There are certain issues which recur again and again when you try to make your own beer with very little experience to back you up. The following are some helpful tips for solving the most common issues that are met with when you make your own beer.
How to make sure that fermentation has stopped
Making absolutely sure that your wort has stopped fermenting is easily done when you make your own beer. Simple take three-days worth of hydrometer readings on the wort. If fermentation has completed, all three readings should be the same. That’s because the liquid’s density will not be altered once it is completely fermented, and no more yeast and no more sugar is present in it.
You can proceed to store the beer in its bottle without fear once fermentation is complete.
When you make your own beer, it is vital to perform this check on the fermented beer before bottling it. No further fermentation ought to take place after the beverage has been sealed in a bottle. There is danger that the bottle should explode if the gases of fermentation build up enough pressure.
How does one tell if fermentation has begun
Before sealing the liquid with the yeast in the fermenter, take a hydrometer reading. Then, pour the wort into the container and add your yeast. Every hour or two, come back to take another hydrometer reading. The moment the SG value of the liquid starts to go down you know fermentation has begun. This typically happens about 12 hours after putting in the yeast when you make your own beer.
You can hasten the onset of fermentation by mixing a starter solution with your yeast. This will serve to activate the yeast sooner than normal. You may be seeing results in less than half a day. The actual time will depend on how potent your starter solution is when you make your own beer.
How to troubleshoot wort that doesn’t ferment
To make your own beer with any amount of success you have to see to it that the room temperature is somewhere within 65 to 70 degrees farenheit.
There should be enough loose sugar in the liquid for the yeast to consume. In general, your 5 gallons of wort should be sweetened with a 3/4th cup serving of sugar to make your own beer.
On the other hand, fermentation can be aborted by an excessive degree of sweetness.
Your yeast can also be killed if you add Campden Tablets into the wort during fermentation. You should remember that those tablets will kill bacteria as well as all the yeast in the solution. If you need to sanitize the wort, do it a day or two before you make your own beer.
Mix the solution well before using the hydrometer on it
Do not attempt to use your hydrometer on the wort unless I has been thoroughly homogenized by mixing. If the sugars in the wort are resting at the bottom of the container, you will not get accurate readings.
What are clarifiers for?
Clarifiers are similar to anti-oxidants. They remove the positively charged protein impurities in the liquid by combining with them chemically and dragging them as solidified particles to the bottom of the jar.
The protein impurities floating in the wort can decay while in solution and reduce the quality of the wort. They may even cause it to spoil fast.
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