Labels:text | font | black and white | circle OCR: out ale and lager yeast. To prepare our Minimizing Bacteria sealed fermenter is not a guarantee Instant Isinglass, mix 12 teapsoon with against all wort infections (wild yeast, one cup of room temperature water in What you can't see can hurt you. If you a bowl, using a egg beater or blender to have ever tasted a sour beer, you know which does not require oxygen, will still the results of a bacterial infection. Al- thrive) but it is a good preventative step. thoroughly stir. Wait 15 minutes, stir again, and mix into the top half of your though bacteria in beer cannot make you physically sick, it makes for an un- It is vital that airborne dust be reduced beer. Isinglass takes about 3 days to completely settle out before bottling. pleasantly sour drink. Bacteria can get in the brewing area. Animals, particu- Neither isinglass or gelatin leave any re- into beer via contact with equipment or larly dogs, birds, and cats, are notorious sidual flavor in the beer. Isinglass and by air contact. As most home brewers for spreading bacteria-laden dust as gelatin should never be used together in thoroughly sanitize their equipment be- they move. Make sure pets do not enter the same brew. fore brewing, airborne bacteria looms as the brewing area, especially in the criti- the greatest danger, even for the seri- cal period between the making of the ous, experienced brewer. Bacteria is wort and the start of fermentation. Absorbing Chill Haze carried via dust particles in the air, and If dust is the vehicle, drafts supply the Chill haze is the haze that forms in re- can be minimized by reducing the amount of dust in the brewing area. power that carries bacteria into your frigerated beer. Silica gel is a form of wort. After the boil, keep windows silica mixed with sterile water that has closed and prevent drafts from moving a honeycomb structure with each cell across the fermenter. Averting your approximately the same size as the pro- breath when near the wort also helps teins that cause chill haze. When added reduce the chance of infection. If your to fermented beer, silica gel absorbs house has a central air or heating sys- most of the chill haze producing pro- tem with replaceable filters, it helps to teins before settling out to the bottom of the fermenter or bottle. Silica gel is replace them often to reduce airborne dust. usually added a day after fining with gel- atin or isinglass, using 1/2 ounce (by weight) per 5 gallons. Alternatively, sil- Wiping down the countertops in the ica gel can be stirred in at priming, and brewing area and even mopping the floor with a dilute chlorine bleach solu- allowed to settle out in the keg or bot- tion (2 tablespoons of unscented house tles. The sterile gel is stirred into the hold laundry bleach per gallon of beer directly without boiling. Allow 2 days for the silica to absorb the haze solution) will also help reduce bacteria in the brewing area. causing proteins and settle out of the The critical period in brewing is after beer. Keep in mind that lagering (the the wort is made and before fermenta- cold storage of beer for 4 to 8 weeks tion starts. This is the time when the Commercial breweries often have ex- before drinking), will also settle out the nutrient-laden wort is exposed to the air tremely sophisticated air filters that rid chill haze without the need for silica gel. without the protection of a fermentation the brewery air of bacteria. At home, we produced C02 blanket (carbon dioxide can only do our best and be mindful of Like a river in spring, beer is a cloudy, is heavier than air, and once fermenta- the invisible danger that bacteria poses, almost turbid substance, filled with pro- tion begins, it forms a blanket which even when all our brewing equipment is teins and yeast cells, and must be smothers any airborne bacteria that may meticulously sanitized. When figuring drop in). which of the above steps you might take coaxed gently to clarity with some or all of the available fining agents. Lighter to reduce the risk of contamination, One way to protect freshly cooled wort keep in mind that airborne bacteria var- beers usually require more fining than darker beers, which often require little from air contact is by covering it with a ies greatly from brewing area to brewing or no finings. The boiling pot fining C02 blanket. To do this, get a charged area; some moist tropical locations C02 cylinder (the type used for bever- have very high levels of airborne bacte- agents, gypsum and Irish moss, reduce the amount of soluble proteins in the age systems), and CAREFULLY (C02 ria, while a dry desert climate generally has relatively low levels. beer, and can help produce a cleaner gas is under high pressure!) point the flavored, more stable beer. Yeast set- valve towards the wort and open it ex- tling isinglass and gelatin, on the other tremely slowly. It is a good idea to test hand, remove excess yeast from beer your valve opening skills beforehand by before bottling, which can affect flavor, pointing the C02 tank valve opening as a large yeast sediment in bottled beer away from you and opening it very leads to quicker yeast decomposition slowly, as it is easy to open it too far and Catalog Service and accompanying off-flavors. Silica gel let out a huge blast of freezing C02 gas. is just for looks, as chill haze does not Open the valve slightly and let a little When you place an order, send a free affect taste, and is usually only used in gas displace the air on the surface of the light beers that will not be stored cold wort. To test, light a match and bring it catalog to a thirsty friend. Just fill out down towards the wort surface; if the the form on the back cover before send- (lagered) for 4 weeks or more match goes out, your wort is adequately ing in an order, or give us the name and See page 37 for clarifying agents. covered. A C02 blanket in an airlock- address of your friend when calling. Thank you! 29
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