Oxygenation without a flowrate meter?? Anyone?

[LukeD23]

I am looking at buying the Oxygenation kit from Williams brewing. It basically hooks onto a disposable oxygen tank you can buy at a hardware store. Seems awesome.

But there is no way to measure flow rate into the wort.

Anyone have this set up and some advice on how long to run it for while oxygenating? If you do have this set up, do you open the regulater wide open when running it? Half way?

I listened to the Brew stong on wort aeration and am reading "yeast" so I realize how important it is not to over oxygenate the wort. Any help would be awesome!

[Quin]

I have that same set up. I'll turn it on so that it is making bubbles but not making the surface of the liquid jump( so just a little more than barely open). I aerate 2 min for 11 gal batches.

[LukeD23]

I have that same set up. I'll turn it on so that it is making bubbles but not making the surface of the liquid jump( so just a little more than barely open). I aerate 2 min for 11 gal batches.

Do you find your fermentations are quicker doing that? Are you getting an Fusel Alcohols? Is that with the valve wide open? Thanks for the info

[Fugglupagus]

I'll turn it on so that it is making bubbles but not making the surface of the liquid jump( so just a little more than barely open).

I do the same thing. I open the valve slowly until I hear gas leaving the tank and see bubbles, then adjust as necessary to make a gentle bubble stream. The instructions from Williams suggest 50 seconds of air time. I'm not bright enuf to do 50, so I do a minute for 5-5.5 gal of ales. I do 2 minutes for lagers. Having the valve wide open would make a crap ton of foam. I'd also guess holding her wide open would lead to inconsistent results.

Don't know if my ferments are any faster, but lag time from pitch to active fermentation is definately faster. I'm not noticing any fusels. I'd definately say my beer has improved since I started adding O2.

[brewinhard]

I usually base it on my beer's OG and whether or not it will be pitched cold (ie lager). For mid gravity beers 1.050 or so, I will aerate 60 sec. with a setup like that (not raging the surface with bubbles though). For higher OG's or cold pitched lagers I will go up to 90 sec to 2min.

Fusel alcohol production is also partly temperature based which is crucial during the early stages of fermentation. I prefer to think of the oxygenation of my wort as a way to help the yeast reach their goal of proper attenuation in a clean, fairly orderly fashion.

[HoozierDaddy]

I have that same set up. I'll turn it on so that it is making bubbles but not making the surface of the liquid jump( so just a little more than barely open). I aerate 2 min for 11 gal batches.

I also do this. I only do ales, and I hit a 5 gallon batch with O2 for a minute. No fusels that I can detect, and lag time is definately shorter. I am a fan of O2. Just wish I could get a wand instead of the stone dangling on the end of my hose. teehee.

[Quin]

Do you find your fermentations are quicker doing that? Are you getting an Fusel Alcohols? Is that with the valve wide open? Thanks for the info

Definitely quicker fermentation than no aeration. No fusel alcohols. The valve is just barely open.

[LukeD23]

Awesome guys! Thanks for all the replies....It seems the best thing to do is Oxygenate with just enough bubbles coming out of the O2 tank to slightly move the surface of the beer for appx. One minute. This seems like a great starting point. Thanks I'll give it a go