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Author Topic: Over-oxygenating?  (Read 4736 times)

Offline Statsmats

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Over-oxygenating?
« on: November 30, 2014, 09:11:02 pm »
Can you "over-oxygenate" the batch at pitching time. I ask this because I used pure O for the first time while brewing my last two batches (30 seconds at 5L/min flow) and put into the 7 gal. bucket primaries.

Just an hour ago, the airlock filled up and plugged...and I felt the need to put a blow off tube onto the primary. I put on on the other batch in case the cause was the oxygen...btw...the hyperactive primary is a wheat beer with an OG of 1.040.

Is this normal for an oxy-aerated beer?

>> fixed typo on rate
« Last Edit: November 30, 2014, 09:39:35 pm by Statsmats »

Offline JT

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2014, 09:16:48 pm »
Unless you made a typo, that's a ton of oxygen.  I go 1 liter per minute for 30 to 60 seconds.

Offline Stevie

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #2 on: November 30, 2014, 09:18:13 pm »
What yeast? Hefeweizen yeast are known for going nuts.

You can over oxygenate. I don't use pure O2, so I can't speak to the amount you used.

Offline Statsmats

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2014, 09:34:38 pm »
Unless you made a typo, that's a ton of oxygen.  I go 1 liter per minute for 30 to 60 seconds.

Yes...that's a typo...thanks!  5 L per min. But still sounds like a bit much so I'll back down a bit on the next batch...thanks!

Offline Statsmats

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #4 on: November 30, 2014, 09:38:31 pm »
What yeast? Hefeweizen yeast are known for going nuts.

Yes...using Weihenstephan Weizen Wyeast 3068. This is my first wheat beer (making a Raspberry for my wife) so not quite used to all the action.

Thanks!

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #5 on: November 30, 2014, 09:40:05 pm »
I hear it can be done. I use a morebeer o2 valve with a red tank. I turn it on till it starts bubbling and then move it around the bottom till there's an inch or so of foam. Pretty scientific. Never had a too much O2 issue.

Offline Statsmats

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #6 on: November 30, 2014, 10:03:30 pm »
I have a larger oxygen tank (679 L) with a flow regulator, medical grade tubing...then went up pet smart and bought a 3" aquarium stone. Soaked the stone in starsan for an hour and let'er rip...seems like the process works so maybe need to reduce the flow just a bit. ;D

Offline klickitat jim

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #7 on: November 30, 2014, 10:14:28 pm »
I think one liter per minute for about 60 sec on little beers 90 on big ought to do it. I saw a chart someone did on how rapidly wort reaches saturation. It showed that with pure O2 it happens way quick. Beyond that you're not doing much.

I wish someone with a chem and yeast background and the instruments would put this to rest. It seems to me that yeast are going to uptake whatever is max soluble. Then they start making beer. I hear people who over oxygenated got fusel alcohol. Maybe, but what were their temps?

I look at it this way. Lots of folks make great beer just shake aerating. So a little O2 is all you need.

Offline JT

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2014, 04:48:26 am »

Offline 69franx

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #9 on: December 01, 2014, 05:28:27 am »
There are a lot of posts talking about boiling your stone, rather than star san, as it can clog the stone's pores. Doesn't help with your question just a little pointer
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Offline arustyt

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #10 on: December 01, 2014, 06:32:07 am »


You can over oxygenate.

Is it really true that you can over oxygenate? O2 is not very soluble in water, much less so than CO2. If it is possible what are the ill effects? If not, it just seems like a lot of wasted O2.
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Offline majorvices

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #11 on: December 01, 2014, 06:48:13 am »


You can over oxygenate.

Is it really true that you can over oxygenate? O2 is not very soluble in water, much less so than CO2. If it is possible what are the ill effects? If not, it just seems like a lot of wasted O2.

It is possible but it is really very hard to do it unless you have a very small volume like a starter. You would have to have the wort very cold for one thing. And you'd have to have a very good diffusion stone and go very, very slow. Most homebrewers go way too fast when they use pure 02 and are probably getting a lot less oxygenation than they think. For a 5 gallon batch I go 60 seconds for ales and 2 minutes for lagers  out of my diffusion stone and it seems to do the trick.

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #12 on: December 01, 2014, 06:54:17 am »
Were there a lot of bubbles coming to the top of the wort? If there were the O2 was not fully getting into the wort, you did end up with O2 in the headspace.

As other have said, I do 1 liter/min. for a 5 gallon beer.
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Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #13 on: December 01, 2014, 01:14:15 pm »
Most homebrewers go way too fast when they use pure 02 and are probably getting a lot less oxygenation than they think.

This.  At 5L/minute I'm guessing most of the O2 just bubbled through the wort and out.  I set my regulator almost as low as I can get it without it shutting off.
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Offline bboy9000

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Over-oxygenating?
« Reply #14 on: December 01, 2014, 02:39:57 pm »
http://www.brewangels.com/Beerformation/AerationMethods.pdf

I've posted this before but it's interesting.  As you all will see there were some limitations to the experiment and it didn't test using pure oxygen, but makes me question whether I even want to buy O2 aeration equipment, something I've been strongly considering lately.

Edit:  it does mention over oxygenation is bad but doesn't indicate what that level of oxygen saturation is.
« Last Edit: December 01, 2014, 02:41:31 pm by bboy9000 »
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