How Do You Aerate Your Wort? (Poll)

Northern Brewer General
1

Hey guys,

I’m getting ready to move up to 5 gal. batches, so I’ve been looking at different aeration methods. What’s your preferred method?

Edit: Added “Wort” to differentiate between wort and starters.
-Vaughn

2

Aeration stone connected to an O2 tank. I use it on starters and also in the primary right before I pitch.

3

+1. Same here.

4

I shake, swirl, and shake for about three minutes.

5

I just open the valve of my brew kettle and let the wort splash into the fermenter. I never have problem with attenuation whether ale or lager.

6

Oxy with the Williams set up.

7

O2 with Williams stone/rod for about 50 seconds just prior to pitching. I boil and sanitized the stone prior.

8

I just listened to a Basic Brewing Radio podcast from 2005. In an interview, one of the Wyeast guys said that the O2 tank and diffusion stone works best (~1 minute of gentle bubbling,) and vigorous shaking (4-5 minute) actually comes in second. He said the aquarium pump was not great.

NBs O2 regulator is a bit expensive, but it should last forever. O2 tanks are $10 at Lowes and Home Despot. The tanks last a long time; I actually lost count, but it’s at least a dozen uses.

9

I pour through a strainer into the bucket and shake it for a few minutes.

10

+1 for my primary. I use a stir plate for starters, no oxygen added.

11

This is what I do to, but I am also letting it splash through a strainer between the kettle’s spigot and the fermentation bucket. I can’t back it up, but it seems like there’d be a lot more oxygenation going on here than I could force by sloshing around the full bucket.

12

this is missing the most important facto on it depends on what you are making.

13

I added “wort” to differentiate between wort and starters.
:cheers:

14

I added “wort” to differentiate between wort and starters.
:cheers: [/quote]

gravity is what is missing…I may shake some small beers, huge beers are getting oxygen and probably at a couple different times.

15

I use a Mixstir. I tried O2 but found the Mixstir equally effective, as well as cheaper and easier.

16

Mixstir on my good ol’ Milwaukee drill. I like playing with power tools.

17

I’ll bet there is at least a couple of guys who pump directly from brew pot to a conical. I’d like to hear how they do it. Either injecting the oxy directly into the line or simply (and probably better) allowing air in the line with a very small hole?

18

Do you not use a stir plate for starters?

19

I have a conical. After my wort is cooled, I ( with help ) move my kettle from burner to counter just above conical. Open valve and let wort drain into conical. Then I use pure O2 with stone to oxygenate in conical. Pitch yeast, place lid on, role conical to bathroom/brewlab. All sterile of course.
I brew in backyard but ferment in bathroom. Pain in the ass but conical has wheels. I don’t think a pump would be strong enough to pump it all that way.

20

I picked up the carboy, held it on it’s side while covering the opening with plastic wrap and my hand and shook the crap out of it. Worked very well but the next day my back let me know that I am not a young man anymore.