Experimental Brewing podcast Episode 13

General Homebrew Discussion
1

Episode 13 is up! Episode 13 – Olive Oil and Black Man | Experimental Brewing

Another episode and this time we’re here with Olive Oil "aeration"results!

In the pub, we talk our “plans” for Homebrew Con in Baltimore in June - a live Q&A, a Troubleshooters Corner, Book Signings and more! We talk some gluten free barley, a new name for an old country and why some trademark fights make us sad.

A new room is added to the house as we sit down in the library to discuss the imminent release of Homebrew All-Stars!

Then to the lab where Marshall joins the guys as they discuss the IGOR’s results of their Olive Oil vs. No Aeration efforts. Can you use Olive Oil to cheaply replace aeration?

We go to Dallas where Drew talks with Barrett Tillman of both Black Man Yeast and Deep Ellum Brewing Company about his experiences as a brewer, his love of all things sour and funky and why he decided to start a mini-yeast company.

After that, we’re off to the books as we try and answer more listener questions.

Drew adds a quick tip about immersion circulators and brewing

Lastly, the guys hit the kitchen as Denny offers some sourdough advice and Drew deals with a bunch of nut sacks.

2

Hey Denny wasn’t sure if you’re aware or maybe it’s my phone.  The podcast on the iPhone app has only up to the 10th episode. If you guys are up to 13 now something off with the upload…

3

The podcasts app on my iPhone is on episode 13. You may need to mark previous episodes as played so it will load the new ones.

4

Maybe I’ve missed something here on the forums, but I was quite surprised to hear the “no aeration at all” method come up as not having any adverse effect on the beer.  This occurs in the podcast after the test results.
I currently use a stone and direct o2, but wouldn’t mind at all skipping that step if it simply isn’t doing me any good.  Any one else skip aeration?

5

I’ve listened to all of them and they mark played automatically so not sure.  I have to manually go into searching to download.  I’m not surprised though with all these Apple updates something always is screwed up

6

We had some problems with the feed into itunes over the last few weeks. Try resubscribing

7

Or try Stitcher. The native podcast app has always been lacking. The current iteration is stable, so that’s nice.

8

Do commercial breweries aerate their wort? If yes, how? I have never seen this during any brewery tour.

9

I believe they usually sparge oxygen inline as the cooled wort travels to the fermenter.

10

Yep. Maybe another case of what commercial brewers do not being applicable to homebrewers.

11

I was only partially surprised. Remember, the purpose of O2 is to aid in yeast cell growth.  Maybe if you pitch enough healthy yeast kn the first place, the reduced need for cell growth makes this possible.

12

I don’t skip aeration altogether, but I quit buying O2 a few years back in favor of using a mix stir. I definitely don’t notice any change in beer quality whatsoever. I just found using and buying new O2 a cumbersome part of the process and don’t miss it at all.

13

I went from nothing to to tank and stone to a MixStir and now back to nothing.  However, since I pump my wort to the fermenter it does get some aeration that way.

14

There’s an old study that measured DO and found that just transferring wort to carboy hit same levels as air injection (8ppm IIRC).  I think the pros need to do it since there system is so well designed and those that use o2 injection only do it for ease of use compared to sterile air filtration.  I don’t aerate and I have access to free o2…

15

I pump as well.  Was considering putting some sort of nozzle on the end of my hose to create more of a shower effect than a solid stream while pumping into the fermenter.
Any beers you still aerate?  Lagers?  High gravity?

16

I remember a study in which 4 ppm was achieved merely by transferring the wort to a small fermenter.

17

Yeah I don’t like boiling the stone, sanitizing the wand, all that junk.  If I can get the same results by simply pumping into my fermenter, that would be more time saved and less to clean.

18

I honestly can’t recall the last time I did.  I don’t brew many high gravity beers any more, but it does include lagers.  AAMOF, I just made a great lager with 1/2 can of 5 month old Imperial Organic lager yeast, with no starter.

19

Denny - you don’t aerate or use a starter?

20

Never do discreet aeration any more…just pump to the fermenter.  I do make starters most of the time, but the Imperial yeast is meant to be directly pitchable.  Because I’m a yeast abuser, I push that.  Usually, for smack packs, I’ll do a “shaken not stirred” starter.  Haven’t used my stir plate in over a year.