Aren’t attenuation and FG two measures of the same thing?
But I think the answer is yes, no, maybe - because wort aeration is just part of overall yeast health which includes healthy cells, pitch rate, fermentation temperature, and aeration. Together, yeast health will affect attenuation, lag time, fermentation flavors and off-flavors, head retention, and more. You can’t really decouple one outcome and link it to one cause.
Also, I’d guess that pitch rate and cell health can hide aeration problems.
I think its not quite as easy as picking one or the other. Like asking if 4 is a good indication that the problem was 2 plus 2. It could have been 1 plus 3, or 2 x 2, or 100 minus 96, but if the goal was 4 and you got 4 I would keep doing what you did.
It would be a pretty easy experiment to set up. Split a batch into two fermenters, pitch the same amount of yeast, aerate one but not the other. Keep notes on fermentation and finished product. Report back to the group.
Lag time is significantly affected by pitch temp and pitch volume, and presumably yeast strain. I think attenuation and flavor are better indicators than lag time.
And For The Record and For What It’s Worth (FTR & FWIW), I’m with Denny and Jim on this one. Do whatever works.
In the end, flavor is the only thing that matters. A brewer who makes up all his own rules and doesn’t use any of the majority rules of thumb, and can still manage to make excellent tasting beer, to me, is the friggin winner. It all comes down to flavor. If differences in process have zero flavor effects, then it is important to note that those differences are not, in fact, important.
I guess what prompted this post was an off flavor I get rather often. It’s kind of a sherry or vinous flavor… not too strong but tends to show up within a few weeks of aging. Interestingly enough, 2 things come up when I do a search… under pitching and under aerating. Currently I aerate with pure O2 at about 45 seconds @ 1 lpm for a 2.5 gallon batch. I try to pitch right on but it is a game of best guess. Which do you think is more likely to be an issue?
Well sherry I’ve always associated with oxidation after fermentation, but more of a long term aging oxidation. I’m not sure what would cause it to show up quickly. Your aeration procedure sounds fine though. I doubt that is the cause.