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The essential equipment for home brewing are:
- A vessel for boiling the ingredients.
- Fermentation vessel. bottles, caps, and a capping tool.
- Muslin or Terylene for
straining.
- Plastic tube for syphoning.
Fermenters in Beer Brewing
Open fermenters
These are the most widely used. They are simple, cheap, and give
quite good results. Open fermenters are suitable for use with either top
or bottom fermenting yeasts, although a little care may be necessary
with the bottom fermenting yeasts.
Plastic garbage cans are the most commonly used open fermenters. They
have adequate capacity, are cheap and easy to obtain, and quite suitable
for the job. One point to remember though: If you pour boiling liquid
into them, they may go soggy and collapse, so make certain some cooled
or cold liquid is placed in them before pouring in any boiling liquid.
Some plastic manufacturers make high density polythene buckets of
22 or 27l capacity. These have a good, tight fitting lid and
stout carrying handles. They are used in the food and flavouring
industry and make ideal open fermenters. High density polythene has the
advantage that it is not affected by boiling liquids and may be
sterilized by scalding with boiling water. The price of these buckets
should range from three to five dollars.
A number of other open vessels are suitable. The main requirement is
that they are made from a material which will not contaminate the brew.
Metals, with the exception of stainless steel, should be avoided.
When using bottom fermenting yeasts in these open containers, it is a
good practice to cover the top with a sheet of plastic secured with
elastic. This allows the carbon dioxide gas to force its way out, but
makes it difficult for air to get in.
Closed fermenters
The advantage of a closed fermenter is that the brew is completely
protected from contamination. Therefore they are the easiest to use and
give the most consistent results. Bottom fermenting
yeasts are normally
used with closed fermenters.
If you wish to use a top fermenting
yeast, then it is necessary to
allow most of the fermentation to occur in an open fermenter. Then the
contents are syphoned into the closed fermenter for a few days. This is
to allow the fermentation to complete and the
yeast to settle.
A high density polythene 22l or 44l carboy with an attached tap,
and fitted with a fermentation lock, makes an excellent closed fermenter.
They are readily available at most health food stores and at specialist
home brewing suppliers.
Glass carboys or jars can be used as closed fermenters. They have the
advantage that you can see when fermentation is finished and the
yeast settles. On the other hand, they are fragile and can crack with heat.
Fermentation locks
Closed fermenters must be fitted with a fermentation lock. This
allows the carbon dioxide gas to escape but prevents air getting back
in. There are two types. The principle of their operation is obvious
from the diagram. With both types, the carbon dioxide must bubble
through the water to escape and the water prevents air getting back.
Cessation of bubbling is a reliable indication that fermentation is
complete.
The lock is generally fitted to the fermenter, either through a
rubber bung, or through a tight fitting rubber grummet in the cap.
Fermentation locks are not expensive. However, most handymen would be
able to make one from plastic tablet phials by following the diagram.
The outer phial would need to be about 4cm in diameter and about 6cm in
length. The smaller one chosen to suit. The tube in the centre to be
about I inch in diameter.
It is a common practice to add a little sodium metabisulphite
solution to the water in the lock. Also, unless the lock is very big,
the water should not be added until the first vigorous fermentation
subsides, usually after 36 to 48 hours.
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