Need advice on oxygen application

[steadyhabitbrew]

My new chiller has an oxygen stone built in. I've read about the dangers of oxygen and hydrocarbons. I dont want to make any assumptions or take any serious risks so I was wondering if anyone else out there uses an o2 tank and regulator to infuse oxygen through a stone and if so what type of tubing or hose are you using? Also what, if any, type of check valve are you using? Lastly, while I think I have the actual stone all set, what type of cleaner do you use for the tubing/hose, valve and anything else that needs to be cleaned. I noticed that some valves can be ordered as prepped for oxygen use in some type of sealed packing but for some reason at this point it doesnt make sense to me because as soon as you open it I would think that would be compromising its state. One quote on such a valve I received today was $50 so I can't imagine buying it for one time use. Basically I need help! JP

[steadyhabitbrew]

Anyone have any recommendations for cleaning the parts that will be in direct contact with the o2? Anyone using o2?

[TGTimm]

Carbon compounds are very dangerous in pressurized oxygen atmospheres. Fortunately, the pressures we use from the output of the regulator are >2 bar, which isn't up to the organics-as-high-explosives range.

We use a stone on the output side of our HX to oxygenate the wort. Our O2 lines apparently are clear PVC (we buy them from our supplier as Oxygen tubing). Valves are standard Teflon-seat SS ball valves. Cleaning the stone and valves is the same as all other small parts, pH11 caustic in the ultrasound cleaner, rinse, soak in PAA or Iodophor to sanitize. We replace the oxygen tubing after every full brew.

Be sure you use an oxygen-safe regulator out of your tank. The pressure from the tank to the reg is definitely high enough to be dangerous (2,000 psi+).


Get a good oxygen-calibrated flow meter to meter your oxygen. These are different from CO2 or welding flow meters, and are a bit hard to source. The range on ours is 0-20 lpm (I think), but YMMV due to porosity and wetting pressure of your stone. Once again, this is on the low-pressure side of the regulator and does not need to be perfectly free of organics (but should be danged clean). Fortunately, pure O2 at 2 bar is a very good antibiotic sanitizer.

[Junkyard]

If you don't mind me asking? What is your reasoning for changing the O2 tubing between every full brew?

[steadyhabitbrew]

Thanks Timm!

[TGTimm]

If you don't mind me asking? What is your reasoning for changing the O2 tubing between every full brew?

Oops. I checked with our lead brewer, and while I thought it was every brew, it turns out to be less frequent. The O2 line is changed if visibly dirty or if wort has managed to get into it through the failure of the check valve at the stone.

Obviously, keeping the length of this line line to a minimum would be a good idea.

[BDL]

One tip for everyone working with O2.

Oxygen tanks are the only compressed gas tanks whose valves have two seals on them. Most tanks just have one for fully closed. Because oxygen is dangerous if leaking freely, it also has a seal when fully open, so that no gas may leak out the valve portion.

So anytime you work with an oxygen tank make sure it is chained up before removing the cap, and when you open the valve it should be either all the way open, or all the way shut ALWAYS!!

Stay safe out there. When in doubt use isopropyl alcahol to remove any residual oils from all tubing and fittings before assembly, am this also serves to sanitize it.

[dick murton]

If you are going to use isopropyl alcohol, just remember it kills beer foam stone dead (we used to use it in the lab for killing foam when decanting large quantities to waste - before the days of cheap silicone antifoams)- so the tubing and all parts flushed with iso propyl alcohol must be absolutely dry - free of alcohol.

[TGTimm]

One more caveat regarding O2: While an O2 regulator will not fit on a CO2 tank, a CO2 regulator will fit on an O2 tank. We have two employees who are red-green color blind, and the green O2 tanks look (to them) just like the gray CO2 cans. This once resulted in a large fermenter being blown down with O2 instead of CO2--a potentially very dangerous situation! Read the labels if you're not certain!