Beer Making Procedure
Home Brew Procedure
- Making the Wort
- Fermentation & Temperature
- Bottling the Beer
- Filtering & Serving Beer
Fermentation
When the wort has cooled to below 27°C, sprinkle in the
yeast and
replace the lid firmly. Remember: 27°C is below blood heat and feels
cool but not cold.
Fermentation will start in a few hours and froth will begin to gather
on the surface of the liquid. The fermentation is quite vigorous for the
first day or two. If you used a top fermenting
yeast, skim off the froth
once or twice a day until the vigorous fermentation subsides, generally
by the end of the third day. A slotted spoon from the kitchen makes a
good skimming tool. Do not skim if you used a bottom fermenting
yeast.
With a bottom fermenting yeast in a closed fermentation vessel, it is
usual not to place water into the fermentation lock until fermentation
has been in progress for 24 to 36 hours.
Effect of Temperature
The ideal temperature for fermentation is between 16°C and 27°C.
Under these conditions, fermentation will be complete in five to seven
days. Therefore, keep your brew in a place where it will get neither too
hot nor too cold.
Wrapping the container with blankets or some other insulation is
helpful in winter. Immersion heaters are available from specialist
suppliers. Make certain that the heater has no exposed metal parts.
When the temperature falls below 16°C, the
yeast works very much
slower; it may stop altogether. Fermentation which takes a week or less
in warm weather may take two weeks in winter. If you cannot keep your
brew warm in winter, remember that bottom fermenting
yeasts will work at
lower temperatures than top fermenting
yeasts. But probably these will
cease to work too, if the temperature falls below 5°C. On the other
hand, prolonged temperatures above 27°C may kill the
yeast.
Refined Fermentation Procedure
It the primary fermentation is carried out in two stages, the amount
of sediment in the beer can be kept to a minimum and the risk of
contamination reduced. For this process, a closed fermentation vessel is
essential.
When using a top fermenting yeast, fermentation is allowed to proceed
almost to completion in an open fermenter usually three to seven days.
The beer is then syphoned into the closed container, leaving the
'sediment behind. The fermentation lock is fitted. Fermentation is then
completed and the beer is allowed several days to clear. This usually
takes another five to 'seven days. After this, it is bottled and primed
as usual.
When using a bottom fermenting
yeast, the first stage is done in the
closed container. The beer is then .syphoned into another container, the
sediment quickly missed out of the closed container, and the beer
„turned to it for the second stage. This of course is unnecessary if you
have more than one closed container.
The advantage of this method is that in the closed container, the
beer is protected from contamination and can be allowed to settle for
several days after fermentation is complete. This gives minimum carry
over of sediment into the bottles and minimum sediment in our finished
beer.
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