[pmallory]

I feel that I have underestimated how important it is to oxygenate my wort and starters to achieve the best conditions for yeast. I am curious what methods have worked for other people. I have heard of a stir plate and am curious if they work well and whats the cheapest way to get one. I've also seen people just slosh their beer around in a carboy, or splashing your wort into the fermenter. Does anybody else have any suggestions for oxygenating wort for the fermenter or the starter?

[chezteth]

Oxygenating your wort is very important for fermentation.  Yeast growth requires oxygen for proper cell division.  I just slosh the wort in the carboy to aerate.  It seems to work well.  Others use pure oxygen for aerating.  I guess it, partially, comes down to personal preference.  Hope this helps.

Happy Brewing
Brandon

[rbclay]

It is relatively simple and not too expensive to properly oxygenate your starters and wort. Most LHBS' sell the adapter for the red O2 tanks. Like this : http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/fermenting-equipment/aeration/economy-oxygenation-kit-w-regulator-and-stone.html
You have to get the tanks at your local hardware store for $10.  For me that's worth it. A little red tank lasts probably 10 batches for me. I time the length I send O2 into my starters and wort. 30 seconds for starters, 2 minutes for 5G of wort. Not too scientific, but I have seen very good results and can repeat the same process each time. The next step up would be to get a bigger, refillable O2 tank and a regulator. Not worth it for me, but it would be cool!
For me I never bothered to try to aerate me wort. Yeast don't want just "air", they want oxygen. A stir plate would be cool also. I've seen plans that don't look too difficult to make. I have had good success with my "little" 500-800ml starters with no stir plate, just the occasional swirl by hand in  the 12 or so hours they are going.

[tumarkin]

You have to get the tanks at your local hardware store for $10. 

*1 on the small red O2 tanks & a sintered stone. But no $10 refills for me, for a while anyway. One of the local Home Depots had a shopping cart full up by the front of the store..... on sale for a $1 each. Got me 6 of 'em. Happy day.

[hopfenundmalz]

For me I never bothered to try to aerate me wort. Yeast don't want just "air", they want oxygen. A stir plate would be cool also.

Some strains of yeast require more O2 than others.  Sierra Nevada uses sterile filtered air as the O2 source.  More flocculant yeast usually require a higher dissolved O2 level, so you need an O2 tank and stone to get to the higher levels (this is covered in "Yeast").

Stir plates are ubercool. 

[bluesman]

I use a mix-stir rod that is attached to a drill motor.



This method incorporates O2 from the atmospherere into the wort. It's easy to use and produces good results.

[Tim McManus]

We use an O2 tank and stone.  It makes a considerable difference in the quality of your beer.

We also started using a stir plate.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/default/northern-brewer-stir-plate.html
http://www.northernbrewer.com/default/2000-ml-yeast-starter-kit.html

With a properly made starter we can get a krausen on the wort in about 6 hours.  The cost of the stir plate and the starter kit was about $100.  However, in the past we would make 2 gallons of starter for high gravity beers using 2# of DME.  Now we make 1.5L of starter with 1.5 cups of DME for the same high gravity batches.  It saves us approximately $20 per batch, so in the long run it's a really good thing.

[denny]

I've used a MixStir for the last 10 years and it works great.  As far as I can tell when compared to friends who use an O2 system, I'd have to say the MixStir is as effective in the results it produces.  I recently started using a stir plate for starters and I immediately saw benefits form it.

[gordonstrong]

Stir plate for starters, Mix Stir for normal batches, pure O2 through a sintered stone for big batches.

[markaberrant]

Mix Stir for normal batches, pure O2 through a sintered stone for big batches.

Just curious, why the difference?  I use pure O2 for all batches, more for big 'uns.

[pyrite]

For all my brews I place the yeast starters on the stir plate.  Then as soon as I inoculate the wort with the yeast, I add a dose of  pure oxygen through a carb stone.  If it's a high gravity brew (9% - 12%) not only am I adding a high yeast count, but I come back twelve hours later and add some more pure oxygen through a carb stone.  

[pmallory]

What is a MixStir?

[jeffy]

What is a MixStir?

Bluesman has a photo of it about six posts up.

[bluesssman]

For all my brews I place the yeast starters on the stir plate.  Then as soon as I inoculate the wort with the yeast, I add a dose of  pure oxygen through a carb stone.  

I too use a stir plate and I built an inline 02 aerator which goes between my chiller and the fermenter.

[tom]

Mix Stir for normal batches, pure O2 through a sintered stone for big batches.

Just curious, why the difference?  I use pure O2 for all batches, more for big 'uns.

Shaking the bejeesus out of a regular strength batch of ale is enough oxygenation for the yeast. For lagers and high gravity ales shaking with air won't get enough oxygen into solution for the yeast.