[toby]

I sit the better bottle on the edge of my chest freezer/fermenting chamber, and vigorously rock it back and forth for a minute or so.  I also pitch a healthy starter at high krauesen.  More than adequate for my sensibilities.

[RPIScotty]

Not really looking for any answers for myself. It was more of a think out loud thing. I was just curious if the standard rocking back and forth method was adequate to achieve saturation.




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[erockrph]

Not really looking for any answers for myself. It was more of a think out loud thing. I was just curious if the standard rocking back and forth method was adequate to achieve saturation.

It's a rate thing rather than a quantity thing. By creating a large amount of foam you are maximizing surface area and allowing the O2 to diffuse in rapidly. Other methods will still get you there, but they will take a lot longer.

[klickitat jim]

Ive heard so many method comparisons, pros and cons, and have tried them all but the fish pump. Ive settled with o2 injection and see no reason to ever change. The problem I see is that post boil the wort is depleated of o2. I dont have much faith in the headspace containing enough o2 to do the job. Splashing in open air might do it, but whats in the air? I just like my o2 wand. In my opinion its the surest and most sanitary method.

[ynotbrusum]

I have just recently gone back to the O2 wand after years of the mix stir.  I like the limited exposure to the ambient air, especially during the warmer months - just don't like the worry about airborne critters in my 10-12 gallon batches, either, Jim.

[Al Hounos]

I make 3.5 gallon batches 95% of the time, but I still use 6.5gal buckets for this very reason. Also because I don't have to worry about blowoff.

[PAYCHECK]

Probably not, especially given that the head space of the vessel is a key component to the method. 5 gallons in a 6.5 carboy would not have the necessary head space to get the proper foaming.

I to use a 7 gallon carboy to ferment my beers which are 5 gallon batches.  I just purchased a stone and oxygen tank to do this but in the past I have always cradled the jug in my arms like a baby and held it with a rubber pad on both hands to prevent slipping and shook back and forth so the liquid crashed against the top and bottom of the jug.  I was able to get a total foam ball in their and my yeast would go off like clockwork.  I am now getting older and it makes more sense to do things easier rather than harder.  I was able to maintain the shaking for about two minutes before wearing my back out.

[Phil_M]

I should add I use a sanitized un-drilled universal stopper when rocking the carboy back and forth...no worries about being exposed to the air. I feel the method is less likely to result in an infection than using my O2 wand which I can never be positive is clean.

[S. cerevisiae]

I should add I use a sanitized un-drilled universal stopper when rocking the carboy back and forth...no worries about being exposed to the air.

Air is not the enemy.  House dust is the enemy.  I tried a lot of different techniques before going back to using a poor man's aerator at the end of my transfer tubing.  The aerator goes down into the carboy.  In the case of my open fermentation vessel (a 6-gallon Vollrath stockpot), it gets clipped to the side of the stockpot with a racking cane clip, and the stockpot is covered as much as possible with the cover.

Poor Man's Aerator




For those who are completely anal, a poor man's aerator can be improved by creating a shroud that surrounds the section of the tubing with the holes.  The shroud is closed on the top and filled loosely with sterile cotton on the bottom.

[klickitat jim]

It's obviously not something to get in a twist over. But it comes down to what works for you. I'm not trying to convert anyone. If no aeration at all works, then so will sloshing around the air in the headspace, or mixstir, or whatever. I like my o2 wand and I'm sure I'm getting it at least as clean as the air in my shop where I brew. All good. Either way

[stevecrawshaw]

It's obviously not something to get in a twist over. But it comes down to what works for you. I'm not trying to convert anyone. If no aeration at all works, then so will sloshing around the air in the headspace, or mixstir, or whatever. I like my o2 wand and I'm sure I'm getting it at least as clean as the air in my shop where I brew. All good. Either way

I have a wand which is comprised of a length of 3/8 stainless with the stainless airstone force - fitted into it. Its about 2 1/2 feet long. While my wort is chilling I wrap it in Aluminium foil and cook it in my over at 200C for 30 minutes. So I'm pretty sure nothing lives in it. When its cool, I connect to my O2 cylinder with a john guest fitting and oxygenate for 1 minute.

I have tried an inline oxygenator which bubbles O2 through a SS airstone as the chilled wort leaves the boiler, but I experienced fermentation issues, possibly due to over - oxygenation, though I know there are differing opinions about this..

cheers
steve

[Stevie]

While you may not be having trouble with your oven solution, you may want to go hotter and longer. Most temps and times I see call for around 350-400 and for an hour.

[kramerog]

A technique used in home winemaking was to run the wine along the side of the vessel so that the wine fanned out.  I can get the wort to cover 1/5 - 1/3 of the side of a carboy.  Not sure how effective this is but I also shake/splash.

[erockrph]

A technique used in home winemaking was to run the wine along the side of the vessel so that the wine fanned out.  I can get the wort to cover 1/5 - 1/3 of the side of a carboy.  Not sure how effective this is but I also shake/splash.

I pour my wort through a series of 600 µm - 100 µm filters, and I suspect I pick up a fair amount of O2 that way myself.

[coolman26]

I've tried all the mentioned methods.  I did use a venturi tube fitting.  I liked it, but sucking in air made me nervous.  I've gone back to the wand.  I like it best.  I do about 90 seconds.  Not sure if that is correct, or the right amount, but it works for me.  I did try the mix stir style once.  I took an ipa bath!  Shaking was never for me.  Carboy and shaking again made me nervous.  I've been boiling my stone before use.  I may have to put it in the oven.