Oxygenating your wort

[mookow]

Just a couple questions I want to throw out there:
-if you use a more elaborate/effective method than "splash your wort on the way into the carboy and then shake it up", what do you do? Oxygen stone, filtered air via a pump, etc?
-how much does the tank usually cost for this setup? If you happen to use it, how well does it seem to oxygenate your wort?
-if I wanted something more effective than the above system, what would I need to use?

I'm concerned my current method of aerating my wort isnt giving me enough dissolved oxygen, and I'm about to make a couple big beers (a weizenbock + an IIPA), and so having enough dissolved oxygen is going to be both more important and more difficult due to the higher gravity of the wort.

[Spicoli]

I use that same set up you posted and have great luck with it. You can purchase the oxygen from Home Depot for around $5.00 if I remember correctly. It is the red tank. I give my wort a shot for a least 1 minute and more for bigger beers. I also shoot some more a few hours after the yeast has been pitched. Seems to make the yeast kick into high gear.Bernzomatic

[Spicoli]

Oh yah buy 2 at a time. You never know when you are low on gas and it sucks to run out when you need it. You can't feel any liquid inside or any weight.

[Bilbo Beergins]

You can buy an oxygen extractor on Ebay, oxygenate your brew, and oxygenate yourself while you wait. I got one just for shits and giggles before I started brewing, and it's really coming in handy. And pure O2, although not a "buzz", is just a great feeling. It does to your brain what it does to the yeast. In fact, you can become one with the yeast if you huff enough. Now, take a deep, cleansing breath and begin.

[bruin_ale]

I've been thinking of going the route of that system, but for now - here's what I've been doing.
I have a 2-3 inch piece of racking cane that I poked holes in with a hot paperclip. I insert that on the end of the hose as I drain the wort from my kettle and into the carboys. The holes in the tube suck air bubbles into the wort as it passes through. It uses the same principle as the wort wizard, but for a different purpose. Anyhow, my carboys are always overflowing with foam and the fermentations are vigorous and well attenuative, so I think it works well. Of course, the sanitation of the tube is of utmost concern, so I make sure to keep it clean as can be and sanitize before and after using.

[HogieWan]

I use the WortWizard to transfer to my fermenter. It does a great job aerating.

[Mad Scientist]

I use a aquarium pump, hepa filter and beer stone. You have to let it go for quite a while for big beers, but it works great. I would wager that it is not much different than a set up using aO2 tank, only that you do not have to invest in tanks repeatedly. The set up is usually aobut the price as one that uses a tank.

[corkybstewart]

I've never used oxygen and have never seen the need for it. A truly vigorous boil will oxygenate your wort with no effort on your part. Also use at least a 1 liter starter for 5 gallons. I've never had any problems, even with my one "really " big beer at about 1.094. Most of the time my beer is visibly fermenting in less than 6 hours, and I use a blow-off tube because of the vigorous fermentation.

[bruin_ale]

The boil actually depletes your wort of oxygen, no matter how vigorous. The reason is that the higher the temperature of a liquid, the less gas it can hold. So if you've been counting on a vigorous boil to oxygenate your wort, you should think again.
And in fact, I'll take it a step further.. if you were somehow oxygenating your wort during the boil, that would be very bad since it would be HSA (hot side aeration) which can make the beer go stale and have off-flavors.

That said, I've done more than a few batches without oxygenating and plenty with and not really noticed that much of a difference. I'd like to hear someone else's comments on their experiences. I feel better about myself if I get tons of oxygen in the wort, but I don't know that I've noticed a difference in the final product at all.

[corkybstewart]

I sit corrected.
But I still think adding oxygen is a useless step if you do everything else right.

[Mad Scientist]

oxygen allows the yeast to continue to reproduce (they need it to create cell walls), once they deplete the oxygen supply in the wort, they go from aerobic cycles (cell division) to anaerobic cycles (fermentation). I guess in theory, you do not have to aerate if you pitch a good starter or a good slurry, but the more yeast you have, the faster it ferments, so why not give the wort a huge shot of oxygen or aerate the hell out of it, and get it to ferment faster.

That info condsidered, do you aerate if you are pitching on top of a yeast cake in a frshly emptyed primary?

[corkybstewart]

One of my main concerns is sanitation. Introducing another object that can possibly contaminate my wort is against my principles. I've probably brewed between 75 & 100 batches of beer and I've never had a slow fermentation. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

[HogieWan]

You have to be careful with pure oxygen. Too much can actually kill yeast

[mookow]

Originally posted by corkybstewart
One of my main concerns is sanitation. Introducing another object that can possibly contaminate my wort is against my principles. I've probably brewed between 75 & 100 batches of beer and I've never had a slow fermentation. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

I havent had a slow fermentation yet, but I have had a very slow carbonation with my highest ABV beer (9.5%), and recently I've had a couple beers with excessive diacetyl at bottling time (which is likely due more to temperature than anything else).

[corkybstewart]

I also have a 10 gallon batch with bad diacetyl flavor. Once before I let a similar keg lager over a year(actually I forgot it in the back of the fridge) and it turned out pretty damn good. But I don't know if that would help bottled beer. I probably wouldn't have the patience to see. Oxygenation at bottling would obviously do more harm than good.