Aeration

[BackyardBrewer]

Great idea bt - I know blond.chap is working on a series of distilling calculators now and this would be an excellent addition if we can agree on the formula.

[1 2many]

Sam did that test on some seals and yeah not good at all.

I soaked my food grade 5mm silicon in some 90% heads for 2 days and there's no sign of leaching.

As I'm aging at 65% and the silicon tube will never actually contact the liquid as its suspended with the airstone sitting just under the spirit I'm thinking its all good:-)

I would have thought BB that placing the stone at the bottom would give better results , but just don't feel good about long term silicon soaking. :-B

[MacStill]

Yeah I'm with you 1 2, reckon it wouldn't be too hard to sort a copper tube adapter... or as mentioned the keg spear & SS slip joint for the air stone.

[BackyardBrewer]

I'll investigate a permanent copper solution I reckon.

[1 2many]

I recon after distilling i will go with a ssteel tube 5-6 mm to the bottom with 90 deg angle or side exit from tube :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[greenguy]

got me some 6mm ss tube today just goat figure out how many and how big holes i put in there

[gavogr]

Seems as if CraftBrewer is out of stock already :)) :))
http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=3857

They are twice the price of ESB Brewing. But ESB brewing are pretty slow to deliver. Your call but you could buy 2 from ESB for the same price...

i ordered two from ESB they were delivered in three days to Adelaide.

[Canadoz]

A feasible alternative to an Expensive SS airstone:

Limewood Airstones, can be drilled, and fitted directly to copper or steel tubing.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/130851942796 ... 0851942796

Also available at most aquarium stores.

[Sam.]

Sam did that test on some seals and yeah not good at all.

I soaked my food grade 5mm silicon in some 90% heads for 2 days and there's no sign of leaching.

As I'm aging at 65% and the silicon tube will never actually contact the liquid as its suspended with the airstone sitting just under the spirit I'm thinking its all good:-)

I would have thought BB that placing the stone at the bottom would give better results , but just don't feel good about long term silicon soaking. :-B

That test and the pics were with a seal of unknown composition. Would definitely be worth doing it with a proper food grade silicon seal :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Kimbo]

Do you loose much spirit to evaporation when aerating for a number of days/ weeks?
I know when I've left my cuts jars out for a day longer, there is much less in them.

[SX170]

What about using a big s/s pot with a glass lid? I have some 10 litre ones I bought at Kmart to make sauce in on the bbq wok burner.
You could coil up some 1/4" copper tube in the bottom with lots of small holes and chuck the dominoes on top.
That way the bubbles would agitate the Dominoes for better oaking.
Just a thought.............hmmmmmmmm might try it.

Cheers. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[bt1]

Hello all,

yeh reckon the copper tube is far safer or the keg spear..simple cheap effective.

Kimbo can't say yet the 5lt one only been aerating for 8 days haven't noticed it much and it still cold here...know loss would be higher in summer...might say something about when we do aeration perhaps.

bt1

[BackyardBrewer]

Sam did that test on some seals and yeah not good at all.

I soaked my food grade 5mm silicon in some 90% heads for 2 days and there's no sign of leaching.

As I'm aging at 65% and the silicon tube will never actually contact the liquid as its suspended with the airstone sitting just under the spirit I'm thinking its all good:-)

I would have thought BB that placing the stone at the bottom would give better results , but just don't feel good about long term silicon soaking. :-B

That test and the pics were with a seal of unknown composition. Would definitely be worth doing it with a proper food grade silicon seal :handgestures-thumbupleft:

Yeah my tube is food grade silicon, and I did the soak test for 2 days in 90+% neutral. No sign of anything coming off it and no smell. And I won't be soaking the silicon in the 65%, it would be suspended above it, with the air stone sitting just below the surface.

...but still I'm a bit paranoid.

I'd like to see some pix of other folks set ups.

[r.c.barstud]

What about using a big s/s pot with a glass lid? I have some 10 litre ones I bought at Kmart to make sauce in on the bbq wok burner.
You could coil up some 1/4" copper tube in the bottom with lots of small holes and chuck the dominoes on top.
That way the bubbles would agitate the Dominoes for better oaking.
Just a thought.............hmmmmmmmm might try it.

Cheers. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

bubbles, bubbles and more bubbles :-D the smaller the bubbles the better, just the same as a thumper. more smaller bubbles will add more surface area and agitation as compared to larger bubbles, trust me, it works a LOT better, it works even better if you add a pump to circulate the aerated spirit around :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[Sam.]

Yeah my tube is food grade silicon, and I did the soak test for 2 days in 90+% neutral. No sign of anything coming off it and no smell. And I won't be soaking the silicon in the 65%, it would be suspended above it, with the air stone sitting just below the surface.

...but still I'm a bit paranoid.

I'd like to see some pix of other folks set ups.

I would be more than happy to use that hose after that :handgestures-thumbupleft:

If nothing leached out after 2 days I reckon you are well and truly in the clear ;-)

[1 2many]

Do you loose much spirit to evaporation when aerating for a number of days/ weeks?
I know when I've left my cuts jars out for a day longer, there is much less in them.

Yeah Kimbo I was thinking the same , the angels share would surely have to increase a fair bit i would think , and i wonder if the quality as in temp and humidity has much effect on the" Angles cut" . Say you had hot humid air bubbling threw your spirit don't you think it would evaporate a LOT faster. :-B

[the Doctor]

Yes aeration significantly increases the angels share as you say. But the whole idea of ageing is to reduce and remove any remaining congeners as much as to add the effects of the oak. The angels share is also a way of saying the ethanol which removes the easily evaporated congeners especially those from the smearing of heads. So although the loss to the angels share is significant, the benefits should be remembered. It will improve your spirits.
Doc

[1 2many]

Great perspective Doc I like it . I can go with that. :handgestures-thumbupleft:

[BackyardBrewer]

Anyone had any problems with blocked air stones? Tried out two I got from ESB brewing and both are fucked. Can't move air let alone a spirit.

These are both brand new and the pump is fine, but when I put these on the tubing not so much as a bubble:-(

I've scrubbed 'em, vinegar soaked 'em, dried 'em out and tried blowing through 'em but both are cactus by the look of it.

Pretty disappointed. Anyone got a brand they recommend? These are going back to ESB I reckon.

[the Doctor]

BB I regularly soak mine in Sodium Percarbonate. another trick is to put a few drops of Azeotrope into the line then turn on the pump to force the AZ through the pores. If you are using the .5 micron ones they are a bit fine for what we are doing, I tend to go with the 2 micron ones by preference. The finer ones I only use for nitrogen charging, porters and stouts. Cheers.
Doc