StillSmart

Re: Wash aeration

2015-02-28T20:17:19+00:00

Small update:
A beer brewing friend recently suggested that one way of preventing yeast foaming out of it's container when making a yeast starter might be to add a little anti foam agent to the mix.

After giving it some thought I decided to run a trial on a ferment that has a tendency to foam quite a lot and set up two Demi-jons with 4litres each of a lentil wash identical in every respect except one.

One batch was dosed with 3ml of Distiller's Conditioner and the other was set off without.

That was on the 17th of Feb and they both started off more or less the same. 24 hrs later there was a marked difference. The'normal' one had a healthy Krausen but while the other one had none it was bubbling at the airlock at half the pace of the untreated wash.

The wash without the conditioner finished with a FG at 0.986 on 21 Feb and cleared by the evening of 24 Feb with little help from me other than a good degassing.

The wash treated with conditioner is still fermenting and the Hydrometer now reads 0.996.

Edit on 06 Mar: I racked off the anti-foam treated wash last night and it has a FG of 0.990. I forgot to include that both had a SG of 1.082

My conclusion is that while adding an anti foam agent does indeed suppress the formation of foam it obviously interferes with the fermentation process by slowing everything down. I'm guessing that the mechanism by which the anti foam agent prevents the formation of bubbles also prevents the wash from holding onto gases in the liquid like oxygen, needed for the aerobic phase of fermentation where the yeast multiplies, thereby making the anaerobic phase much longer.

Seems like a reasonable supposition.

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sat Feb 28, 2015 8:17 pm

Re: Wash aeration

2015-02-08T19:41:56+00:00

We don't send people to the corner here, we're more civilised than that.

Now, out to the Naughty Step for you

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:41 pm

Re: Wash aeration

2015-02-08T18:13:42+00:00

fair cop.

I will go and stand in the corner

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Sun Feb 08, 2015 6:13 pm

Re: Wash aeration

2015-02-08T10:23:13+00:00

mashy wrote:
Does it have to be red lentils? - will green ones do? (Found some lurking in the pantry)

Sorry for using the Mod Jackboot here but the subject of this thread is "Wash Aeration" not recipes. Let's keep things on topic and tidy.

Thanks guys

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sun Feb 08, 2015 10:23 am

Re: Wash aeration

2015-02-08T10:07:15+00:00

Any colour here.Red ones,Green ones,Yellow split Peas,I suspect chick peas might also work.

Robert.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Sun Feb 08, 2015 10:07 am

Re: Wash aeration

2015-02-08T07:10:21+00:00

Does it have to be red lentils? - will green ones do? (Found some lurking in the pantry)

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Sun Feb 08, 2015 7:10 am

Re: Wash aeration

2015-02-04T12:47:58+00:00

for what it's worth I've used a air stone for years when brewing, a forum at the time that I was a member, some of the guys went over to using stainless steel air stones.

For anyone interested there's an old (2007) video Here about using a stone, and this guy's using it straight into the wort...so it's down to you, to make your choice.

Statistics: Posted by Icefever — Wed Feb 04, 2015 12:47 pm

Re: Wash aeration

2015-02-04T10:12:56+00:00

I have used a plaster's paddle on a power drill in the past. That works well.

Once more air pump & stone arrive I will be interested to see how long it needs to be pumping for to get the best results - I am considering leaving it on for the first day!

A lot of brewers are air-phobic - there is a time and a place for aeration and I think optimising that could be produce fantastic results

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Wed Feb 04, 2015 10:12 am

Re: Wash aeration

2015-02-04T09:09:28+00:00

Just in from my freezing workshop where I was checking the current washes in my hotbox. I had pitched two 25Lt washes on Saturday night at 19.00 and all airlock activity had ceased when I checked the box yesterday evening at 19.00. This morning I checked the gravity and the hydrometer reads 0.980 from a SG of 1.082 at 20oC and I expect this will fall further while the washes sit in the hotbox until Saturday when I'll get to rack them for clearing.

This means the primary fermentation was completed in 3 days which, in my case, is a great improvement on previous performance using a stick blender to aerate the assembled wash, rather than the brewing water, before adding ingredients.

In any instance you can use equipment whatever way you want, there are no penalties for not following a particular set of instructions or guidelines offered here.

Best practice is where some here seek to make the most efficient use of equipment and get best outcomes and longest service from that equipment by not using it in any way that will shorten the efficient or useful life requirng early replacement.

In my experience, using the type of aeration equipment I posted, in the manner I posted above has resulted in greatly improved conversion, shortened fermentation times and better yields - for me and hopefully this information may be of use to others here who genuinely want to improve their craft and skills.

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Wed Feb 04, 2015 9:09 am

Re: Wash aeration

2015-02-01T02:26:59+00:00

Much as I would prefer not to,I raise a dissenting voice here.
My little aquarium bubbler claims a measly 180L/h out put.
And I use a simple stone,not a "curtain",tho' next time it needs replacing,I might consider a "curtain".
I drop this stone into a 25 litre fermenter,containing sugar and water,with the aquarium heater running,and leave it for 30 minutes before adding lentils (in my case a lentil brew) and then yeast.
I actually do this with two fermenters,and then share the contents between 3 fermenters to control the yeast monster,for two days,and then reduce to 2 fermenters.
It ferments out in 3 days.
As AT states,the brewery he visited are oxygenating active washes,I don't see a problem oxygenating a sugar solution? It only seems to help me.It doesn't have to be plain water in my opinion and experience,unless your bubbler is very different and more powerful than mine.
Of course,I reserve the right to vary this practice when I restart all grain brewing.
It may prove different.

Robert.

Edit.
I'll forgive AM sneaking a little edit in there,(the whole middle paragraph),after I posted,we all know he considers me a plonker!
You simply rinse/run the air stone in water for a few minutes before drying.
Simples.
Hey Ho.

Statistics: Posted by Easydrinker — Sun Feb 01, 2015 2:26 am

Re: Wash aeration

2015-01-31T16:36:42+00:00

To be really useful the pump should have a capacity of 200Lt/hr and the Air Curtain should be 60cm or greater. This allows forming a full circle that will fit the bottom of the fermenter. This type of Air Curtain or any Air Stone should only be used in water before adding sugar or anything else for that matter.

If you use any type of Air Stone/Curtain in water containing sugar from any source the sugar will contaminate and block the tiny air holes in the Air Stone/Curtain. It's a bugger to get out and sometimes impossible. As I said you should only use this type of equipment in plain water, no matter what anyone else tells you, or you will end up replacing the Air Stone/Curtain quite often. I'm not saying you can't put it in sugar water, or even a complete wash, you can, if you're a plonker

I leave mine running in my boiler for about an hour as it uses very little power. Of course you have to keep it away from any heating element. My HLT has the element in a separate chamber and the water is pumped through to heat it so the Air Curtain can't touch off it.

AM

Statistics: Posted by Almanac — Sat Jan 31, 2015 4:36 pm

Re: Wash aeration

2015-01-31T16:18:32+00:00

I too am off to eBay.
To check then you run toys for the first 25 mins before adding the yeast..yes?

Statistics: Posted by Mash — Sat Jan 31, 2015 4:18 pm

Re: Wash aeration

2015-01-27T06:15:16+00:00

Well tried the aquarium pump on a neutral wash and must say bubbling lovely this morning

Good tip I would say

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Tue Jan 27, 2015 6:15 am

Re: Wash aeration

2015-01-16T22:34:24+00:00

I was thinking of getting this type of aereater, not for my booze but for my pond in the summer, I'll certainly try it on a few washes first, if it works the fish can do without lol

Statistics: Posted by Anavrin — Fri Jan 16, 2015 10:34 pm

Re: Wash aeration

2015-01-16T15:50:13+00:00

That's one ordered off E bay for just over a Tenner

Impulse buying just can help myself

Statistics: Posted by Admiral Toad — Fri Jan 16, 2015 3:50 pm