I am looking at getting an aeration system. I am curious to hear from people about their experiences with an oxygen pump vs. purchasing a pure oxygen diffusing system. Also if you have suggestions about a brand and model to buy that would be great.
I use something similar, but it has a nylon hose instead of a stainless cane. If you can find one of these setups for <$50 then I think you're in good shape. You can brew about 120-130 batches of beer, with those hardware store disposable O2 tanks, before it would be worth it to buy a new oxygen regulator and O2 tank. *prices on ebay, internet, yard sales not taken into consideration.
I do pure o2. Simple set of, of the o2 bottle from a hardware store, the regulator/adapter, some hose, a sterile filter inline, and then a stone on the end. Works well, easy to clean and sanitize, and you'll notice it in your beers, especially the bigger ones.
+1 for the stainless wand. Helps to keep the stone submerged so your O2 gets more time to dissolve before it reaches the surface.
As mentioned already, the system with a stainless wand works best. I got my pure O2 system from my LHBS, but no wand. It was a pain in the ass to keep the stone submerged as the tubing kept wanting to coil up. I eventually bought a piece of stainless steel tubing to make my own. Works great. Also, if you go the pure O2 route and buy the disposable bottles, they're sold in the welding area of Lowe's. Might be obvious to some, but I thought for sure that they would be in the plumbing section. I wasn't set straight until a buddy informed me. Even the employees there didn't know and they simply told me they didn't sell them...
Hard to know without measuring equipment but at least you can eliminate electrical hazards by using the O2 wand/canister.
Or use a cordless drill. Mixstirs work great for beers you don't need >8ppm. For big beers or lagers I use 02.
The invention of a smart phone has saved me countless of hours trying to find things at the big hardware stores. I go to nearest sales person and say "where can I find [shows pictures of item] this?" 9 out of 10 workers point me in the right direction.
I've never heard of an oxygen pump being used in homebrewing. Oxygen under pressure is very easy to use with homebrew sizes. I am a big fan of medical oxygen tanks, readily available in flea markets/garage sales. Nothing beats a Class E cylinder (680 liters), this is what you regularly see attached to a wheelchair or in Florida on a golf cart. You can order them new from Amazon or used from eBay . . . regulators are not expensive. Or look around at open air markets. My brew schedule is fairly heavy and my $25 original tank is down to half full after two years. You want the 0.5 micron diffusion stone. Wands probably work okay but is any one not stirring their oxygenated wort after pitching the yeast?
I do not stir the wort after pitching. I generally only use liquid yeast, decanted from a starter...when poured it pretty much clouds the entire carboy. I guess I'd never even considered stirring the wort, after pitching.
It might work? You must be a rocket scientist! Before you put down someones technique you should have a clue what you are talking about.
