Inline Aerator 1

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INLINE AERATOR
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Inline Aerator
Story and photos by Tony Profera
a s homebrewers, we have
control over many of the
physical processes used to
make our beer. It’s been known for
some time that after boiling (and then
At the top of the performance list
is direct injection of the wort from a
100% oxygen source. Although over
oxygenation is a concern, the general
consensus is that there is little possi-
chilling the wort) it is highly beneficial bility of this occurring in homebrewed
for the yeast to be pitched to a well beer as homebrewers do not achieve
aerated/oxygenated media. The fer- commercial-level brewing tempera-
mentation life cycle (and ultimately tures and pressures. Typically a small
the beer quality) will benefit from O2 canister and screw on regulator
reduced total fermentation time, with a hose and air stone are used.
shorter lag time (the time it takes for The regulator is turned on low and
fermentation to start), better attenua- the air stone is submerged into the
tion and improved yeast life cycle. fermenter containing the wort
There are several common meth- creating a steady stream of tiny O2
ods homebrewers use to aerate the bubbles. This infusion of pure O2
wort. Most of us are familiar with the raises the dissolved oxygen level to
rock-and-roll method of vigorously assist the yeast in their all-important
shaking the fermenter to add air. This work of fermentation.
has the advantage of requiring no A potential downside to this
additional equipment. Although a “dunk in fermenter” method is the
plastic bucket is safer, there are con- stream of bubbles may not be equally
cerns with repetitively rocking a full dispersed throughout the fermenter
glass carboy. and might not permit other areas of
There are various adapters (both the fermenter to be oxygenated to the
commercially sold and others that can same concentration. Additionally, this
be built) that when installed on the method adds extra time to the brew
end of a hose leading into the fer- session as it’s performed after the
menter will “splash” the wort to aid in wort is already in the fermenter.
aeration. Another method makes use In an effort to improve on this
of an aquarium air pump and air method (and because I am a gadget
stone. These assorted air introduction guy) I built a DIY in-line oxygenator. It
methods work to varying degrees. is installed on the “out” side of the
The downside to these methods is the counter flow chiller (CFC). It injects
air we breathe is mostly nitrogen and oxygen into the wort as it moves from
only 20.9 % oxygen. Also, air may the counterflow chiller and into the
contain contaminants if not properly fermenter. Adding oxygen to the wort
filtered. If higher O2 saturation levels as it moves to the fermenter ensures
are beneficial to the fermentation that a more even adsorption of oxy-
it makes sense to use pure O2 for gen is made, and saves a bit of time
this purpose. as well.
Parts and Tools

• (1) Kleinhuis Liquid Strain relief fitting • (1) stainless steel 1⁄2-inch NPT
NPT 1⁄2-inch (fit to outflow of counter Male x 1⁄2-inch barb fitting
flow chiller or kettle) • (1) 0.5 micron barbed (or shaft) stain
• (2) large brass nuts (to fit 1⁄2-inch less steel air stone
NPT) • (2) small O-rings (R04) sized to barb
• (2) large O-rings sized to fit 1⁄2-inch of air stone (+ extras)
NPT • (1) 1⁄2-inch NPT male x 3⁄8-inch
• (1) 1⁄2-inch NPT stainless steel tee stainless steel barb fitting
• Teflon tape
1 Best of Brew Your Own Magazine byo.com © Battenkill Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
1: THE OXYGENATOR
Unlike some commercially-sold versions available to home-
brewers, this DIY In-Line oxygenator is designed for easy
breakdown by hand or with an adjustable wrench. This
makes the task of cleaning it after use relatively simple.
Remove the apparatus from the CFC, disassemble, rinse
thoroughly, soak in your regular cleaner, rinse and air dry
until the next time. Note: it’s recommended that air stones
are only handled by the shaft. There is a possibility that the
oil in our skin can be transferred into the stone reducing
performance (and increasing the chance of contamination).
2: PARTS AND ASSEMBLY (PART 1)

Start by working from left to right in this project (same as
the flow of the wort). The first part is a 1⁄2-inch NPT
Kleinhuis strain relief fitting. These nylon fittings can be
easily found if you search the Internet for “liquid tight
strain relief.” This fitting’s opening is matched to the copper
tubing (wort out) from my CFC. Note: the screw down
cap on this fitting needed a bit of additional clearance to fit
over the CFC’s tube so the hole was enlarged by filing to
get a good fit. Hand tightening the cap is all it takes to get
a leak proof seal. You will need to size this fitting accord-
ingly to match your CFC or kettle. A compression fitting
sized to your chiller or kettle out could be substituted. A
brass 1⁄2-inch nut and a large O-ring are installed to achieve
a tight seal to the SS Tee.
At the other end of the tee (on the outflow side) is a
1
⁄2-inch NPT x 1⁄2-inch stainless steel barb fitting installed
with Teflon tape. A vinyl length of hose is fit over the barb
and leads to the fermenter for filling.

In this photo you can see a closer look at the Kleinhuis
strain relief fitting. At the center of the tee is a stainless
steel 1⁄2-inch NPT Male x 3⁄8-inch barb with two small O-
rings pushed inside. The air stone’s barb is then pressed
onto these O-rings to make a seal. I originally had difficulty
getting this point to seal well. It took a few tries with dif-
fering O-rings to get a leak-free seal. This fitting with the
air stone installed is screwed into the tee with a large
1
⁄2-inch brass nut and O-ring making a liquid tight non-per-
manent connection to the tee. The air stone is now cap-
tured inside the body of the SS Tee fitting.
Attached to the barb is a flexible hose leading to a sanitary
air filter. To the other side of the air filter is a hose that
leads to the O2 regulator. As these hoses are a larger diam-
eter than the air filter barbs, a small 1⁄2-inch length of rigid
polyethylene hose was installed on the filter barbs to take
up the gap and allow a gas tight press fit.
Boiling the air stone for 15 minutes prior to use ensures
it is sanitary and no bacteria remains alive to adversely
affect the brew. The rest of the parts are soaked in
Iodophor or Star San and then reassembled for use.
5: UPGRADES
If you want to upgrade this build, some of the changes I am
considering include removing the two small O-rings and sil-
ver soldering the air stone barb into the 1⁄2-inch stainless
steel fitting. This will ensure there are never any leaks from
this point. Caution: if you decide to do this be sure that the
air stone itself does not get heated or the barb may become
unsoldered/brazed from the stone and can pull out!
Wrapping the stone with a small length of wet cloth should
keep the stone cool enough to prevent this. I plan to
replace the brass nuts for stainless steel. You can also con-
sider replacing the “stick on” temperature gauge (see
photo) with a small digital temperature gauge.
6: FINISHING AND SAFETY

All fittings should be thoroughly degreased and cleaned
prior to assembly. Any grease that remains that comes in
contact with oxygen can cause a fire, and any grease or
residue won’t help your beer either. Additionally, any igni-
tion source in the presence of pure O2 is hazardous! Be
certain all flames are out prior to using pure oxygen.
Once you’ve got all the pieces in place, you can attach
it and give a go!

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the best of

Parts and Tools

2: PARTS AND ASSEMBLY (PART 1)

3: PARTS AND ASSEMBLY (PART 2)

6: FINISHING AND SAFETY

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