in the wort by using the time/conc graph in the presentation, so could set up the wort exactly for the yeast and flavour profile you are after.

So, gotta find the bernzomatic cylinders now - will phone around Monday morning.

M

 

[mobrien]

and I meant to add, according to the Equipment show on the brewing network, a cylinder does 10 or so brews.... thats $4 a brew if the cylinder is $40. That almost seems worth it to me.

 

[sam]

I haven't looked at this in a little while, but as far as I know the easiest source of O2 in Aus is oxygen cylinders from Air Liquide or other gas providers. I still don't think there is any difference between medical grade and industrial grade oxygen apart from the cylinder itself, but happy to be corrected.

I don't think you can get those little tacker bottles in Australia. A big bottle (9kg) cost about ~$120 +yearly rental. But who knows with the recent CO2 price rises I've been hearing about back home. And you need a specific regulator which is about another $150 or so. So it is an expensive exercise.

I use an aquarium pump now, and am happy with it. I used to use oxygen when I access to it, and was happy with that too.

With your concerns about lid open time, I don't think its a problem if your using an aquarium pump with the lid on with a gap for the tube. The positive pressure from the pump should stop anything getting in, and you could cover the small gap with some gladwrap or similar?

And the other stuff that's bubbling through along with the oxygen from the aquarium pump; nitrogen, shouldn't be a problem, inert in beer?; argon, inert; co2, no probs there. So I don't see any issues with that. Use an inline filter and it should be fine.

Anyway, good luck with your search for oxygen bottles. It is cool. I enjoyed using pure O2, and would again, except it's freakin' expensive using the big bottles.

sam

 

[Trent]

I have been using O2 and a 0.5 micron airstone, though I was overdoing it for a while, and alot of my beers exhibited bad oxidation notes after a few months (about 4-6 weeks for my APA's). I was using 4-5 mins at about 2L/min, I managed to get a regulator from a friend of mine. The O2 cost $35 for a D size cylinder (will last you YEARS), and $9.10 per month. I have been speaking with a friend in a pro brewery who advocates "air for the home brewery, O2 for the pro brewery", especially after I suffered a series of stuck and slow ferments.
If you wanna go down the O2 road, see if you know anyone in the medical industry, I believe alot of them use O2 reg's for patients, and you may even be able to get an old one off them. Dont know the legal ramifications of that, though, but it cannot hurt to ask (I assume they have to update them every so often?). I get my O2 through BOC, though I have to admit, I have found no real advantage over using my electric whisk to stir the hell outta the wort. That leaves the lid completely off for a few minutes, but as long as you have good yeast, you will find that you should not get a long lag time, nor an infection.
IF you wanna go the O2 cylinder route here (the cheapest option if ya can get a reg), they arent too keen on giving out O2 cylinders without a doctors prescription. Tell em it is for beer, and they will push you towards CO2. Then tell em it is actually O2 you need, for wort aeration so the yeast can take in the oxygen to start the uptake of lipids and sterols to reproduce and give a healthy, clean fermentation. They will then probably give you a blank look (they did to me) and then say "oh...OK", and you will have your O2. They just like to know you arent going to make bombs with it or something.
All the best
Trent

 

[mobrien]

OK - found a supplier in Bris for the bernzomatic cylinders $32.20 each in quantity lots. Should I organise a brissy bulk buy (or [palm it off to craftbrewer?!)

M