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Author Topic: Oxygenating wort with a wine whip?  (Read 4843 times)

Offline pete b

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Re: Oxygenating wort with a wine whip?
« Reply #15 on: November 29, 2017, 11:35:39 am »
Playing devils advocate here,

How are people sanitizing their drills?

So the spinning whip, mixstir, paint stirrer, what have you..  is spinning the wort. The swirling vortex then pulls air into the vessel from outside. And what is directly outside? The whirling ventilated fan/motor of a drill. Hurling God knows what into the air directly above the opening of the vessel.

And we pick at people who only soak their O2 wand in sanitizer...

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And then immediately pitching a big starter of healthy yeast which will outcompete everything.
If one were concerned, and I have done this too many times with no infections to be concerned, one could easily rig up a system with a whole in a bucket lid or through a bung in a carboy so air couldn't get in.
If anyone uses a mix stir with a carboy the bung is a good idea anyway so that the metal rod doesn't wack the glass.
Then you would agree, no need to go crazy sterilizing an O2 wand.

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Yes, I agree, no need to go crazy sterilizing your O2 wand. Clean it and sanitize it sanely, but don't go crazy sterilizing it.
The same air with the same microbes that contacts my drill contacts my wort every time the lid is open. I worry more about things coming in contact with my wort and beer that have been soiled with organic material that is conducive to microbe growth.
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Oxygenating wort with a wine whip?
« Reply #16 on: November 29, 2017, 01:56:45 pm »
Playing devils advocate here,

How are people sanitizing their drills?

So the spinning whip, mixstir, paint stirrer, what have you..  is spinning the wort. The swirling vortex then pulls air into the vessel from outside. And what is directly outside? The whirling ventilated fan/motor of a drill. Hurling God knows what into the air directly above the opening of the vessel.

And we pick at people who only soak their O2 wand in sanitizer...

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Who sanitizes the room air?

People with clean rooms?
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Oxygenating wort with a wine whip?
« Reply #17 on: November 29, 2017, 02:00:44 pm »
Playing devils advocate here,

How are people sanitizing their drills?

So the spinning whip, mixstir, paint stirrer, what have you..  is spinning the wort. The swirling vortex then pulls air into the vessel from outside. And what is directly outside? The whirling ventilated fan/motor of a drill. Hurling God knows what into the air directly above the opening of the vessel.

And we pick at people who only soak their O2 wand in sanitizer...

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Who sanitizes the room air?

People with clean rooms?
Yep, rooms with positive pressure through a HEPA filter.
Jeff Rankert
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BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Oxygenating wort with a wine whip?
« Reply #18 on: November 29, 2017, 02:17:29 pm »
Who sanitizes the room air?

People with clean rooms?
[/quote]
Yep, rooms with positive pressure through a HEPA filter.
[/quote]

I aerate in my basement.  The air is not sanitized.  But my aeration stone is. 

I've had very few infections in 20+ years of brewing.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline brewsumore

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Re: Oxygenating wort with a wine whip?
« Reply #19 on: November 29, 2017, 03:12:38 pm »
Playing devils advocate here,

How are people sanitizing their drills?

So the spinning whip, mixstir, paint stirrer, what have you..  is spinning the wort. The swirling vortex then pulls air into the vessel from outside. And what is directly outside? The whirling ventilated fan/motor of a drill. Hurling God knows what into the air directly above the opening of the vessel.

And we pick at people who only soak their O2 wand in sanitizer...

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Who sanitizes the room air?

People with clean rooms?
Yep, rooms with positive pressure through a HEPA filter.

That would work!  I pity the person whom used sandalwood hibiscus bathroom spray with an open fermenter nearby!   ;D

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Oxygenating wort with a wine whip?
« Reply #20 on: November 29, 2017, 05:34:16 pm »
Who sanitizes the room air?

People with clean rooms?
Yep, rooms with positive pressure through a HEPA filter.
[/quote]

I aerate in my basement.  The air is not sanitized.  But my aeration stone is. 

I've had very few infections in 20+ years of brewing.
[/quote]
Well I have had good luck too, and have  done some “open” fermentations.

Some breweries do open fermentation in a room supplied with sanitary air. Sierra Nevada uses sterile filtered air to oxigenate their wort.

If I use an aquarium pump to aerate, it has a sterile filter in line, just because. Haven’t done that in a while.
Jeff Rankert
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BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Oxygenating wort with a wine whip?
« Reply #21 on: November 29, 2017, 07:38:52 pm »
Right. I've got an aquarium pump also and I would nit use it without the filter. There's loads of difference between unfiltered ambient air and pumping it directly into your wort.

I've never done a full open ferment but I've started using a loose piece of foil rather than an airlock for the first couple days. More to not have the back pressure (3724) than anything else.
It's all in the reflexes. - Jack Burton

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Oxygenating wort with a wine whip?
« Reply #22 on: November 29, 2017, 08:06:14 pm »
Right. I've got an aquarium pump also and I would nit use it without the filter. There's loads of difference between unfiltered ambient air and pumping it directly into your wort.

I've never done a full open ferment but I've started using a loose piece of foil rather than an airlock for the first couple days. More to not have the back pressure (3724) than anything else.
Open ferments are fine, if you keep things clean.

I have seen many open fermentation’s in German lager breweries.
Jeff Rankert
AHA Lifetime Member
BJCP National
Ann Arbor Brewers Guild
Home-brewing, not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle!

Offline erockrph

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Re: Oxygenating wort with a wine whip?
« Reply #23 on: November 29, 2017, 10:30:38 pm »
Right. I've got an aquarium pump also and I would nit use it without the filter. There's loads of difference between unfiltered ambient air and pumping it directly into your wort.

I've never done a full open ferment but I've started using a loose piece of foil rather than an airlock for the first couple days. More to not have the back pressure (3724) than anything else.
Open ferments are fine, if you keep things clean.

I have seen many open fermentation’s in German lager breweries.
I've done open ferments and just covered my bucket with a paint strainer bag dipped in Star San. I felt like it helped boost the esters using Yorkshire Square yeast. I haven't tried it for a hefe yet, but it's on my list.

For most beers I ferment 3 gallons in 5 gallon kegs. For moderate gravity beers, I think there's plenty of oxygen in the headspace for me. For higher gravity beers, I set my prv to 2 psi and hit it with oxygen through the liquid post until I hear it start to bleed off.

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Eric B.

Finally got around to starting a homebrewing blog: The Hop Whisperer