Oil free compressor ?

[Michael Burnley]

I've just purchased a cheap but oil free compressor from Screwfix because of my growing cycling addiction. And it occurred to me I might be able to use it to oxygenate the wort just before pitching the yeast.

Is this a good idea or will it introduce some nasty stuff down the airline ?

 

[Brewelder]

I've just purchased a cheap but oil free compressor from Screwfix because of my growing cycling addiction. And it occurred to me I might be able to use it to oxygenate the wort just before pitching the yeast.

Is this a good idea or will it introduce some nasty stuff down the airline ?

My experience is that oxygen is a beers worst enemy and you’d basically be pumping it directly into your wort.

 

[Agentgonzo]

My experience is that oxygen is a beers worst enemy and you’d basically be pumping it directly into your wort.

Only after fermentation. Before fermentation the yeast needs oxygen to healthily grow

 

[RoomWithABrew]

I've just purchased a cheap but oil free compressor from Screwfix because of my growing cycling addiction. And it occurred to me I might be able to use it to oxygenate the wort just before pitching the yeast.

Is this a good idea or will it introduce some nasty stuff down the airline ?

Oxygen is beneficial for the aerobic reproduction of your yeast, particularly if liquid yeast is used. Higher gravity beers really benefit. So only to be added at the start or sometimes after a day or two again for high gravity beers. Some English ale yeast need rousing which is reoxygenation as well, look at some videos of Timothy Taylors fermenting or Harveys.

You are limited to how much saturation of your wort that's achievable with Air. It's only 20 percent oxygen and so doesn't matter how much volume ( ie aquarium pump or a 500l per minute compresser ) running into the wort it can only raise the oxygen level so far. But it will be more than splashing the wort into the fermenter and less risk to your back than shaking the fermenter.

I've been using an oxygen cylinder and regulator with diffusion stone and this really does boost the oxygen levels. Just snagged an oxygen concentrator which sieves the air to produce 90 percent oxygen. This means i'll never run out of oxygen so I'm selling the O2 cylinder and regulator. The other plus point is the concentrator is light and the oxygen cylinder is a heavy old beast to move around.

This video has a little bit of info on oxygen levels you can expect.



It shows how much more oxygen you can get with a higher concentration.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Air is only about 14% oxygen so unlikely that bubbling air through your wort will be particularly effective..normally you'd use a cylinder of pure O2 through a carb stone. Also probably not worth oxygenating at all for normal Homebrew batch sizes say upto 80 or so litres, and just giving things a good splashing as you pitch into the fermenter or a good vigorous agitation with the paddle after transferring perfectly suffices especially and do a better job of exposing more surface area of wort to air than just bubbling air up from a compressor.

These days, even on my larger 80 litre system, a good splashing as its transferring into the fermenter works a treat, usually have yeast kicking off within 24hrs. If I thought additional oxygenation was necessary or beneficial then I'd just get an oxygenation kit...they're not that expensive.

 

[Agentgonzo]

Air is only about 14% oxygen

21% actually.

 

[hoppyscotty]

Ooops, you're right!! Still not alot though.