Brewing Master

Question:

I’m finally admitting to myself that I’m not getting enough oxygen in my wort, and I’m going to set up an aquarium pump deal.  I’ve heard you can get an inline filter from a medical air dealer, or some such place.  Is such a filter really necessary?  How big a pump is required?  I have a small pump now that runs my desktop fishtank, but I think that may not be powerful enough for a viscous wort.  Is it really necessary to attach an airstone?  Does the standard aquarium tubing size work, or does it need to be stepped up to a larger diameter?  Thanks for the help. SM

Response:

One thing I’ve read is that you need an activated carbon filter to keep from getting a "rubbery" aroma and/or flavor in your beer. As for the other filter, probably a definite yes. Remember, there are lots of bacteria in the air that would just love to get into your wort. By using a pump without a filter, you’re giving them an express ticket into your fermenter. Good luck, Matt.

: I’m finally admitting to myself that I’m not getting enough oxygen in : my wort, and I’m going to set up an aquarium pump deal.  I’ve heard : you can get an inline filter from a medical air dealer, or some such : place.  Is such a filter really necessary?  How big a pump is : required?  I have a small pump now that runs my desktop fishtank, but : I think that may not be powerful enough for a viscous wort.  Is it : really necessary to attach an airstone?  Does the standard aquarium : tubing size work, or does it need to be stepped up to a larger : diameter?  Thanks for the help. : : SM :

Response:

I use a dinky little pump with a blue airstone.  I haven’t used a filter and haven’t had a problem yet.  There was some discussion on HBD (r.i.p.)  that these pumps can’t deliver the required O2.  I do it anyway.  I’ll aerate while filling the carboy from the cf chiller and about 30 minutes after.  Some O2 has got to be better than none. Cheers, Jason Henning Big Red Alchemy and Brewing

Response:

One thing I’ve read is that you need an activated carbon filter to keep from getting a "rubbery" aroma and/or flavor in your beer.

This has never happened with me, and I don’t have a charcoal filter. As for the other filter, probably a definite yes. Remember, there are lots of bacteria in the air that would just love to get into your wort. By using a pump without a filter, you’re giving them an express ticket into your fermenter.

And what keeps them out when you aerate by splashing, sloshing, etc.? ("…probably a definite yes." ?!?) Do whatever works for you; but I have several indoor pets, no "air cleaners", and I haven’t had any infections from using an aquarium air pump without a filter.  (Of course, *now* I will) : I’m finally admitting to myself that I’m not getting enough oxygen in : my wort, and I’m going to set up an aquarium pump deal.  I’ve heard : you can get an inline filter from a medical air dealer, or some such : place.  Is such a filter really necessary?  How big a pump is : required?  I have a small pump now that runs my desktop fishtank, but : I think that may not be powerful enough for a viscous wort.  Is it : really necessary to attach an airstone?  Does the standard aquarium : tubing size work, or does it need to be stepped up to a larger : diameter?  Thanks for the help. : : SM :

Way down south they had a jubilee, Them Georgia folks, they had a jamboree. They were drinking homebrew from a wooden cup, The folks that were dancin’ there got all shook up.                     Chuck Berry – "Rock ‘n Roll Music"

Response:

I’ve used the smallest, cheapest pump Walmart carries, with a 0.22 micron filter (cost about $2.25).  The blue airstone is about 50 cents.  The air tubing…maybe $1.00? The results?  No rubbery taste.  Lagers at 48F begin fermenting about twice as fast as before.  Lower terminal gravity readings, too!   I use Foam Control, and run the pump for two hours…no foam, no infections, still…no worries! Truth in brewing, Nick

Response:

I’ve used the smallest, cheapest pump Walmart carries, with a 0.22 micron filter (cost about $2.25).  The blue airstone is about 50 cents.  The air tubing…maybe $1.00? The results?  No rubbery taste.  Lagers at 48F begin fermenting about twice as fast as before.  Lower terminal gravity readings, too! I use Foam Control, and run the pump for two hours…no foam, no infections, still…no worries! Truth in brewing, Nick

What is Foam Control? An how does it affect the beer’s head? Bill (I’ve been doing it for twenty years…) Crick Digitus Impudicus

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve used the smallest, cheapest pump Walmart carries, with a 0.22 micron filter (cost about $2.25).  The blue airstone is about 50 cents.  The air tubing…maybe $1.00? The results?  No rubbery taste.  Lagers at 48F begin fermenting about twice as fast as before.  Lower terminal gravity readings, too! I use Foam Control, and run the pump for two hours…no foam, no infections, still…no worries! Truth in brewing, Nick What is Foam Control? An how does it affect the beer’s head? Bill (I’ve been doing it for twenty years…) Crick Digitus Impudicus

I’m new to using an Aquarium pump.  I’m using a "Whisper 300" with a 3 inch blue stone.   I can only run it about 5 minutes before foam starts to run over the side of my 6 1/2 gal.(US) pail.   How can some people run theirs for 1/2 hour?

Response:

Foam Control is a product sold by HopTech (Catalog #3, p. 16).  They claim it actually works, and I’ve been using it for about a dozen batches…even before I started using the aeration pump.  It comes in a two ounce bottle, and the stuff looks like Elmer’s Glue.  HopTech also claims that you can fill a fermenter with more wort, and avoid blowoff.  That, I found, is only partially true.  Yes, the kraeusen isn’t as big, but when I filled my six gallon carboy up to the neck, I had blowoff.  However, I can run my aeration pump as long as I want (a little over two hours for my last batch, a dunkelweizen) with absolutely no foaming, nor having to watch the pump. They say to use a teaspoon of it, but I’ve only used about 1/2 teaspoon, poured onto the bottom of the carboy before I pour my cooled wort through a strainer/funnel. They also claim: "Now you might think that this will cause your beer’s head to be lost as well.  Believe it or not, exactly the opposite is true.  Why?  More head-forming compounds are retained in the beer and not lost during fermentation, hence they are available to make a head in the glass" (16).   Again, I’ve used it for several months, with no affect on taste, etc.  The price is $5.95 but I’ve only ordered it once, with a bunch of stuff for several brews.  For those of you who haven’t ordered from HopTech, they have a $5 shipping charge, but waive it if you buy $40 worth of goods. Anyway, if you need to get supplies, maybe order them all at once for them, or try to talk them down on shipping…heck, I don’t know about that…I’m only an occasional customer (we’ve got a very friendly and nice brewshop here in Central Pennsylvania, but, they don’t carry Foam Control). Hope this helps… Truth in brewing, Nick – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – What is Foam Control? An how does it affect the beer’s head? Bill (I’ve been doing it for twenty years…) Crick Digitus Impudicus I’m new to using an Aquarium pump.  I’m using a "Whisper 300" with a 3 inch blue stone.   I can only run it about 5 minutes before foam starts to run over the side of my 6 1/2 gal.(US) pail.   How can some people run theirs for 1/2 hour?

Response:

Foam Control is a product sold by HopTech (Catalog #3, p. 16).

Thanks for the info. Any idea what the chemical composition is? My guess is that is’s proprietary, but it might just be a detergent. Tracy

Response:

Thanks for the info. Any idea what the chemical composition is? My guess is that is’s proprietary, but it might just be a detergent.

It looks like detergent, it sort of smells like detergent, I haven’t pulled a Cheech & Chong and tried to taste it, so I can’t answer that!  It’s really more like a glue smell (Elmer’s, not model airplane dope). Does anyone know if the stuff in animal hooves would prevent foaming wort? Boy, it’d be nice to "clone" this stuff! Truth in brewing, Nick

Response:

Foam Control is a product sold by HopTech (Catalog #3, p. 16).  They claim

<snip strainer/funnel. They also claim: "Now you might think that this will cause your beer’s head to be lost as well.  Believe it or not, exactly the opposite is true.  Why?  More head-forming compounds are retained in the beer and not lost during fermentation, hence they are available to make a head in the glass" (16).

I’m skeptical that something would reduce head retention in the carboy (basically, that’s what it’s doing) and NOT affect head retention in the glass.  How does it know if it is in the carboy or being poured into the glass? This last claim is based on the *assumption* that blowoff contains significant amounts of head-retaining proteins.  In my Brewing Techniques article (May/June 1996) "When Fermentation Rears It’s Dirty Head," lab tests I had run at the Seibel Institute found that the overall protein loss was very low and that there was NO noticeable difference in head retention between blowoff and non- blowoff sub-batches from the same wort. Has anyone done a split batch with this stuff and compared the head retention in the glass? Al. Al Korzonas, Palos Hills, IL

Response:

: This last claim is based on the *assumption* that blowoff contains : significant amounts of head-retaining proteins.  In my Brewing : Techniques article (May/June 1996) "When Fermentation Rears : It’s Dirty Head," lab tests I had run at the Seibel Institute found : that the overall protein loss was very low and that there was NO : noticeable difference in head retention between blowoff and non- : blowoff sub-batches from the same wort. How did you measure the difference in protein loss between the two batches?  You seem to imply that the measurement was taken by observation. Kent Townley Fort Collins, CO

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’m skeptical that something would reduce head retention in the carboy (basically, that’s what it’s doing) and NOT affect head retention in the glass.  How does it know if it is in the carboy or being poured into the glass? This last claim is based on the *assumption* that blowoff contains significant amounts of head-retaining proteins.  In my Brewing Techniques article (May/June 1996) "When Fermentation Rears It’s Dirty Head," lab tests I had run at the Seibel Institute found that the overall protein loss was very low and that there was NO noticeable difference in head retention between blowoff and non- blowoff sub-batches from the same wort. Has anyone done a split batch with this stuff and compared the head retention in the glass?

I didn’t do any split batches, but I have noticed that the head retention improves the longer the beer is lagered.  Whether that is from the "foam control" settling out or just the benefits of aging, I don’t know.  If the stuff settles out in the secondary (or the primary) then I’d see why it doesn’t affect head retention in the glass.  But if you want to aerate the bejeezus out of your wort, the stuff works!   Sounds like a research project in the making… Truth in brewing, Nick

Response: