Going into my 3rd brew with some questions...

Here is an example of an OXYGEN AERATION SYSTEM:

http://www.williamsbrewing.com/WILLIAMS-5-MICRON-OXYGEN-AERATION-SYSTEM-P3668.aspx

Cheers!

 

FWIW, I brewed an IIPA at 9% by just shaking my fermentation bucket a few minutes vigorously and pitched a healthy dose of US-05 and I got down to 1.008 in just 6 days. Not sure at what gravity you require oxygen aeration systems (if doing a manageable, shakable volume), but I have not seen the need for one so far. I have no intention of doing anything over 10% or so anyway, as I just typically don't care for the high ABV stuff.

 

I'm at the edge of my knowledge here, because I have never really used a water bath to control the fermentation temperature. But here are my thoughts - others should feel free to add their experiences.

The rate of heat transfer from beer, through plastic, and into ambient air is relatively low. Plastic is a good insulator, and so is air. On the other hand, if your bucket is sitting in a bigger bucket or tub of water, the rate of heat transfer should be considerably higher, because water will conduct the heat away much more effectively. (I am assuming the water extends up the side of the bucket a fair distance, so that there is lots of surface area where the bucket is in contact with the water bath.)

So I think you should keep the water at roughly the desired temperature for the fermentation. (Whereas you would generally keep ambient air temperature several degrees below the desired fermentation temperature, to account for the poor rate of heat transfer.) A major downside of the water-bath method is that it's very hard to dial in the temperature precisely. Luckily, I think if you're bouncing around the mid to high 60s, you are probably doing fine. Bear in mind that water has a lot of "specific heat" or "thermal mass" or whatever the right term is. Even if you can't control the temperature very precisely, the beer will only gradually heat up and cool down as a result.

So here is what I would do. Unless it is fragile, I would put your floating thermometer in the water bath. I would then add frozen plastic bottles of water as necessary to keep the water bath in the 64°F-68°F range. If it goes under or over, don't panic - we're not making computer processors here. Just check it 2-3 times a day and make whatever adjustments are necessary. The water bath, by itself (with no ice), will help by smoothing out the ups and downs. With ice, you can really keep the fermentation under control.

 

@minderbender has it pretty much down.

I do on occasion use the water bath method. I use my basement as my homebrewery and I find that my just placing my primary bucket on the floor provides some good cooling. If I need additional cooling I place the bucket in a shallow (6 inches high) rubbermaid pan and fill it with cold water to about 4 inches high. I view this as a heat sink effect and the 4 inches of water significantly increases the transfer of heat from the bucket. If some more cooling is needed I add a few refreezeable blue ice block to the water. I use the fermometer on my bucket to track the fermentation temperature.

Another source of cooling is to put a T-shirt or towel on the bucket and place the ends into the water. The T-shirt or towel will wick up water from the pan and via evaporative cooling will cool down the bucket. Directing a small fan on the bucket will increase the evaporative cooling. Some people refer to this method as being a swamp cooler.

Cheers!

 

If it makes you feel more comfortable you can pitch both packets.

I use US-05 (rehydrated) for my IPAs of OG of 1.063 and I pitch one packet; that always works for me.

Cheers!

 

If you decide to pull the trigger, look for a 0.5 micron stone (not 2.0). I think that's what was in the link, but since you're listing parts, and thus maybe considering buying then separately, I though I'd mention that.

 

The photo in your link showed an auto-siphon. The pump action starts the flow and gravity maintains it. You want the receiving bucket to be lower than the donor.

For oxygen you'll need some type O2 cylinder with reg, tubing and stone. It's not as expensive as it sounds, search ebay and yard sales for the econ route. But I would not make this a priority. My suggestion is to attack and conquer the haze and diacetyl problem first. These are serious flaws and eliminating them is very doable. Learn as much as you can about yeast (viability, cell-count, starters) and create some type of ferm temp control. The po-man's cooler can be effective. For a different opinion, some brewers post they never add oxygen and their beer is great.

While important, I would ignore diving into the water profile at this stage. Get a good racking/bottling technique, along with good yeast management and ferm temp control and you should have a solid leap in quality.

The quality of your hops can make or break your beer, especially something like an IPA. The key is to have a reliable supplier. I buy in bulk once a year, usually November, from a trusted source. I'm not accusing other suppliers of malfeasance, but if the hops are old or poorly stored you suffer . . . plus you won't know until after the beer has been packaged and aged. Don't be afraid to ask your supplier if they have this years crop (2014) and how they store them (ideally sub zero). You already know buying retail can be expensive . . . bulk ordering can shave some costs.

My experience is the more you brew the more you learn. Don't ignore the academic approach, but the act of brewing is a pretty good reinforcement to all the theory. Good luck.