9
votes
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Does homebrewed beer have a "Golden Age"?
Beers do tend to age and have a sweet spot, per se, of when their flavor peaks. Every beer and beer style is different without a doubt.
But what you are describing is more related to your experience ...
- 36.2k
9
votes
Tips for brewing at high temperatures
I advise looking at HotHead from Omega Labs: http://www.omegayeast.com/portfolio/14158-2/
Flocculation: Medium-High
Attenuation: 75-85%
Temperature Range: 62-98° F (16-37° C)
Alcohol Tolerance: 11%...
- 7,048
8
votes
Accepted
Could this have oxidized the beer?
'Anything to worry about?'
Really, it's nothing to worry about at all.
'Could this have oxidized the beer?'
Sure, technically, but to a really negligible amount.
How much this might effect the ...
- 6,437
7
votes
Accepted
What is the max time it would take yeast to "clean up"?
According to info I got from John Palmer for an upcoming article I wrote for BYO magazine, the cleanup happens concurrently with fermentation. Here's the quote..."Yeast have 3 phases in their life ...
- 33.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Are hops fermentable by beer yeast?
Interestingly, I found a presentation by Thomas H. Shellhammer, professor of fermentation science at OSU, that shows the composition of a typical hop cone:
Cellulose and Lignin: 40-50%
Protein: 15%
...
- 383
7
votes
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Starsan in double bubble airlock keeps getting sucked into fermenter - why and how to prevent?
This is caused by a drop in temp before co2 is being produced. Just cap the fermenter in sanitized foil until you're past the lag phase, or cooled to fermentaion temp. Though a little bit of starsan ...
- 18.5k
7
votes
How do you let water sit until the chlorine vapours off without any contamination?
Chlorine you can boil off before use, usually a hard boil for 20 minutes will get rid of Chlorine. Unless your water district uses a binder which is rare.
Chloramine cannot be boiled off and needs to ...
- 18.5k
7
votes
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How to know if kombucha is alcoholic?
The problem is that the hydrometer is used the amount of sugar in the solution, not the amount of alcohol. So you can measure the original gravity (OG), and the final gravity (FG), but in kombucha the ...
- 3,665
6
votes
Safe to return sampled wort to the primary after sampling?
I've read in a few places not to do this as it risks contamination.
I do it every time using a well-sanitized thief. I have never had an issue doing this.
Does it increase the risk of contamination? ...
- 411
6
votes
Accepted
Safe to return sampled wort to the primary after sampling?
Do not return samples to the batch.
Risk of infection is very high. Sacrificing this small amount of wort makes life easier and give peace of mind.
sample tubes are difficult to clean. Many are two ...
- 18.5k
6
votes
fermentation process stopped quickly
Airlock activity is a poor measure of fermentation. IMHO every brewer/brewster should get a hydrometer, they are cheap enough and will allow the brewer/brewster to determine what is happening in the ...
- 5,641
6
votes
Accepted
What are the downside of a super-quick fermentation?
Usually a fermentation happens quicker than normal for 3 reasons. Poor oxygen, large yeast pitch, warm temperatures.
Low Disolved Oxygen: Yeast needs oxygen in wort to multiply. When oxygen is gone ...
- 18.5k
6
votes
How SCOBY is grown?
This question kind of brings up some more fundamental questions about fermentation (like whether or not you could even call something kombucha if it's not made with a 'proper' SCOBY, given that a ...
- 6,437
6
votes
If I stop fermentation early does the sugar left in juice still turns into Co2 after bottling
Priming is really just another word for fermentation, sometimes called secondary fermentation.
If you stop fermentation when 20% of sugar remains, you normally do this by killing the yeast. This means ...
- 641
5
votes
Should I worry about this smell?
At the 1 week stage: do not worry.
If it's still there in a few weeks, sure, worry then.
All sorts of weird flavours come off yeast when it's actively fermenting. For example lager yeasts can just ...
- 2,060
5
votes
Are hops fermentable by beer yeast?
While hops may have a very small amount of sugars in them, it's not enough to make any discernible difference in your beer. However, they do appear to have diastatic power which could slightly affect ...
- 33.4k
5
votes
My carboy is fizzing after 2 weeks
The release of gas when you moved it is not uncommon. There is usually residual CO2 from the fermentation dissolved in the liquid and by agitating the liquid when you moved it, some of that gas is ...
- 36.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Does this look infected?
Everything I see there looks normal. Green floaties, just hops. Clean surface, no pellicile starting. Some bubbles, c02 still being produced.
- 18.5k
5
votes
Build up around top inner rim of fermenting bucket?
Most probably, it's some hops residue. The krausen must have caused it, and in any case it's not touching the wort so I would not worry about it.
- 4,806
5
votes
Accepted
Tips for brewing at high temperatures
I don't live in a tropical climate, but summers here get quite hot (chicago IL)
during the summer I use a Large rubbermade Tote, and fill it with water and put my fermentation buckets into it.
it ...
- 1,769
5
votes
Accepted
When wanting to add a fruity taste
Given that you would like to add fruit flavor to the same vessel that you plan to use for serving, adding actual fruit might become problematic. If you were attempting to add fruit flavor in a ...
- 3,375
5
votes
Accepted
Changing the PH of mead for fermenting necessary?
IMHO mead does not generally need any adjustment of pH levels to ferment correctly. It is generally fermented to have a similar level of alcohol to a strong wine - which will not generally support ...
- 5,641
5
votes
Table sugar + fruitjuice + yeast not fermenting
I agree that keeping an opened packet of dry yeast at room temp for some time will decrease the viability of the stored yeast. Maybe a hydration mix or growing on in a starter might have helped but it ...
- 5,641
5
votes
Accepted
Is falling bad for fermentation?
Mostly you should be concerned with contamination. If the fall didn't compromise the lid or cause unwanted wild yeast or bacteria to get into your fermenter then you should be fine. Since I am ...
- 371
5
votes
My first Brew gone wrong?
Yes yeast will get damaged and mostly die at 110°F+ anything over 120°F will kill in minutes, at 140°F it instantly kills the yeast.
Just repitch some more yeast. You'll be fine.
- 18.5k
5
votes
Removed air lock ,while in the first day of fermentation
Don't worry, your beer or wine will be fine.
Of course you have air in your fermenter anyway, and air always has some wild yeasts and bacteria. But when you pitch your yeast, it quickly overpowers ...
- 1,266
5
votes
Can I add commercial apple juice to the apple juice from my trees which I have pressed when making cider?
Yes you can add juice from your own trees. Add it before you add the yeast otherwise it will ferment again when you add the new juice since you are adding new sugar and the yeast will consume it.
- 3,012
5
votes
Airlock Blow now no bubbles
If you were getting beer/yeast coming out of your airlock, it seems safe to say your beer was fermenting, perhaps quite vigorously. It's not uncommon for a beer to ferment completely within a few days,...
- 196
5
votes
Accepted
Is beer still good after 4 weeks of fermentation?
Assuming you had good sanitation practices during the production of the wort/beer, there should be no problem leaving the beer on the yeast for 4 weeks. However, if the ambient temperature was hot ...
- 2,060
5
votes
Can a Ginger Bug fermentation turn into Vinegar
First off all... If you're new to this, relax. There's a few sensible precautions to take that make a difference - sanitise your equipment before hand, keep it upside down when empty, keep your brew ...
- 222
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