[klickitat jim]

I'm running out of improvements to do. SWMBO just bought a new freezer for the house, so I inherited a small chest that I'm using for conditioning, carbing, and lagering.

My next, and probably last for awhile, upgrade is O2.

I have the O2 bottles (little red ones) and have ordered the valve/regulator from B3. Won't be using a stone, just 1/4" ID tube. I'll probably oxygenate with the lid on my bucket FV to kind of hold the O2 in the headspace a bit.

1. How long do those little bottles last?

2. How much flow do you use and for how long? I was thinking two minutes with bubbles barely reaching surface, not a full open wild bubbling.

Thoughts?

[Joe Sr.]

I think without the stone the bubbles won't be fine enough and you'll burn through a lot of o2.

I want to say I get about 10 batches out of an o2 bottle but I've never counted. They last me awhile. But that's with a stone. I think the ones I have claim to be 20% larger so maybe that helps.


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[klickitat jim]

I haven't ruled out a stone. I was thinking that it would be easier on sanitation side.

[dkfick]

Yeah you'll want the stone for sure. Without it you're not going to get much oxygen dissolved into solution. Even if you could get enough dissolved you will not get many batches out of one of those little tanks without one.

[Stevie]

The stones are easy enough to care for. All you have to do is boil them. Don't make a mistake I have made twice now and forget about the pot on the stove.

[erockrph]

I only bother using my O2 setup for big beers, and only as an insurance policy as I haven't noticed any difference compared to my usual splash & shake method of aeration.

I run it full open until I start seeing bubbles, then I back down until the bubbles are just rippling the surface. I go for one second per gravity point (so a 1.090 beer gets 90 seconds, for example).

[klickitat jim]

Great idea! I also added a 2mic stainless stone to my order. May as well do it right.

I'll try the second/GU method to start.

[Pinski]

Great idea! I also added a 2mic stainless stone to my order. May as well do it right.

You'll be glad you did.

[majorvices]

You'll definitely need the stone. Check out Williams brewing. They have an 18" length stainless stone. Easier to sanitize (just stick in boil last 20 minutes) and you can move around during oxidation which kinda makes you feel like you are getting more saturation. If you do it right and just trickle it in you can make the red o2 bottle last several batches. Well worth it IMO. With shaking alone you are only getting 4-6 ppms o2 dissolved. With 02 pump you might get 6-8. But to get required 12-15 you need pure 02 (those #2 pulled from my a-- but it's close.

[klickitat jim]

(those #2 pulled from my a-- but it's close.

I see why it needs to be sanitized now.

I've got the bottles, the regulator and stone are on their way from B3

[majorvices]

Haha. Meant to say #s - as in "Numbers". I still recommend the stainless want from William's. I've had mine for over 10 years now. The fact that its a wand makes it so much better than the little stones.

[klickitat jim]

Right on. I'll keep it in mind for down the road.

[leejoreilly]

I'd recommend that you consider the version with the stone already mounted on a stainless wand. It can be problematic to keep the stone down near the bottom of the fermenter when it's on any sort of plastic hose; they tend to curl around rather than stay near the bottom. Failing the wand-mounted version, you can fabricate your own wand using the inside piece of an auto-siphon; just cut the hose a few inches above the stone and slide it onto the plastic "wand". You might need to warm the hose to get it to fit.

[Joe Sr.]

Haha. Meant to say #s - as in "Numbers". I still recommend the stainless want from William's. I've had mine for over 10 years now. The fact that its a wand makes it so much better than the little stones.

Definitely the wand is the way to go.

To be completely honest I'm not sure I've noticed an impact with pure o2. But maybe.


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[euge]

Hmmm. I recall Jamil saying a few years back that the difference between agitation and using pure o2 was negligible.