I’m considering upgrading from the “splash and stir” method of getting a little oxygen into my cooled wort before pitching yeast and I wondered what this group thought about the merits of oxygenation (i.e. pure oxygen from a tank) v.s. aeration (air pumped with an aquarium pump).
My current, low tech method (splash and stir) is producing what I consider good beer. But there’s always room for improvement!
Clearly oxygenation would be quicker and provide more oxygen. But it’s going to cost more and require trips to a supplier (for refilled tanks of oxygen). What are you folks doing?
I can only offer anecdotal evidence, but it seems like my MixStir aerates my beers as well as my friends who use O2. At least the results are pretty much comparable.
By “MixStir” you mean the same thing as I do when I refer to “splash and stir,” right? I just ask because there are lot’s of techniques and equipments that I haven’t heard of…
A MixStir is a long rod with paddles on the end. You attach it to a drill and put the paddle end in the wort. when you run the drill, it spins around and aerates the wort.
Ditto, shaking the bejeebus out of it for 5 minutes is adequate. I oxygenate in-line after the chiller on the way to the fermenter. No shaking necessary.
I got an oxygen stone that feeds from a small tank from Lowes and Home Depot - the whole setup when you factor in the tank will cost you between $40 and $60. It’s pretty nice, but you need to be careful that you don’t add too much O2. To be truthful…once my last tank ran out, I have not used the O2 stone for about a year…but they are really convenient, esp. for big beers.
I think 30 seconds on a normal beer, and a minute on a big beer will give you the results you need without over-oxygenating.
Hey, thanks folks! I did not know the name “MixStir,” but I’m definately familiar with those things. (I’ve used them with paint.) I’m going to pick up a clean one and give it a try.