Best way to aerate wort just prior to pitching yeast

I brew big beers, usually 18 to 23 pounds grain and 8 to 10% ABV using dry yeast only. Have been reading about aerating big beer wort to give the yeast enough oxygen but does this apply to dry yeast?


From the Danstar FAQ:
Quote:
I always aerate my wort when using liquid yeast. Do I need to aerate the wort before pitching dry yeast?
No, there is no need to aerate the wort but it does not harm the yeast either. During its aerobic production, dry yeast accumulates sufficient amounts of unsaturated fatty acids and sterols to produce enough biomass in the first stage of fermentation. The only reason to aerate the wort when using wet yeast is to provide the yeast with oxygen so that it can produce sterols and unsaturated fatty acids which are important parts of the cell membrane and therefore essential for biomass production.

If the slurry from dry yeast fermentation is re-pitched from one batch of beer to another, the wort has to be aerated as with any liquid yeast.

Does the above apply to big beers or is it better to aerate? I typically hold drain tube from cooled wort in brew pot well above the wort level in the fermenting bucket. Is further aerating necessary for big beers? If so, how to aerate? An aquarium pump for a 5 gal tank and a small stone cost $10. Devises that use oxygen cylinders are faster and provide more oxygen but they cost $40 and more. If you aerate what do you use. Can a small fuel filter be used to trap impurities from the air?

I use a de-gasser rod.  Its essentially a giant stir stick used in wine making.  I attach it to my power drill, slide it into the carboy, and let rip for a couple of minutes.  Aerates nicely and easy to clean.

Check out Palmer & White Yeast book.  They go over ppm O2 needed vs the max ppm that can be reached by methods from sloshing to O2 injection.  You need O2 injection to get to the minimum of their recommendation and the maximum obtainable by all other methods wont get you there. You can get a lo-flo (0-4 L/min) regulator on Amazon.  The "regulator" they sell from brew shops I dont think are adjustable for flow rate.  It will get expensive using disposable O2 tanks from Depot or Lowes.  Get a 5lb O2 tank from a welding supply and it will last a really long time. 

Danstar is the only dry yeast supplier I have found that says this. From Fermentis:

Oxygen is required to assure a healthy cell multiplication. Oxygenation is
either made by top filling and splashing wort against the wall of the
fermenter, aeration or direct oxygen injection. It is usually recommended
to make the oxygenation on cooled wort. At this stage hygiene is essential
since bacteria may develop during the aeration. Oxygen should only be
added in the first twelve hours of fermentation (9 ppm). Adding oxygen
during late fermentation will increase aldehyde levels and amplify diacetyl
formation. High levels of oxygen will suppress ester production. It has been
noticed that oxygen can increase SO² concentrations in some worts.


I think a fuel filter would be too porous.  Brew shops have inline HEPA? filters.  I used mine once & tossed it.  they dont thrive after sanitation.  you only want one if you're using an aquarium pump.  Bacteria wont survive in pure O2 tanks. 

All  yeast needs oxygen in the reproductive phase. Doesn't matter if it's dry or liquid.

The cheapest way to aerate is to simply pour from one container into another. Pour slowly and splash a lot.  If it foams up a lot you're doing it right.

I brew five gallon batches, usually in the 5% ABV range. I pour chilled wort from the brew pot into a bucket, top off with fresh water if necessary to get the volume right, then through a funnel into the carboy. Works for me.

For beers that big you may want to put oxygen through a stone. Or pour back and forth between a couple of buckets for a few minutes.

You definitely want to aerate though. Otherwise the yeast may not be able to reproduce enough to achieve ideal numbers, and fermentation could suffer.

- I use a paint/cement mixing rod. I attach it to my power drill, put it into the carboy, and let it rotate almost full speed for a minute.  Aerates thoroughly and foamy and in addition the rod is easy to control and easy to clean.
I do this twice during the first 24 hrs after pitching my yeast. Works very well!

- It doesn't matter if you use dry or liquid yeast

Regards,
Slurk

I really like this little $3 thing... basically I put this siphon sprayer just past the mouth of my carboy and let the wort run down the entire wall of my carboy.  Using a pump to push out the wort works even better!

If you were to pitch enough dry yeast you wouldn't need to aerate. The dry cells already have their lunch packed.

John Palmer in his book "How to Brew" suggests just pouring the wort back and forth between a sanitized bucket and the brew kettle a few times.