Fermentation in the beer making process is an essential part of home brewing. Fermentation starts after the initial boil has been completed and can take as little as a few days to a few weeks. Here are some important tips to help you cap off the airlock and ferment the beer.
Instructions
1. Cool the wort. The wort is the original mixture of water, malt extract and hops that are boiled vigorously for approximately an hour. After the wort is finished boiling, remove it from the heat and put a tight fitting lid on it. Place the pot containing the wort in an ice bath. You can do this by placing the pot in the kitchen sink or bathtub, then surround the exterior of the pot with ice. If it's winter, you can place the pot outside on your porch or in the snow.
2. Sterilize the fermentation container, cap and airlock in a mixture of bleach and cold water. The fermentation container can be a large five-gallon food grade bucket or a carboy. Let the fermentation container soak for about 15 minutes; you can sterilize while waiting for the wort to cool. Rinse all the equipment thoroughly before you fill it with the beer.
3. Place the container for the fermentation process on newspaper or a surface that's easily cleaned. Never place the fermentation container on carpeting, it could spill and you may never get the smell out.
4. Wait until the beer has cooled enough that it won't kill the yeast when it's added to the fermenter. Depending on the type of beer you're making, optimum yeast temperatures vary. When the wort has cooled to the desired temperature, pour the wort into the fermentation container. When you pour the beer into the fermenter, try to pour it at a height that will add a lot of "sloshing" to the pour. Stir the beer in the fermenter and shake it if possible. You need to get as much oxygen into the fermentation container as possible. Stir and shake the beer before adding the yeast.
5. Pitch the yeast into the beer. After you've poured the beer into the fermenter and sloshed it around, "pitch the yeast" into the fermenter. Remember this is the only time to slosh the beer or add oxygen to it. After "pitching the yeast," treat the beer with as little movement as possible.
6. Remove the solid cap from the airlock portion of the cap. Place the cap with the hole in it into the lid of your fermenter or carboy. Insert the small bottom portion of the airlock into the hole of the cap. There is only one way to insert it, the bell portion must be upturned. Add a sanitizing solution or even vodka halfway up the bell of the airlock. If you are using water, make sure it's sterilized water. By using sanitizing solution or vodka, if any of it is drawn back into the fermenter, it won't contaminate your beer. After you fill the bell with sanitizer, place the solid cap on top of the airlock. Store the fermentation container out of the way so it doesn't have to be moved.
Tags: fermentation container, into fermenter, beer After, beer into, beer into fermenter, beer making