New to Aeration -- Stupid Question?

[mudhut]

I just got a new aeration setup with a 2m ss stone, medical filter, and aquarium pump. I'm using it to get my starter going. Should I be seeing bubbles/see it working? Or is the stone clogged?

Thanks!

[rhino777]

If you sink it down toward the bottom of your carboy you won't see much for bubbles. If you want to make sure it's working, pull it up until the stone is right on the surface of the wort and you should see bubbles within several seconds.

[BeerPal]

1.- Don't touch the stone with your fingers. Oil from your skin can clog it.
2.- I once had a brand new aqaurium pump that was defective and didn't have enough "umph" to push air through the stone.

[Bugeater]

If your stone appears to be clogged and you are getting air from the pump, try boiling the stone for 5 minutes or so. That will remove any oils that may be clogging it and also sanitize it better than any of your liquid sanitizers.

Wayne

[mudhut]

I don't believe the stone is clogged. I've only handled it with a glove.

Just in case, I boiled it for 15 min, then ran some CO2 through it from my kegging system just to make sure, got lots of bubbles, it cleared the water out of the stone like nothing--lots of fizzing. Then I attached the stone to my pump, and I tied a small plastic baggie on the end to test if any air was coming out--it worked the baggie inflated. So I dipped it and the tubbing back into the sanizer, then put it in my wort. I leave it for a while, but I don't see any bubbles or movement around the stone, I watched it carefully. Pulled it out an tested again with the plastic baggie and get nothing, it cannot inflate it. I repeated the experiment using co2 and just water, no sanitizer or wort. I get nothing. I'm inclined to believe at this point that beerpal might be correct, that the pump is defective, or the pump is underpowered.

I looked at the website of the company I bought the pump kit from, their pump says "Whisper 40", but I got the Wisper 10 gal pump, and I do live at 5000ft, which would make the pump less effective.

A frustrating experience when you are in the middle of a brew session. I hate having to shake my 6.5 gal glass fermenter, nearly broke it this morning just before pitching my yeast starter.

[BadRock]

I've got this system from More Beer and it works great at a mile high. Sounds to me like your pump is undersized. Probably time to step up to the big boy.



http://morebeer.com/view_product/16607/102281/Aeration_System

[mudhut]

BadRock: what size is your pump? It should be listed as "Whisper ##" on the underside. Its not listed on the morebeer site. I bought the same system from the other guy. I'm thinking they sent me the wrong size or are misrepresenting what they sell.

Thanks!

[BadRock]

Huh!? It's a Whisper 10. I guess in that case it's either defective or you have another problem.

When you put your finger over the discharge port of the pump does it build pressure?

Could your sanitary filter have gotten wet?

Is your filter installed in the wrong direction, don't know that it would matter but...

Only ideas I got!