Prior to brewing, the yeast should be removed from the refrigerator and allowed to reach room temperature prior to pitching the yeast. PROCEDURE PRINCIPLES 1.0 Preparation for Brewing 1.1 Perform the following to sterilize the fermentation and wort cooling equipment. It is desirable to allow only the yeast to process the sugars produced during the mashing process. Sterilization will remove the unwanted microorganisms 1.1.1 Pour about ¼ cup of bleach into the carboy and add about 2 gallons of tap water and swirl to ensure all inner surfaces are sterilized with the bleach. 1.1.2 Siphon about one quart of the bleach solution through the wort chiller. Shut the wort chiller outlet pinch valve so that the coil is filled with bleach water. See Appendix A for siphoning instructions. 1.13 Fill a resealable pint bottle (such as EZ cap or Grolsch, Figure 2) with the bleach solution. Submerse the disassembled vapor lock and carboy filling cap in the remaining bleach solution, Figure 1. The resealable pint bottle will be used for kraeusening the fermented beer. Kraeusening is a priming process where unfermented wort is used to prime the beer prior to bottling. Figure 1 Carboy Cap and Vapor Lock Figure 2 EZ Cap Bottle
Submerged 2.0 STERILIZATION – THE FIRST STEP IN BREWING 2.1 Boil about two gallons of tap water in the boiling vessel for about 10 minutes and perform the following. To ensure that your selected yeast is the only microorganism processing the wort and that all of the bleach is rinsed from the brewing equipment, all bleached surfaces must be rinsed with water that has been boiled for ten minutes. 2.1.1 While the water is boiling, siphon tap water through the wort chiller coil and thoroughly flush the disassembled vapor lock and the carboy cap with tap water. Empty the bleach water from the carboy and rinse it three times with about a pint of tap water. Rinse the kraeusening bottle three times with tap water. See Appendix A for siphoning instructions. This will remove the bleach while minimizing the amount of boiled water rinse needed. The rinse water should be swirled to ensure all interior surfaces are rinsed. 2.1.2 Using a pitcher, rinse the carboy three times with about a pint of the boiled water and rinse the kraeusening bottle three times with the boiled water. Swirl the hot water to ensure all interior surfaces are rinsed. Cap the bottle and cover the carboy top with a paper towel held in place with a rubber band, Figure 3. CAUTION: Gloves must be worn to prevent burns while hot water is used The process of producing paper towels effectively sterilizes them. Using the inner surface of the paper towels will ensure contaminated areas are not allowed to come into contact with sterilized surfaces.
3.0 BREWING – THE FUN BEGINS 3.1 Ensure that the yeast is primed (if necessary), has reached room temperature and ready to pitch. 3.1.1 Pour the cracked grain into the mash/lautertun. The grain may be a mixture of several types of processed grain. 3.1.2 Pour about 4 gallons of tap water into the boiling vessel and raise the temperature to 175 ± 50 F. Periodically check the temperature of the water. 3.1.3 Ensure that the mash/lautertun discharge valve is shut and transfer 4 gallons of the water to the mash/lautertun using a pitcher to measure the volume. Place a lid on the mash/lautertun to maintain a constant temperature. Place the thermometer in the mash and record the temperature at the beginning and end of the mash process. (Recording the temperature will allow the flavor of the beer to be reproduced.) This process uses a single step infusion for simplicity where the barley carbohydrates are converted into varying lengths of sugar chains. Lower temperatures, 126 to 144 o F, will produce shorter sugar chains and result is a dryer beer. Higher temperatures, 149 to 153 o F, will result in longer sugar chains and a more full bodied beer. After some experience, this process can be varied for personal taste. This single step infusion method will produce a flavor, nose and consistency that surpasses most imported beers. 3.1.4 After 30 minutes, place the bright vessel under the mash/lautertun discharge valve and open the valve, Figure 5. This liquid, called the sweet liquor, is the precursor to the wort that will be boiled with hops. Figure 5
contamination of the wort. 3.1.8.1 Place the wort chiller coil into the rinsed bright vessel. Set the bright vessel on a chair or stool below the boiling vessel such that the inlet to the wort chiller extends to the bottom of the boiling vessel. It may be necessary to use books to adjust the relative height of the wort chiller and the boiling vessel to allow the wort chiller coil to rest in the bottom of the bright vessel with the inlet tube at the bottom of the boiling vessel. 3.1.8.2 Add 2, 7lb bags of ice and one gallon of water to the bright vessel. The process of rapidly chilling the wort is necessary to ensure the wort in the carboy is at a temperature below room temperature. 3.1.8.3 Place the pitcher below the outlet of the wort chiller and open the pinch valve. Allow the sterile water and about a pint of the wort to flow into the pitcher and shut the pinch valve. This will ensure the carboy receives only fresh wort. 3.1.8.4 Remove the paper towel from the carboy, place the carboy cap on the carboy and extent the wort chiller coil outlet plastic tubing into the carboy cap. Open the wort chiller pinch valve and fill the carboy to about 4 inches from the top of the carboy, Figure 7. Shut the wort chiller pinch valve and immediately replace the carboy cap with the vapor lock. The cooled wort must be below room temperature. If it is above room temperature it will cool and contract bringing in unwanted contamination. If it is below room temperature it will expand and prevent contaminants from entering the carboy. A carboy level too close to the top will result in fermentation carry over through the vapor lock. Figure 7
Chilling the Wort into the Carboy 3.1.8.5 Place the krauesening bottle under the wort chiller outlet plastic tubing and fill the bottle. 3.1.8.6 Shake the yeast to mix. Remove the vapor lock, pitch the yeast into the carboy and quickly replace the vapor lock. Place duct tape around the carboy top/stopper to hold the vapor lock in place. Initially, no liquid should be placed in the vapor lock and the eyedropper bulb should be in place under the bubble cap until fermentation starts, Figure 8. The eyedropper bulb will prevent any ingress of contaminants due to temperature fluctuations until fermentation begins. The period between pitching the yeast and fermentation commencement is the most critical for contamination prevention. Once fermentation has begun, carbon dioxide production produces a blanket over the wort and positive pressure within the carboy. The carboy should be kept at a constant temperature during fermentation Figure 8 Vapor lock with Eyedropper Plug Installed 3.1.8.7 Dispose of the spent grain and hops and clean mash/lautertun, the boiling vessel, the carboy cap and the wort chiller with tap water. Cleanup is easiest directly after the brew. 3.1.8.8 Once fermentation has begun (usually 24 to 48 hours), remove the bubble cap and the eyedropper, replace the bubble cap and fill the vapor lock with about 1 inch of a sterile fluid. Cap the vapor lock, Figure 9. An alcoholic beverage with about 40 % alcohol (such as vodka or whiskey) works as a sterile liquid. Fermentation will be evident by a layer of foam on the surface of the wort. If fermentation carry over occurs, the vapor lock should be