Fermentation

Any accomplished brewer will tell you fermentation is everything. I couldn't agree more, I think that most homebrewers don't understand how important fermentation is. There are a lot of factors that contribute to go good fermentation. The important things being, healthy yeast, nutrients, oxygen, temperature. The two most important things for me are healthy yeast and a constant fermentation temperature.

To get a healthy pitch of yeast, I first find the newest vial of white labs yeast. I think white labs dates there yeast out 90 days, but don't quote me on it. Next, I make a yeast starter. I built my own stir plate out of a computer fan, a switch, AC to DC converter and a some tuber-ware. I use a 1 liter flask, it is a bit small but it works really well. I make a 1.040 SG unhopped wort and pitch the yeast 18-24 hour before I pitch it in the fermentor. I also add a some yeast nutrient to the starter, I use Yeastex. The research I did, made me choose yeastex because it had all the necessary ingredients.

On brew day, once the wort has been chilled and transfered to the fermentor. I oxygenate with an O2 tank and aeration stone. I aerate lightly and shake the fermentor for 45 seconds and then I pitch the yeast.

From this point on, the process is out of my control. I have been very lucky with the location of fermentation area. I ferment mostly in glass carboys in the back of my garage. I have taken temperature readings and found out I see less then +/- 1 degree change over 24 hours. As far as the temperature, it depends on the season. During the winter I see 65F, spring it 68-69F, summer 72F and fall 70F.

The schudule of my fermentations is something I am very serious about and every beer recieves the same treatment. I have a two week rule. The two week rule is where the beer spends two weeks at every stage of fermentation and conditioning. For example, if I am making a DIPA. Two weeks in primary, two weeks secondary and then two weeks cold conditioning in a keg. For cold conditioning, I hook up the CO2 and set it to serving pressure and while it is conditioning. The beer is also carbonating.

I am very strict about and this schedule, it is just one part of my process. If I make changes to make the beer better, I don't change the process. I change the ingredients.