[denny]

Man I can't believe you guys are stirring to aerate... Use a venturi tube it's simple and you get to let physics do all the work for you.  You just need to stick a T in your current line you run from your kettle (or after the plate/counterflow chiller) and stick a sanitary air filter on the part of the T that sticks out.  Done.

Dan, I've tried that.  The MixStir is much more effective.

[dkfick]

The main reason I stopped mixing of splashing etc was because your are indeed aerating the wort... but you're also putting whatever is in that air INTO your wort (and probably a good deal of what is on your arm?)  Maybe not a huge concern (I never had an infected batch from it or anyting) but I do reuse yeast pretty often... Anytime I can increase sanitation without more effort I'm happy.

[denny]

Funny. I went from the pump and stone to the mix stir. I was tired of cleaning the stone and tubing. I rinse the mix stir after use and clean and sanitize before use.

As far as the head retention, haven't noticed a difference. I figure that would also cause issues when using the shake carb method. Ehh. I am pretty sure Denny uses, or at one time used, the mix stir method. A buddy of mine has been using on or 5+ years.

Still a MixStir user and advocate.  I stopped using the O2 setup for the same reasons as you, combined with the fact that I got equivalent results with the MixStir.

[kramerog]

I saw a study indicating that an aquarium pump wasn't that effective and that shaking the carboy (or bucket) to create a vortex for 40 seconds worked.  Now I shake the carboy.  I have always racked the wort so that it trickles down the side of the carboy (or bucket) to get some aeration there too.  I usually use a mix stir while wort chilling to get faster cooling and a little aeration.

[morticaixavier]

Yes you would not want to aerate your wort at 80-90F that's for sure.  If I couldn't cool below that I would be using a pre chiller... I didn't say it's easier because it uses physics... I said it was easier because the physics does all the work for you (vs you having to expend energy whipping the hell out of it ;-))

Just messin. If I could I would totally use a venturi. pretty sure that's what leos uses, or did. at some point I will build a prechiller but I am cheap and lazy, or at least when it comes down to it I always spend my limited brewing dollars on ingredients.

[dkfick]

Man I can't believe you guys are stirring to aerate... Use a venturi tube it's simple and you get to let physics do all the work for you.  You just need to stick a T in your current line you run from your kettle (or after the plate/counterflow chiller) and stick a sanitary air filter on the part of the T that sticks out.  Done.

Dan, I've tried that.  The MixStir is much more effective.

Hmm not sure what you may have been doing wrong then... I often would have to 'plug' it towards the end due to foam overflowing from the fermenter lol.  Perhaps the T you were using didn't reduce the diameter of the tubing enough... The more you narrow that the harder it will 'suck'.

[denny]

The main reason I stopped mixing of splashing etc was because your are indeed aerating the wort... but you're also putting whatever is in that air INTO your wort (and probably a good deal of what is on your arm?)  Maybe not a huge concern (I never had an infected batch from it or anyting) but I do reuse yeast pretty often... Anytime I can increase sanitation without more effort I'm happy.

If I had problems I'd stop doing it.  But I've used the MixStir hundreds of times without problems.  For me, the low cost, effectiveness and ease of use outweigh concern about things that haven't happened.

[dkfick]

Yes you would not want to aerate your wort at 80-90F that's for sure.  If I couldn't cool below that I would be using a pre chiller... I didn't say it's easier because it uses physics... I said it was easier because the physics does all the work for you (vs you having to expend energy whipping the hell out of it ;-))

Just messin. If I could I would totally use a venturi. pretty sure that's what leos uses, or did. at some point I will build a prechiller but I am cheap and lazy, or at least when it comes down to it I always spend my limited brewing dollars on ingredients.

For sure... I have my old immersion chiller that I say I will use for a prechiller if needed... but I never actually use it for that with my plate chiller... Even though right now my water is like 68F... and I can't fully chill...Laziness is always a factor ;-)

[Stevie]

I spent $60 on the copper and parts for a pre-chiller. I will never see that money again. It saves me time and saves everybody water. I guess the 20-30 minutes it saves per brewday is worth a lot.

[dkfick]

I spent $60 on the copper and parts for a pre-chiller. I will never see that money again. It saves me time and saves everybody water. I guess the 20-30 minutes it saves per brewday is worth a lot.

For sure... My main issue with the pre-chiller is always Ice... I don't have an ice maker so I would have to go buy Ice every brew day in the summer... I'm just too lazy/busy for that during the brew day.

[Stevie]

I spent $60 on the copper and parts for a pre-chiller. I will never see that money again. It saves me time and saves everybody water. I guess the 20-30 minutes it saves per brewday is worth a lot.

For sure... My main issue with the pre-chiller is always Ice... I don't have an ice maker so I would have to go buy Ice every brew day in the summer... I'm just too lazy/busy for that during the brew day.

Didn't even think about ice. I get 20lbs for $2 at a local self serve ice shack. I also by my RO there, though I might start buying it from the grocery store since they have the last service date listed on the machine.

[sbruening]

Wow, okay, this is a crap more information then I expected within only a few hours of making the post.  As of right now I've just been stirring the wort while in the kettle when the wort chiller is cooling it down.  I then pour the wort through a strainer into my fermenter, then pitch the yeast.  I think I might be wanting to pay more attention to aerating and looking into some of these methods.

Thanks

[morticaixavier]

Wow, okay, this is a crap more information then I expected within only a few hours of making the post.  As of right now I've just been stirring the wort while in the kettle when the wort chiller is cooling it down.  I then pour the wort through a strainer into my fermenter, then pitch the yeast.  I think I might be wanting to pay more attention to aerating and looking into some of these methods.

Thanks

we like to help

[theDarkSide]

Wow, okay, this is a crap more information then I expected within only a few hours of making the post.  As of right now I've just been stirring the wort while in the kettle when the wort chiller is cooling it down.  I then pour the wort through a strainer into my fermenter, then pitch the yeast.  I think I might be wanting to pay more attention to aerating and looking into some of these methods.

Thanks

It's like you thought we had anything better to do, huh?

To follow up on what others have said about getting the wort down, I use my immersion chiller until it's under at least 90, then transfer to the carboy and stick it in my fermentation chamber until it is pitching temp.  Then I aerate and pitch.

[kylekohlmorgen]

I went on craigslist and got a medical oxygen bottle on a roller stand with an awesome adjustable regulator.
The little number 1 on the left indicates the flow rate which in this setting is 1 liter of O2 per minute!  It can't get any easier.  This tank will last me for years and then is only $15 to exchange.  No more messing around with those little red cans and the horrible regulator that I've been using on it.

Then I use a .05 micron stone on the end of a stainless tube - easy to clean and easy to put where I want it.

http://i787.photobucket.com/albums/yy153/yso191/1E895EE5-5E8E-4261-9F5D-965856561DA8-1533-000000F52BF3B04A_zps3aa4d5ec.jpg

THIS. IS. FREAKIN. SWEET.