two questions

[andypettitt62]

Two bits of advice needed.Is there a time limit for adding finings.I've got a batch of beer that I'm conditioning for four weeks before bottling( Cornish Ale out of Camra Classic European beers ).Its been in the barrel for 4 days now, is it still okay to add finings, or is it worth waiting till nearer the end to see if its cleared itself naturally.Second question.I keep reading reading about aerating the wort before pitching.I've been pouring the liquor from the mash tun to the fermenting bin several times to aerate, but I saw an aerater in a home brew shop recently.It looked to all the world like a fish tank aerater.I have a few of these lying around the house,the question is, are they suitable? I would naturally steralise the air stone and tube.

[delboy]

you need a filter in the air line to stop bacteria being sucked up the pump and being bubbled through your beer.
The air stone that comes with a typical fish tank pump isn't really suitable, its recommended that you have a stainless steel airstone which has holes in the micron level for a better diffusion, also a stainless airstone can be sterilised quite easiy compared to a typical airstone on which biofilms etc would form.

If you are going to the hassle of getting an inline air filter and stainless steel stone you might as well get some oxygen and go the whole hog

[PieOPah]

Before you decide to buy an aeration stone, you may be interested in watching this video first....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A734B5E1C3U

Also, expand the notes to the right of the video as this gives detailed info on each of the samples.

[Scooby]

Before you decide to buy an aeration stone, you may be interested in watching this video first....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A734B5E1C3U

Also, expand the notes to the right of the video as this gives detailed info on each of the samples.

Very interesting PoP, I aerate as in No2 but with a balloon whisk and then oxygenate for 2mins as in No3, the lag is much less than just aerating.

[PieOPah]

To me it seems that the effort of shaking is useless. I can understand this as you are limiting the amount of oxygen that can be absorbed. think about the space that is spare in the top of a carboy. Now consider that only 21% of that space contains oxygen.....

I would like to have seen a 4th sample in the video - one that had been splashed as it transferred (although I imagine all 3 where - a splash free transfer would have been better for test conditions!)

I think for the extra couple of points it isn't really worth injecting oxygen and I'll continue with my usual method of splashing, shaking or whisking (electric whisk - don't want to exert too much energy!)

Hmmm, I wonder whether using oxygen tablets would help

[Aleman]

I Inject oxygen at 2L per minute inline, via a stainless stone, from the chiller to the FV (Although 38L of wort and 120L of foam is difficult to get into a 60L fermenter )

Too many of my beers developed a 'house flavour' with storage that I can only put down to infections picked up during aeration. Doing Wort Stability Tests on the hot wort and wort taken from the fermenter was pretty conclusive.

Regards
TJB

[steve_flack]

I Inject oxygen at 2L per minute inline, via a stainless stone, from the chiller to the FV (Although 38L of wort and 120L of foam is difficult to get into a 60L fermenter )

I use an air pump with a sterile filter to drive an inline stainless stone (both filter and airstone are autoclaved before use in a pressure cooker). You think you have problems - My fermenters only hold 23L, my brewlength is 20L.....

[Aleman]

I use an air pump with a sterile filter to drive an inline stainless stone (both filter and airstone are autoclaved before use in a pressure cooker)

Hi Steve,

I guess you get the filters from work. The autoclaveable HEPA ones are extortionate here. They were pretty costly when I got a load from St Pats. The other problem I found was that eventually they clog. Its not too much of a problem for aerating batches, but for continual use on a starter they only last about a week.

Still I'm thinking about playing around with a vacuum cleaner HEPA filter and an air pump in a Lock Tight plastic box, and seeing if I can get clean enough air to work with

Regards
TJB

[steve_flack]

No I pay full price - we don't use 'em at work....