Labels:text | font | black and white | publication | paper OCR: as the stopper on a glass carboy. When Solution: Chill the beer and pour into a Common there is only a small amount of gas being pitcher to release excess carbonation produced (as during the later stages of before serving. Questions fermentation) the gas often finds it eas- ier to seep out the seal in the plastic lid rather than push up the water in the air- lock. If you have any doubt about fer- Sour or Acidic Flavors Over the past 13 years we have received mentation, always take a hydrometer Problem: Bacterial and or wild yeast in- many interesting phone calls on our Ad- reading, as it is more accurate than rely- fection in beer because of unsterile con- vice Line from you. Here are some of ing on the airlock. ditions during fermentation. the most common questions and their Particularly in more tropical climates, answers. The Ferment Overflows the airborne bacteria can infect beer before Apparent Stuck Fermentation Airlock the yeast has a chance to start. Problem: Fermentation appears to pro- Problem: Caused by a very vigorous fer- Solution: There is no solution to this ceed vigorously for a few days and then ment in warmer weather. With a plastic except to sterilize more thoroughly die out. fermenter this is more of a mess than a when making your next batch, and do problem, because the beer is generating everything you can to shield the cooling Solution: Check the beer with a hydrom- large volumes of C02 gas when overflow- wort from air contact. The most danger- eter. Usually it is fine, and the actual ing, and C02 gas protects the surface of ous time in brewing is when the wort is fermentation has almost ceased because the beer from oxidation and bacterial cooling and during the lag time before the fermentable sugars have largely growth. WARNING: When using a the start of fermentation, as the unfer- been eaten by the yeast. If the hydrom- glass fermenter, an overflowing airlock mented wort is full of sugar compounds eter reads near finishing gravity, the can be dangerous, as the airlock could that bacteria find very palatable. beer is probably fine. However, it still clog, possibly causing the bottle to ex- needs a few additional days to give the plode. To reduce the lag time between wort yeast a chance to settle out of the beer cooling and the start of fermentation, try before bottling. Possible solution: Clean up the airlock to use liquid yeast within a day of its and lid and reseal. Place the fermenter initial swelling (do not put the yeast in A real stuck fermentation is when the in a cooler area (a waterbath works well) the refrigerator after it has swollen), specific gravity is near starting gravity, to buffer the extremes in temperature. and keep the wort at 65 to 75 degrees and does not drop over a period of 3 or until you see evidence of fermentation. 4 days. Stuck fermentations are usually Once the foaming stage of fermentation caused by dramatic temperature varia- Should I Sanitize Bottle has begun, the wort can be dropped by tions (20 degrees or more in a day) Caps? down 10 degrees per day if you are brew- which can shock yeast, rendering it un- ing a lager style beer. able to continue. To fix a true stuck fer- This is not normally required, as fer- ment, additional fresh yeast must be mented beer is less suseptible to bacte- After a sour batch, make sure you ster- added, and the beer placed in an area rial infection than raw wort, and bottle ilize all your equipment thoroughly. Re- with a very steady temperature (ideally caps typically are almost bacteria free. move the valve from the fermenter and 60 to 70 degrees F.). True stuck fermen- Sanitizing with diluted bleach is only soak it in a diluted bleach solution (2 tations are very rare with all malt beers. needed if the caps are visibly dirty. teaspoons of unscented bleach in 1 gal- lon of water) overnight to sterilize its Airlock Stops Bubbling Lack of Carbonation inner recesses. Then add a cup of bleach to the assembled fermenter, fill with Problem: Usually due to the fact that Problem: Fermentation in the bottle cold water, and let it sit for 24 hours to the bulk of fermentation occurs in two has probably been hindered by low (under 55 degree F.) or unsteady aging thoroughly sterilize its plastic walls. or three days (see above). temperatures in the first 3 weeks after Solution: Usually not a problem. If the bottling. White Film on the Surface airlock never bubbles, check to see if fermentation has occured by looking for Possible solution: Transfer remaining Problem: Caused by an airborne mold. brown rings on the inside of the fer- bottles to an area with a steady aging Appears as a dusty white (very thin) film menter. If there is a sediment on the temperature of at least 60 degrees F. and in the fermenter, and then appears again inside walls of the fermenter (above the wait two weeks. The yeast will often re- in the bottled beer. This mold is not wort level) fermentation has started and vive and carbonate the beer. usually accompanied by a taste defect, there is a leak in the seal on the fer- menter lid. Too Much Carbonation so drinking the beer is not a problem. Problem: The beer was bottled before Solution: The same as Sour or Acidic Airlocks on plastic fermenters bubble fully fermenting out, or has been in- flavors above; sterilize all your equip- less than those on glass fermenters, as fected with wild yeast (wild yeast infec- ment thoroughly (and let it dry) be- plastic fermenter lids are never as tight tions are usually accompanied by a tween batches. yeasty off-flavor). 30
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