The anaerobic process by which yeast convert sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
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2answers
31 views
Stopping fermentation and then bottling
I've tried making a few beers that I think have TOO much alcohol. I'd like to stop the fermentation before all of the sugars have fermented, and I'm wondering what the best way is to do that.
I've ...
2
votes
1answer
61 views
Dropped the temperature as it was getting out of control, did I shock my yeast?
Making an IPA with an OG of 1.069, we pitched at 70°F with good ol' Safale US-05, just dry out of the packet as I've always done with US-05 with good success (I tend to trust it a little too much ...
1
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1answer
54 views
Wine and yeast “clean up”
I have now decided to try my hand at some wine making as SHMBO decided she would also like to enjoy the fruits (haha) of my hobby.
In the instructions for the kit I received (White Riesling) I was ...
0
votes
1answer
48 views
Problems with Wyeast London Ale 1028?
I had a brew day yesterday and ran into something a little odd. I smacked a pack of Wyeast London Ale #1028 berfore I started my routine. After everything was said and done with the boil it had been ...
3
votes
5answers
6k views
What to do with a stuck fermentation after 2 days with my first beer kit?
I am trying my first beer kit after trying wine once before. I picked up a "Summit Avenue EPA" clone of Summit EPA from Midwest Supplies.
On Monday I did the 60 minute boil, cooled everthing to ...
1
vote
3answers
91 views
105 Day Fermentation?
I am half dozen or so batches into my homebrewing "career" (Saison du Buff, Jasmine IPA and Midas Touch among my highlights) I found a recipe for a darker saison. I made some modifications (chocolate ...
3
votes
1answer
133 views
How little light can spoil a beer?
I build a fermentation chamber that has a small computer fan that is equipped with tiny blue led lights. Is it only UV light that can skunk a beer? What would the effect of this frequently run fan ...
3
votes
2answers
125 views
What is the benefit of long fermentations/leaving beer on yeast for weeks?
I know the 'general' answers: "it allows the yeast to 'clean up' compounds", "it allows the beer to 'condition'", "it allows the flavors to come together", none of which I am satisfied with.
My ...
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3answers
3k views
No Bubbles and No Foam after 3 Days
First time brewer here. I'm concerned my batch is not progressing as it should. Here's a quick run down of what I've done...
I put my batch (which had a SG of 1.044) in the primary fermenter on ...
1
vote
2answers
86 views
SG and OG quite different to values indicated on can label
very quick question: making a kit brew (Coopers Real Ale), which says a typical OG is 1.046 and FG is 1.006. Unfortunately, my OG was 1.038, and my current reading (after about 17 days) is 1.013, and ...
2
votes
2answers
369 views
What is the oily film on the top of my kit beer
I made a creme ale 10 days ago and I racked to the secondary after 4 days fermenting( don't ask ) . I tasted it yesterday and it taste very bitter with little to no flavor. When I transferred it to ...
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1answer
107 views
What are the benefits of fermenting under pressure?
I hear that some brewers ferment under pressure. What is the rationale/benefits of doing this?
7
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2answers
112 views
Pressure during fermentation
I imagine other parameters are more important (like temperature or pitching rate). Still, I was wondering if pressure has some effect on the fermentation process (for example on flocculation, ...
3
votes
2answers
67 views
Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager for Bock - too late for diacetyl rest?
I really wasn't ready to do a lager, but I wanted to do a Bock, so I requested California Lager yeast. My supplier failed to make the substitution and sent me home with Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager. I ...
2
votes
2answers
89 views
Why is my attenuation so low?
Here's the recipe:
> Recipe Specifications
> --------------------------
> Boil Size: 7.37 gal Post Boil Volume: 6.38 gal Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal Bottling Volume: 5.50 gal
> ...
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2answers
94 views
Am I bottling too quick?
Leaving aside the risk the fermentation is not completed and possible bottle bombing.
I have made some amber or brown ales, about 1.040 1.050 OG. After a week I bottle it and start drinking after ...
5
votes
5answers
1k views
Fermenting Soda
Years ago I attempted to ferment Mountain Dew (about a decade ago so my recount of the details may be a bit off). My goal was to have a drink with similar carbonation, similar flavor, and reasonable ...
3
votes
2answers
116 views
Too late to move a brew?
I brewed an IPA yesterday. All went well and it is bubbling away today. However, my friend's brewing fridge/fermenting chamber just freed up and he suggested putting my brew in there. It would ...
1
vote
1answer
98 views
Low gravity reading after one week
My first home brew batch has been in the primary fermentation for one week and the gravity reading has dropped from 1055 to 1008. Is it going down too quickly?
4 kg pale ale malt
0,5 kg crystal malt
...
8
votes
3answers
3k views
How does lemon juice ferment into hard lemonade?
I'm interested in making a hard lemonade after my cider is done, but I'm having a tough time figuring out how the recipes I've found actually work, and what's the best way to ferment lemon juice. ...
2
votes
3answers
111 views
Fermentation - only very small bubbles after 36 hours
This is my first batch so I'm wondering if I am worrying over nothing or if I need to take action. I brewed an all extract IPA kit from Williams Brewing. I feel I was very careful with sanitation ...
7
votes
1answer
106 views
Does using a fining agent effect the flocculation of yeast?
I'm doing a series of smash beers all using the same yeast same temp same grain. I'm noticing a big variation in flocculation on the current batch (forgot the Irish moss oops) WLP001 by the way. Im ...
4
votes
2answers
91 views
How to avoid blowoff on a 1 gallon jug?
I'm experimenting with 1 gallon batches, and every single time I had a blowoff. So for the batch I brewed today I just put a bucket of sanitized water and a blowoff tube to start with since I know ...
4
votes
3answers
921 views
My cider stopped fermenting until I swished it around in the bucket a bunch, then continued. Is that normal?
My malted cider had been brewing after about a week in my plastic brewing bucket to the point where the little 'hat' thing in my airlock fell onto the 'neck' (no internal pressure).
I opened it up ...
3
votes
3answers
215 views
Relation of CO2/alcohol/yeasts in Ginger Beer
The article making_ginger_beer mentions using bread yeast so you get more carbonation and less alcohol. Isn't carbonation a by-product of the process that makes alcohol? Wouldn't that mean more ...
3
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2answers
237 views
How can I ferment in a corny keg under constant pressure?
I'm thinking about switching from fermenting (primary and secondary) in glass carboys to using Cornelius kegs. Specifically, I'd ferment a 5.5 gallon batch in a 10 gallon carboy.
My goal is to ...
3
votes
1answer
83 views
How long to keep in blowoff tube?
Today I learned what happens if there's too much yeast and a container too small (I have a 1 gallon batch). So according to instructions I sanitized a hose and connected the hole in the fermentor and ...
5
votes
3answers
3k views
How much distillers yeast do I use in a 5 gallon batch of beer?
The recipe I'm working on calls for the use of distillers yeast half way through my primary fermentation (among other things like plenty of sugar, aeration, etc...). Problem is, it doesn't really ...
2
votes
1answer
79 views
Spigot broke on primary fermentation bucket
After 6 days in primary I went to move bucket and the spigot broke. Managed to keep it in place while attaching a hose and transferring the wort. There was a ring around the top of the bucket where ...
1
vote
1answer
53 views
What activity to expect when fermenting a lager?
I have a lager in primary fermentation, with the temp in the fridge around 10C. The fridge smells of fermentation and the bubbler is not level, but I have not seen a single bubble escape from the ...
21
votes
4answers
592 views
Open-Fermented or Native Yeast Beers
I've always been very careful about control and sanitation with beer. But with my wine I do some native yeast Pinots, and some friends of mine are into the same with beers- they like funky, ...
3
votes
2answers
143 views
Rescuing a weak lager fermentation
I'm currently fermenting a spiced dark lager with an original gravity of 1.064. I began fermentation 2 weeks ago today with a White Labs 830 yeast that I made a starter with. The yeast was a bit old, ...
0
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2answers
55 views
Fermentation #2
So earlier I had mentioned the broken spigot on my primary that I managed to siphon into a glass carboy. It had been in primary for 6 days . Earlier I noticed that there was about an inch & 1/2 of ...
5
votes
2answers
167 views
Will Jalapeno or Habanero peppers adversely effect yeast
I have a recipe in front of me for a Saison of the spicy variety. It calls for the addition of one Jalapeno pepper, seeds included. First off, I do enjoy a fair amount of spice (far more than anyone ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
How much effect does light have on fermenting beer?
If I keep my fermenting beer in my living room, should I cover it with blankets or otherwise keep it out of the light? I've seen topics on brewing referencing this, but most just settle for "why take ...
4
votes
1answer
95 views
House's furnace died while fermenting, what should I do?
I'm doing my first homebrew (using this kit), and started fermentation 6 days ago. I've kept it in my basement, which is usually around 66F. The kit's instructions just tell me to let it ferment in a ...
0
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1answer
75 views
Cider molding and wont go away but not getting worse?
I have three ciders going, two "spiced" ciders and one regular/standard whatever the straight apple squeezed cider ("Ryan's" brand if anyone is familiar) is called. This is my first attempt at cider, ...
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vote
3answers
134 views
So I don't know if my primary is done
I started primary 5 days ago. On the second day it had a healthy yeast cake on top. Day three it began to fall and yesterday, so day 4, it went all the way down. The temp is at 70 degrees and is an ...
3
votes
1answer
89 views
cider with brett?
Got a great deal ($! per) on half gallon jugs of Ryan's cider. I bought everything the store had (7 gallons of "spiced" cider and 3 gallons of standard cider). I plan on making three batches with ...
1
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4answers
914 views
Measuring yeast activity by collecting CO2
I've been thinking about ways to measure the progress of the primary fermentation, looking for an alternative to taking samples and measuring the gravity.
I was wondering if anyone has tried to ...
1
vote
1answer
63 views
Making 5-7 l of beer in a 30l bucket
I would like to make a small quantity of beer, using something like this
http://hbd.org/uchima/tech/extract.html
What are the downsides of using a bucket much bigger than the amount of beer?
1
vote
2answers
187 views
Dry hopping at the end of fermentation?
First of all I know being impatient is not the way to approach brewing, but I would like to sneak my last batch (as well as the ones I had planned) into a PRO-AM comp in two weeks. I have an session ...
1
vote
1answer
135 views
How long to ferment for?
I made a coopers IPA can 2 days ago and it's currently fermenting away (bubbles every few seconds) and is at around 21-24 deg c (69-75 deg f) which is what it says as the label.
The can says to ...
0
votes
1answer
122 views
Not much activity after 24 hours
Yesterday I brewed up a batch of an american brown ale. 24 hours after pitching, it doesn't to look to be moving so well. There are hints of a krausen, but not as much as there should be. I don't see ...
17
votes
9answers
8k views
[WIKI] Fermentation Temperature Control Methods
What different methods do people use to maintain or control fermentation temps? This includes maintaining temps for both Ales and Lagers. For most climates, active control is necessary for doing ...
3
votes
4answers
625 views
Measuring specific gravity without sampling
Is there any way, I can measure SG with a sensor of some kind?
I guess I'm not REALLY after SG, but rather a way to determine that fermantation is done, without sampling.
I would very much like hook ...
2
votes
4answers
212 views
Fermenter Headspace; Suitable (and cheap!) Containers for Split Batches
After Denny's article in the spring issue of Zymurgy, I'm anxious to experiment and split batches for experimentation with yeast pitching rates, strains, fermentation temps, and adjuncts.
I had ...
0
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1answer
93 views
Can a Bottling Bucket explode?
For some random reasons, I had to siphon my beer from a carboy to my bottling bucket, which doesn't have airlock or something in the lid. The fermentation was already done, so what I understand I ...
0
votes
1answer
89 views
The runaway and the non starter!
So we got a can of Coopers German wheat beer kit, and decided to do 2x10 lites batches, trying slightly different recipes with each one. We boiled up orange zest and corriander seeds and added the ...
2
votes
4answers
199 views
When is fermentation done
So, I'm totally new to homebrewing. About to start my first brew, and it's a complete kit with instructions.
Supposedly, it can't go wrong.
BUT, it says that fermentation is over in 16 days. I assume ...
