Introduction
These instructions are designed for the first-time Brewer. What follows can be
considered an annotated recipe for a fool-proof ale beer. Why an ale? Because
ales are the simplest to brew. There are two basic kinds of beer: ales and
lagers. Ales can be brewed in a relatively short period of time at room
temperature. Lagers require longer times (a month or more) and cold
temperatures.
Brewing beer is simple and complicated, easy and hard. Compare it to fishing -
sit on the end of the dock with a can of worms and a cane pole and you will
catch fish. Going after a specific kind of fish is when fishing gets
complicated. Brewing a specific kind of beer can get complicated too. There are
many different styles of beer and many techniques to brew them.
Brewing a beer is a combination of several simple processes. First is the mixing
of ingredients and bringing the solution (wort) to a boil. Second is the cooling
of the wort to the fermentation temperature. Next the wort is transferred to the
fermenter and the yeast is added. After fermentation, the beer is siphoned off
the yeast sediment and bottled with a little extra sugar to provide the
carbonation. These are simple steps but there are three important things to keep
in mind every time you brew: Cleanliness, Preparation and Good Record Keeping.
Cleanliness - Cleanliness is the foremost concern of the brewer. Providing good
growing conditions for the yeast in the wort also provides good growing
conditions for other micro-organisms, especially wild yeast and bacteria.
Cleanliness to prevent contamination must be maintained throughout every stage
of the brewing process.
Preparation - Take the time to prepare your brewing area. Have the ingredients
ready on the counter. Prepare your yeast. Have the ice bath ready to cool the
wort when its done boiling. Make sure that all equipment is clean and ready to
go before starting. Patience and planning are necessities.
Record Keeping - Always keep good notes on what ingredients, amounts and times
were used in the brewing process. You need to be able to repeat good batches and
learn from poor ones.
Brewing Terms:
The following terms will be used throughout these instructions.
Ale - A beer brewed from a top-fermenting yeast with a relatively short, warm
fermentation.
Alpha Acid Units (AAU) - A homebrewing measurement of hops that quantifies the
amount of alpha acids (bittering agents) going into the beer before
fermentation. Equal to the weight of hops in ounces multiplied by the percent of
Alpha Acids.
Attenuation - The degree of conversion of sugar to alcohol and CO2.
Beer - Any beverage made by fermenting malted barley and seasoning with hops.
Cold Break - Proteins that coagulate and fall out of solution when the wort is
rapidly cooled after the boil.
Conditioning - An aspect of secondary fermentation in which the yeast refine the
flavors of the beer. Conditioning continues in the bottle.
Fermentation - The conversion of wort to beer, defined here as three parts,
Lagtime, Primary, and Secondary.
Gravity - Like density, gravity describes the concentration of malt sugar in the
wort. The specific gravity of water is 1.000 at 59F. Typical beer worts range
from 1.035 - 1.055 before fermentation (Original Gravity). The finished beer
gravity (FG) will range from 1.005 - 1.015, depending on the OG and type of
yeast.
Hops - Hop vines are grown in cool climates and brewers make use of the
cone-like flowers to add bitterness and balance the sweetness of the malt sugar.
The dried cones are available in pellets, plugs, or whole.
Hot Break - Proteins that coagulate and fall out of solution during the wort
boil.
Iodophor - An iodine-based sanitizing solution which does not require rinsing.
International Bittering Units (IBU) - A more precise method of measuring hop
bitterness. An IBU is a measure of the amount of alpha acid in the beer after
fermentation. Various equations have been devised to estimate the IBUs in a beer
based on the AAUs and factors for percent utilization, wort volume and wort
gravity.
Krausen (kroy-zen) - Used to refer to the foamy head that builds on top of the
beer during primary fermentation. Also an advanced method of priming.
Lager - A beer brewed from a bottom-fermenting yeast and given a long cool
fermentation.
Lagtime - The period of time from pitching the yeast until primary fermentation
is evident. The lagtime should preferably be less than 12 hours.
Pitching - Term for adding the yeast to the fermenter.
Primary Fermentation - The high activity phase marked by the evolution of carbon
dioxide and krausen. Most of the attenuation occurs during this phase.
Priming - The method of adding a small amount of fermentable sugar prior to
bottling to give the beer carbonation.
Racking - The careful siphoning of the beer away from the trub.
Secondary Fermentation - A period of conditioning and settling of the yeast
after primary fermentation and before bottling.
Trub (trub or troob) - The sediment at the bottom of the fermenter consisting of
hops, hot and cold break material, and dormant (sometimes dead) yeast.
Wort (wart or wert) - The malt-sugar solution that is boiled with hops prior to
fermentation.
Zymurgy - The science of Brewing and Fermentation.
Required Equipment
Airlock - Several styles are available. Fill to the water line with water and
cap it (if it has one). Airlocks prevent airborne contamination during
fermentation.
Boiling Pot - Must be able to comfortably hold a
minimum of 3 gallons; bigger is better. Use Aluminum, Stainless Steel or
Ceramic- coated (enameled) Steel. If you use a new aluminum pot, don't use it
bright-and-shiny; you may get a metallic off-flavor. Boil some water in it
first.
Bottles - You will need 48 re-cappable 12 oz bottles. Use bottles that are
thicker, like those used by microbreweries and imports. Twist-offs do not re-cap
well. Used champagne bottles are ideal if you can find them.
Bottle Capper - Either Hand Capper or Bench Capper. Bench Cappers are more
versatile and are needed for the champagne bottles, but are more expensive.
Bottle Caps - Both standard (crown) caps and oxygen-absorbing caps are
available.
Bottle Filler - Rigid plastic (or metal) tube with spring loaded valve at the
tip for filling bottles.
Bottle Brush - Necessary for initial thorough cleaning of used beer bottles.
Fermenter(s) - The 6 gallon food-grade plastic pail is recommended for
beginners. These are very easy to work with. Glass carboys are also available,
in 5, 6, and 7.5 gallon sizes.
Racking Cane - Rigid plastic tube with sediment stand-off.
Siphon/Hose - Available in several configurations, consisting of clear plastic
tubing with optional Racking Cane and Bottle Filler.
Note on Siphoning:
Do not suck on the hose to start the siphon. This will contaminate the hose with
Lacto Bacillus bacteria from your mouth. Fill the hose with sanitizing solution
prior to putting it into the beer. Keep the end pinched or otherwise closed to
prevent the solution from draining out. Place the outlet into another spare
container and release the flow; the draining solution will start the siphon.
Once the siphon is started, transfer it to your desired container.
Stirring Paddle - Food grade plastic paddle (spoon) for stirring the wort during
boiling.
Thermometer - Obtain a thermometer that can be safely immersed in the wort and
has a range of at least 40F to 150F. The floating dairy thermometers work well,
as do the LCD dial thermometers.
Optional but Highly Recommended
Bottling Bucket - A 6 gallon food-grade plastic pail
with attached spigot and fill-tube. The finished beer is racked into this for
priming prior to bottling. Racking into the bottling bucket allows clearer beer
with less sediment in the bottle. The spigot set-up is used instead of the
Bottle Filler above, allowing greater control of the fill level and no hassles
with a siphon during bottling.
Hydrometer - A hydrometer measures the relative specific gravity between pure
water and water with sugar dissolved in it. The hydrometer is used to gauge
fermentation by measuring one aspect of it, attenuation. Attenuation is the
conversion of sugar to ethanol by the yeast. Water has a specific gravity of
1.000. Beers typically have a final gravity between 1.015 and 1.005. Champagnes
and meads can have gravities less than 1.000, because of the large percentage of
ethyl alcohol, which has a density of less than 1. By the way, hydrometer
readings are standardized to 59F, since liquid gravity (density) is dependent on
temperature. Temperature correction tables are usually sold with a hydrometer or
are available from Chemistry Handbooks (ex. CRCs).
Here is a short table of corrections:
50F => -.0006
55F => -.0003
59F => 0
65F => +.0006
70F => +.0012
75F => +.0018
80F => +.0026
85F => +.0033
How To Use a Hydrometer
A hydrometer is a useful tool in the hands of an experienced brewer who knows
what he wants to measure. Various books or recipes may give Original and/or
Final Gravities (OG and FG) of a beer to assist the brewer in the evaluation of
his success. For an average beer yeast, a rule of thumb is that the FG should be
about one forth of the OG. For example, a common beer OG of 1.040 should finish
about 1.010 (or lower). A couple points either way is typical scatter.
It needs to be emphasized that the stated FG of a recipe is not the goal. The
goal is to make a good tasting beer. The hydrometer should be regarded as only
one tool available to the brewer as a means to gauge the fermentation progress.
The brewer should only be concerned about a high hydrometer reading when primary
fermentation has apparently ended and the reading is about one half of the OG,
instead of the nominal one forth. Incidentally, if this situation occurs, two
remedies are possible. The first is to agitate or swirl the fermenter to rouse
the yeastbed from the bottom. The fermenter should remain closed with no
aeration. The goal is to re-suspend the yeast so they can get back to work. The
alternative is to pitch some fresh yeast.
Hydrometers are necessary when making beer from scratch (all-grain brewing) or
when designing recipes. But a first-time brewer using known quantities of
extracts usually does not need one.
Ingredients
Commercial beer kits always provide 3-4 pounds of malt extract and the
instructions ften say to add a couple more pounds of table sugar. Don't Do It!
The resultant beer will have an unpleasant cidery taste. Use more malt extract
instead. The following is a basic beer recipe for a Pale Ale:
Mild Pale Ale
5-7 pounds of hopped pale malt extract syrup. (OG of 1.038 - 1.053)
5 gallons of water
1-2 ounces of hops (if desired for more hop character)
2 packets of dry ale yeast, plus 1 packet for back-up.
3/4 cup corn sugar for priming.
This is a basic Pale Ale and quite tasty. You will be amazed.
Further descriptions of the ingredients follow.
Malt Extract:
Using malt extract is what makes homebrewing simple. Malt extract is the
concentrated sugars extracted from malted barley. It is sold in both the liquid
and powdered forms. The syrups are approximately 20 percent water, so 4 pounds
of dry malt extract (DME) is roughly
equal to 5 pounds of malt extract syrup. Malt extract is available in both the
Hopped and Unhopped varieties. Munton & Fison, Alexanders, Coopers, Edme and
Premier are all good brands. Read the ingredients to avoid added refined sugars
which are often added to Light Beer-style kits.
Using Unhopped extract requires you to add 1-2 ounces of hops during the boil
for bittering and flavor. Hops may also be added to the Hopped extracts towards
the end of the boil to add more hop character to the final beer.
The rule of thumb is 1 pound of malt extract (syrup) per gallon of water for a
light-bodied beer. One and a half pounds per gallon produces a richer,
fuller-bodied beer. One pound of malt extract syrup typically yields a gravity
of 1.034 - 38 when dissolved in one gallon of water. Dry malt will yield about
1.040 - 43. Malt extract is commonly available in Pale, Amber and Dark
varieties, and can be mixed depending on the style of beer desired. Wheat malt
extract is also available and more new extracts for specific beer styles (like
Stouts) are coming out each year. With the variety of extract now available,
there is almost no beer style that cannot be brewed using extract alone.
The next step in complexity for the homebrewer is to learn how to extract the
sugars from the malted grain himself. This process, called Mashing, allows the
brewer to take more control of producing the wort. This type of homebrewing is
referred to as All-Grain brewing, but it will not be discussed in this document.
Read my book, How To Brew if you are
interested in this brewing technique.
Water
The water is very important to the resulting beer. After all, beer is mostly
water. If your tap water tastes good at room temperature, it should make good
beer. If the water has a metallic taste, boil and let it cool before using to
let the excess minerals settle out. A good bet for your first batch of beer is
the bottled water sold in most supermarkets as drinking water. Use the 2.5
gallon containers. Use one container for boiling the extract and set the other
aside for addition to the fermenter later.
Hops
This is an involved subject. There are many varieties of hops, but they can be
divided into two main categories: Bittering and Aroma. Bittering hops are high
in Alpha Acids (the main bittering agents), typically greater than 10 percent.
Aroma hops are lower, around 5 percent. Several hop varieties are in between and
are used for both purposes. Bittering hops are added at the start of the boil
and usually boiled for an hour. Aroma (or Finishing) hops are added towards the
end of the boil and are typically boiled for 15 minutes or less. Hops can also
be added to the fermenter for increased hop aroma in the finished beer, called
Dry Hopping, but this is best done during secondary fermentation. A mesh bag,
called a Hop Bag, may be used to help retain the hops during the boil and make
removal of the hops easier prior to fermentation. Straining or removal of the
hops before fermentation is not absolutely necessary and is largely a matter of
personal preference.
Beer recipes often include a hop schedule, with amounts and boil times
specified. Sometimes recipes specify the hops in terms of AAUs or IBUs. AAUs are
a convenient unit for specifying hop amounts when discussing hop additions
because it allows for differences in the alpha acid percentages between hop
varieties or within the same variety year to year.
For the purposes of this recipe, 7 AAUs are recommended for the Boil (60
minutes) and 4 AAUs for Finishing (15 minutes). This is assuming the use of
unhopped malt extract; if you are using hopped extract, then only add the 4 AAUs
for finishing. In this recipe, these amounts correspond to 22 IBUs for the boil,
and 1 IBU for the finish. IBUs allow for variation in brewing practices between
brewers, yet provide a means for targeting the same final hop bitterness level
in the beers. This recipe is not very bitter. For more information on hop
varieties and estimating IBUs, see my book, How
To Brew
Yeast
There are several aspects to yeast; it is the other major factor in determining
the flavor of the beer. Different yeast strains will produce different beers
when pitched to identical worts. Yeast is available in both liquid and dried
forms, and for different types of ales and lagers. For the first-time brewer, a
dried ale yeast is highly recommended. Some leading and reliable brands of dry
yeast are Yeast Labs (marketed by G.W. Kent, produced by Lallemand of Canada),
Cooper's, DanStar (produced by Lallemand), Munton & Fison and Edme.. Avoid
using a no-name yeast packet that came taped to the top of a can of extract. You
don't know how old it is.
Ale yeast are referred to as top-fermenting because much of the fermentation
action takes place at the top of the fermenter, while lager yeasts would seem to
prefer the bottom. While many of today's strains like to confound this
generalization, there is one important difference, and that is temperature. Ale
yeasts like warmer temperatures, going dormant below 55F (12C), while Lager
yeasts will happily work at 40F. Using lager yeast at ale temperatures 65-70F
(18-20C) can produce a mixed character, a slightly fruity tasting lager,
referred to as California Common Beer, of which Anchor Steam Beer is the most
notable example. For more information, see my book, How
To Brew
Preparing Your Yeast
Dry Yeast needs to be re-hydrated before pitching; it will work much better.
Once rehydrated, it can be "proofed" by adding a little bit of sugar
to see if it is still viable.
1. Put 1 cup of warm (95-105F, 35-40C) boiled water into a sterile jar and stir
in two packets of dry yeast.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and wait 15 minutes.
3. Boil one teaspoon of sugar in a little bit of water and let it cool.
4. Add this sugar to the re-hydrated yeast, cover, and place in a warm area out
of direct sunlight.
5. After 30 minutes or so the yeast should be actively churning and foaming.
This is now ready to pitch. If it is not showing signs of activity, then repeat
the process with another packet.
Liquid yeast is often favored over dry yeast because of the greater number and
variety of yeast strains available. Liquid yeast allows for greater tailoring of
the beer to a particular style. Liquid yeast packets should be stored in the
refrigerator to keep the yeast dormant and healthy until they are ready to be
used. There are two types of liquid yeast package: those with inner nutrient
packets and those without. The packages that contain an inner bubble of yeast
nutrient (ie. a "smack pack") are intended to function as a
mini-starter, but are really not adequate. All liquid yeast needs to be pitched
to a starter wort to ensure adequate cell counts for a good fermentation. Smack
packs must be squeezed and warmed to 80F at least two days before brewing. The
packet will begin to swell as the yeast wake up and start consuming the
nutrients. When the packet has fully swelled, it is time to pitch it to a
starter.
Liquid Yeast Starter Procedure
1. To prepare a liquid yeast starter, dissolve 1/2 cup of DME
into a pint of boiling water.
2. Boil it for a minute or two and let it cool to 75F (25C). Transfer the wort
to a mason jar or other sanitized container.
3. Pour in the liquid yeast from the packet and add a quarter teaspoon of yeast
nutrient.
4. Shake the Starter vigorously to aerate it and encourage yeast growth.
5. Let this sit in the same warm place until brewing time the next day. Some
foaming or an increase in the white yeast layer on the bottom should be evident.
The Starter process may be repeated to provide even more yeast to the wort to
insure a strong fermentation. Most people prefer to pour off the excess liquid
(beer) and only pitch the yeast slurry from the bottom of the jar.
The Wort and Oxygen
The use of oxygen in brewing is a double-edged sword. The yeast utilize oxygen
in their growth processes, although they don't exactly breath. Boiling the wort
drives out the dissolved oxygen, which is why aeration of some sort is needed
prior to fermentation. Once the yeast use up all of the oxygen in the wort for
growth and reproduction, they get down to the anaerobic business of turning
sugar into alcohol and CO2 that we call fermentation. Prior aeration of the wort
is the best way to ensure that there are enough yeast cells for a good
fermentation.
Aeration of the wort can be accomplished several ways: shaking the container,
pouring the wort into the fermenter so it splashes, or even hooking up an
airstone to an aquarium air pump and letting that bubble for an hour. For the
latter method, (which is popular) everything must be sanitized! Otherwise,
welcome to Infection City. These instructions recommend shaking the starter and
pouring/shaking the wort. More on this later.
On the other hand, if oxygen is introduced while the wort is still hot, the
oxygen will oxidize the wort and this is a problem. This will cause oxidation of
the beer later which can manifest as a wet cardboard taste after several weeks.
The key to preventing oxidation is to not aerate when the wort is above 80F. In
addition, if oxygen is introduced after the fermentation has started, it may not
be completely utilized by the yeast and will later cause off-flavors.
This is why it is important to cool the wort rapidly to below 80F, to prevent
oxidation, and then aerate it to provide the dissolved oxygen that the yeast
need to help growth and reproduction. Cooling rapidly between 90 and 130F is
important because this region is ideal for bacterial growth to be established in
the wort. See the Cooling The Wort section for suggested methods.
Equipment Cleaning Tips
Clean all equipment after use as soon as possible. It is very easy to get
distracted and come back to find the syrup or yeast has dried hard as a rock and
the equipment is stained. If you are pressed for time, keep a large container
with chlorine water handy and just toss things in to clean later.
Rinsing beer bottles immediately after use eliminates the need to scrub them. If
your bottles are dirty or moldy, soaking and washing in a mild solution of
chlorine bleach water for a day or two will soften the residue. Brushing with a
bottle brush is a necessity to remove stuck residue. Dish washers are great for
cleaning the outside of bottles and heat sanitizing, but will not clean the
inside where the beer is going to go; that must be done beforehand. Sodium
Percarbonate-based cleaners (like PBW, B-Brite, and One-Step) work very well for
cleaning the bottles. Do not wash with scented dish detergents. This leaves a
residue which you will be able to taste. Never use any scented cleaning agents,
these odors can be absorbed into the plastic buckets and manifest in the beer.
Lemon-Fresh scented Pinesol beer is not very good. Unscented mild liquid
dishwashing detergents are acceptable for routine cleaning, just be sure to
rinse the items thoroughly. Lastly, be aware that dishwasher rinse agents will
destroy the head retention on your glassware. If you pour a beer with
carbonation and no head, this is a common cause.
Sanitization
So far, sanitization of ingredients and equipment has been discussed but not
much has been said about how to do this. The definition and objective of
sanitization is to reduce bacteria and contaminants to insignificant or
manageable levels. Sterilization is not really possible or practical. The
starter solution, wort and priming solutions will all be boiled, so those are
not a problem (usually).
One note - Do Not Boil the Yeast! You need them to be alive.
The most readily available sanitizing solution is made be adding 1 tablespoon of
bleach to 1 gallon of water (4 ml per liter). A very popular sanitizer is
Iodophor. Use 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons (4 ml/19 liters). Another excellent
sanitizer is Star-San, from the makers of PBW. Use 1 fluid ounce per 5 gallons.
The sanitizing solution can be prepared in the fermenting bucket. Immerse all of
equipment - airlock, hoses, paddles, rubber stopper, fermenter lid and anything
else contacting the beer. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Rinsing is not really
necessary at this concentration, but you may want to rinse with boiled water to
avoid any chance of off-flavors.
Ready to Begin?
Okay, we have covered equipment, ingredients and preparations. Are you ready to
begin? Do you have everything cleaned and sanitized? Do you have your
ingredients ready? You do not need to have your bottles cleaned and sanitized at
this point, that step is about two weeks away. I will now walk you through the
brewing processes.
Beginning the Boil
Bring 2 1/2 gallons water to a boil in a large pot. Meanwhile, re-hydrate the
dry yeast if you have not done so already. When the water is boiling, remove it
from the heat. Add all the malt extract to the hot water and stir until
dissolved. Make sure there is no syrup stuck to the bottom of the pot. It is
very important not to burn any malt stuck to the bottom when the pot is returned
to the heat. Burnt sugar tastes terrible.
The following stage is critical. The wort has a tendency to boil-over and needs
to be watched continuously. If you are adding bittering hops, do so now. Return
the pot to the heat and bring to a rolling boil, stirring frequently. Start
timing the hour.
A foam may start to rise and form a smooth surface. This is good. If the foam
suddenly billows over the side, this is a boil-over (Bad). The liquid is very
unstable at this point and remains so until it goes through the Hot Break (when
the wort stops foaming). This may take 5-20 minutes. The foaming can be
controlled by lowering the heat and/or spraying some water on the surface from a
spray bottle. Try to maintain a rolling boil.
Continue the rolling boil for the remainder of the hour. Stir occasionally to
prevent scorching. There may be a change in color and aroma and there will be
hot break particles floating in the wort. This is normal.
If you are adding the finishing hops, do so during the last fifteen minutes. Add
some more during the last five minutes if more hop aroma is desired. This
provides less time for the volatile oils to boil away.
Cooling the Wort
At the end of the boil, it is important to cool the wort quickly. While it is
still hot, (above 140·F) bacteria and wild yeasts are inhibited. But it is very
susceptible to oxidation damage as it cools. There are also sulfur compounds
that evolve from the wort while it is hot. If the wort is cooled slowly, di-methyl
sulfide will continue to be produced in the wort without being boiled off;
causing off-flavors in the finished beer. The objective is to rapidly cool the
wort to below 80·F before oxidation or contamination can occur.
Rapid cooling also forms the Cold Break. This is composed of another group of
proteins that need to be thermally shocked into precipitating out of the wort.
Slow cooling will not affect them. Cold break, or rather the lack of it, is one
cause of Chill Haze. When a beer is chilled for drinking, these proteins
partially precipitate forming a haze. As the beer warms up, the proteins
re-dissolve. Only by rapid chilling from near-boiling to room temperature, will
the cold break proteins permanently precipitate and not cause chill haze. Chill
haze is usually regarded as a cosmetic problem. You cannot taste it.
To cool the wort effectively, place the pot in a sink or tub filled with
cold/ice water that can be circulated around the hot pot. While the cold water
is flowing around the pot, gently stir the wort in a circular pattern so the
maximum amount of wort is moving against the sides of the pot. The wort should
cool to 80F in about 20 minutes. Be sure that your thermometer is sanitized
before putting it in the wort.
Pour the reserved 2.5 gallons of water into the sanitized fermenter. Pour the
cooled wort into it, allowing vigorous churning and splashing. Oxidation of the
wort is minimal now and this provides the dissolved oxygen that the yeast need
to reproduce. It is best for the beer if the wort temperature when the yeast is
pitched is the same as the fermentation temperature. In other words, the wort
should not be appreciably warmer than the room it is going to be fermented in.
For Ale yeasts, the preferred fermentation temperature range is 65-75F. High
initial wort temperatures or fermentation temperatures higher that 80F can cause
the yeast to produce noticeable off-flavors.
Note: Do not add commercial ice directly to the wort to cool. Commercial ice
harbors lots of dormant bacteria that would love a chance to work on the new
beer. If you want, you can freeze a bottle of water and immerse that in the wort,
but the outside of the bottle needs to be sanitized before immersion.
Pitching the Yeast
If the Yeast Starter is not foaming or churning, use the backup yeast. Repeat
the re-hydration procedure and then pitch the Yeast Starter into the beer,
making sure to add it all. Put the fermenter lid in place and seal it. Do not
put the airlock in quite yet. Place a piece of clean plastic wrap over the hole
in the lid and cover it with your hand.
With the fermenter tightly sealed, pick it up, sit in a chair, put the fermenter
on your knees and shake it several minutes to churn it up. This mixes the yeast
into the wort and provides more dissolved oxygen that the yeast need to grow.
Wipe off any wort around the hole with a paper towel that is wet with bleach
water and place the sanitized airlock and rubber stopper in the lid. The airlock
should be filled to the line with water.
Active fermentation should start within 12 hours. If no activity is seen in 24
hours, then add more yeast.
Fermentation
Put the fermenter in a protected area like the bathtub. If foam escapes it will
run down the drain and is easy to clean. The temperature here is usually about
the most stable in the house. Animals and small children are fascinated by the
smell and noises from the airlock, so keep them away.
The airlock should be bubbling in twelve hours. Maintain a consistent
temperature if possible. A fluctuating temperature strains the yeast and could
impair fermentation. If the temperature drops overnight and the bubbling stops,
simply move it to a warmer room and it should pick up again. The yeast does not
die, it merely goes dormant. You may need to swirl the fermenter to rouse the
yeast off the bottom, but do not shake the fermenter at this stage though.
Bottom line- if the temperature deviates too much or goes above 80F, the
fermentation can be affected, which then affects the flavor. If it goes too low,
the ale yeast will go into hibernation.
The fermentation process can be very vigorous or slow; either is fine. The
secret to a good fermentation is in providing enough active yeast. Fermentation
time is a sum of several variables with the most significant probably being
temperature. It is very common for an ale with an active ferment to be done in a
short time. It could last a few days, a week, maybe longer. Any of the above is
acceptable. Two to three days at 70F is typical for the simple ale being
described here.
If the fermentation is so vigorous that the foam pops the airlock out of the
lid, just rinse it out with sanitizer and wipe off the lid before replacing it.
Contamination is not a big problem at this point. With so much coming out of the
fermenter, not much gets in. Once the bubbling slows down however, do not open
the lid to peek. The beer is still susceptible to infections, particularly
anaerobic ones like Lacto Bacillus, found in your mouth. The beer will do just
fine if left alone for a minimum of two weeks.
Understanding Fermentation
The fermentation of malt sugars into beer is a complicated biochemical process.
It is more than just the conversion of sugar to alcohol, which can be regarded
as the primary activity. Total fermentation is better defined as three phases,
the Adaptation or Lagtime phase, the Primary or Attenuative phase and a
Secondary or Conditioning phase. The yeast do not end Phase 2 before beginning
Phase 3, the processes occur in parallel, but the conditioning processes occur
more slowly. As the majority of simple sugars are consumed, more and more of the
yeast will transition to eating the larger, more complex sugars and early yeast
by-products. This is why beer (and wine) improves with age to a degree, as long
as they are on the yeast. Beer that has been filtered or pasteurized will not
benefit from aging.
Lagtime
Immediately after pitching, the yeast start adjusting to the wort conditions and
undergo a period of high growth. The yeast use any available oxygen in the wort
to facilitate their growth processes. They can use other methods to adapt and
grow in the absence of oxygen, but they can do it much more efficiently with
oxygen. Under normal conditions, the yeast should proceed through the adaptation
phase and begin primary fermentation within 12 hours. If 24 hours pass without
apparent activity, then a new batch of yeast should probably be pitched.
Primary Phase
The primary or attenuative phase is marked by a time of vigorous fermentation
when the gravity of the beer drops by 2/3-3/4 of the original gravity (OG). The
majority of the attenuation occurs during the primary phase, and can last
anywhere from 2-6 days for ales, depending on conditions.
A head of foamy krausen will form on top of the beer. The foam consists of yeast
and wort proteins and is a light creamy color, with islands of green-brown gunk
that collect and tend to adhere to the sides of the fermenter. The gunk is
composed of extraneous wort protein, hop resins, and dead yeast. These compounds
are very bitter and if stirred back into the wort, could result in harsh
aftertastes. Fortunately these compounds are relatively insoluble and are
typically removed by adhering to the sides of the fermenter as the krausen
subsides. Aftertastes are rarely, if ever, a problem.
As the primary phase winds down, a majority of the yeast start settling out and
the krausen starts to subside. If you are going to transfer the beer off of the
trub and primary yeast cake, this is the proper time to do so. Take care to
avoid aerating the beer during the transfer. At this point in the fermentation
process, any exposure to oxygen will only contribute to staling reactions in the
beer, or worse, expose it to contamination.
Many canned kits will advise bottling the beer after one week or when the
bubbling stops. This is not a good idea because the beer has not yet gone
through the Conditioning phase. At this time the beer would taste a bit rough
around the edges (e.g. yeasty flavors, buttery tones, green apple flavors) but
these will disappear after a few weeks of conditioning.
Conditioning Phase
The reactions that take place during the conditioning phase are primarily a
function of the yeast. The vigorous primary stage is over, the majority of the
wort sugars have been converted to alcohol, and a lot of the yeast cells are
going dormant - but some are still active.
The Secondary Phase allows for the slow reduction of the remaining fermentables.
The yeast have eaten most all of the easily fermentable sugars and now start to
turn their attention elsewhere. The yeast start to work on the heavier sugars
and clean up some of the byproducts they produced during the fast-paced primary
phase. However, it is often a good idea to get the beer off of the trub during
the conditioning phase, especially if the beer is going to sit on the trub for a
long period of time, like in the case of lager beer. See my book, How
To Brew for more information on lager brewing.
Under some conditions (like excessively long times and/or high temperatures),
the yeast will also consume some of the compounds in the trub. The consumption
of these compounds can produce several off-flavors. In addition, the dormant
yeast on the bottom of the fermenter will begin excreting more amino and fatty
acids. If the post-primary beer is left on the trub and yeast cake for too long
(more than about three weeks in some cases) soapy flavors may become evident.
Further, after very long times in worts with poor nutrient levels, the yeast
begin to die and break down - autolysis, which produces rubbery, sulfury tastes
and smells. For these reasons, it can be important to get the beer off of the
trub and dormant yeast during the conditioning phase.
There has been a lot of controversy within the homebrewing community on the
value of racking ales to secondary fermenters. While there is no question in the
case of lagers, many seasoned homebrewers have declared that there is no real
taste benefit for ales and that the dangers of contamination and the cost in
additional time are not worth what little benefit there may be. For your first
beer, I will advise you to use only a single fermenter until you have gained
some experience with racking and sanitation.
Leaving an ale beer in the primary fermenter for a total of 2-3 weeks versus one
when using single stage fermentation (i.e. not using a second fermenter) will
provide time for the conditioning reactions and improve the finished beer. The
extra time will also let more sediment settle out before bottling, resulting in
a clearer beer and easier pouring.
Using Secondary Fermenters (Optional)
Using a two stage fermentation requires a good understanding of the fermentation
process. At any time, racking the beer can adversely affect it because of
potential oxygen exposure and contamination risk. Racking the beer off the
yeastbed before the primary fermentation phase has completed can result in a
stuck or incomplete fermentation.
The following is a general procedure for using a secondary fermenter.
1. Allow the Primary Fermentation stage to wind down. This will be 2 - 6 days
after pitching when the bubbling rate drops off dramatically to about 1-5 per
minute. The krausen will have started to settle back into the beer.
2. Using a sanitized siphon (no sucking or splashing!), rack the beer off the
trub into a another clean fermenter and affix an airlock. The beer should still
be fairly cloudy with suspended yeast.
Racking from the primary may be done at any time after primary fermentation has
more-or-less completed. (Although if it has been more than 3 weeks, you may as
well bottle.) Most brewers will notice a brief increase in activity after
racking, but then all activity may cease. This is very normal, it is not
additional primary fermentation per se, but just dissolved carbon dioxide coming
out of solution due to the disturbance. Fermentation (conditioning) is still
taking place, so just leave it alone. A minimum useful time in the secondary
fermenter is two weeks. Overly long times in the secondary (for light ales- more
than 6 weeks) may require the addition of fresh yeast at bottling time for good
carbonation. Always use the same strain as the original. This situation is
usually not a concern.
Priming & Bottling
This beer will be ready to bottle in two or three weeks when primary
fermentation has completely stopped. There should be few, if any, bubbles in the
airlock. The flavor won't improve by bottling any earlier. Some books recommend
bottling after the bubbling stops or in about 1 week. It is not uncommon for
fermentation to stop after 3-4 days and begin again a few days later due to a
drop in temperature. If the beer is bottled too soon, the beer will become
over-carbonated and the pressure may exceed the bottle strength. Exploding
bottles are a disaster.
After the bottles have been cleaned with a brush, they need to be sanitized.
Immerse them in sanitizing solution or run them in the dishwasher with the heat
on. If immersing, allow the bottles to drain completely before use. Rinsing
should not be necessary, but if you do, only use water that has been boiled. Hot
tap water is not necessarily sanitized. Also sanitize the priming container,
siphon unit, stirring spoon and bottle caps. But do not heat the bottle caps, as
this may ruin the gaskets or tarnish them.
Preparing the Priming Solution
Some books recommend adding 1 tsp. sugar to each bottle for priming. This is not
recommended because it is time consuming and not precise. Bottles may carbonate
unevenly and explode. Instead, boil 3/4 cup of corn or table sugar, or 1 and 1/4
cup dry malt extract in some water, let it cool, and add it to the whole batch.
Here are two ways to add it, I recommend the first:
1. Pour the priming solution gently into a sanitized Bottling Bucket, don't let
it splash. Then use a sanitized siphon to transfer the beer into the sanitized
bottling bucket. Place the siphon outlet beneath the surface of the priming
solution as it fills to prevent aeration. Do not allow the beer to splash as you
don't want to add oxygen to your beer at this point. Keep the intake end of the
racking tube an inch off the bottom of the fermenter to leave the yeast and
sediment behind. See Note on Siphoning.
2. Open the fermenter and gently pour the priming solution into the beer. Stir
the beer gently with a sanitized spoon, trying to mix it in evenly while being
careful not to stir up the sediment. Wait a half hour for the sediment to settle
back down and to allow more diffusion of the priming solution to take place.
Then siphon to your bottles.
Filling Your Bottles
Place the fill tube of the siphon unit or bottling bucket at the bottom of the
bottle. Fill slowly at first to prevent gurgling and keep the fill tube below
the waterline to prevent aeration. Fill to about 3/4 inch from the top of the
bottles. Place a sanitized cap on the bottle and cap. Inspect every bottle to
make sure the cap is secure.
Bottle Conditioning
Carbonation will take about two weeks; age the bottles somewhere out of direct
sunlight. Aging for one month will improve the flavor considerably, but one week
will do the job of carbonation for the impatient.
Different beer styles benefit from different lengths of bottle conditioning.
Generally, the higher the Original Gravity, the longer the conditioning time to
reach peak flavor. Small beers like 1.035 Pale Ales will reach peak flavor
within a couple weeks of bottling. Stronger/more complex ales, like Stouts, may
require a month or more. Very strong beers like Doppelbocks and Barleywines will
require 6 months to a year before they condition to their peak flavor. (If
oxidation doesn't take its toll first. I have had some pretty awful year old
barleywines.) When bottling your first few batches, its a good idea to set aside
a six pack and leave it for a time. It is enlightening to taste a homebrewed
beer that has had two months to bottle condition and compare it to what the
batch initially tasted like.
Other Storage Considerations
Two common questions are, "How long will a homebrewed beer keep?" and
"Will it spoil?" The answer is that homebrewed beer has a fairly long
storage life due to the presence of the yeast. Depending on the style and
original gravity, the beer will keep for more than a year. I occasionally come
across a year-old six pack that I had forgotten about and it tastes great. Of
course, there are other cases when that year-old six pack has gotten very
oxidized in that time and tastes pretty bad. It really depends on how careful
you were with the bottling - Quality in, Quality out.
Finally, it is important to keep the beer out of direct sunlight, especially if
you use clear or green bottles. Exposure to sunlight or fluorescent light will
cause beer to develop a skunky character. It is the result of a photo-chemical
reaction with hop compounds and sulfer compounds. Contrary to popular belief,
this is not a character that Heineken, Grolsch, and Molson strive for in their
beer. It is simply a result of poor handling by retailers, and storing them
under fluorescent lighting. Other beers like Miller High Life don't boil hops
with the wort but instead use a specially processed hop extract for bittering
which lacks the compounds that cause skunking (and flavor). Brown bottles are
best unless you make a point of keeping your beer in the dark.
Drinking Your First Homebrew
One final item that nobody ever remembers to tell new brewers until it's too
late is: "Don't drink the yeast layer on the bottom of the bottle."
People will say, "My first homebrew was pretty good, but that last swallow
was terrible!" or "His homebrew really gave me gas" or "It
must have been spoiled, I had to go to the bathroom right away after I drank
it."
Welcome to the laxative effects of live yeast!
When you pour your beer from the bottle, pour it slowly so you don't disturb the
yeast layer. With a little practice, you will be able to pour out all but the
last quarter inch of beer. The yeast layer can harbor a lot of bitter flavors.
It's where the word "Dregs" came from.
Some Things to Watch out for:
Contamination of beer can happen at any stage of the brewing process. Some are
not readily apparent. But any problem that can be easily drank will not cause
physical harm. By the way, it is absolutely impossible to produce poisonous
methyl (wood) alcohol when brewing beer. A few infections that may cause severe
gastric distress will first be noted by their appalling smell. Here are some
warning signs:
1. Mold floating on top of the fermenting beer. Toss it.
2. The beer has slimy strands in it. This is a sure sign of Lacto infection.
Toss it.
3. The bottled beer has a milky layer at the top and/or small residue bumps
clinging to the sides of the bottle neck in the airspace. This is a bacterial
infection. The beer will smell rotten and taste nasty. Do not confuse this with
the dew that condenses near the bottle cap; the dew is normal. Also, Priming
with DME will leave a protein ring
around the top of the bottle, just like what is left on the sides of the
fermenter. This is also normal.
4. The bottled beer has a very sweet smell, like molasses. This is a sign of an
Aceto (acetic) infection. The beer is on its way to turning into malt vinegar.
Malt vinegar is good, but not what was intended.
5. The bottled beers are getting worse with time, a stale, cardboard-like or
sherry-like flavor is becoming noticeable. This is a symptom of oxidation. Drink
the beers sooner and try to avoid splashing the hot wort next time.
6. A skunk-like or cat-musk smell. The beer is light struck. Always store beer
in a dark or shaded area.
Recommended Reading:
How To Brew by John Palmer
The comprehensive homebrewing book that covers everything you need to know to
brew your beer right the first time, whether you are brewing with extract or
all-grain. Step by step instructions and illustrations are provided for each
brewing method.