OnTap Magazine

So, you’ve spent the day brewing beer and it’s finally tucked into the fermenter, your yeast is pitched, and the (sanitised) lid is sealed with an airlock on top. A common rookie error is to not let the fermentation just be. What I mean is to avoid the temptation of messing around with your fermentation and getting a little bit antsy about things. I've seen many rookie homebrewers tie themselves in knots at this stage with questions like, "Surely there’s something I can do to make this beer really ferment like a boss?" or, "What’s going on in there? Is the fermentation stuck? Should I add more yeast?" Don't let these doubts make you ruin your beer. No, your fermentation is not stuck if the airlock stops bubbling. No, you can't improve your beer by opening the fermenter's lid and 'checking things out!' My best advice, and I really, truly mean it, is this: Leave it alone! I repeat: Do not mess with your fermentation! Also, while you're at it, forget about transferring your beer into a secondary fermenter. Yes, I know many homebrewing books call for this, but there is no evidence that it actually makes better beer. On the contrary, you are more likely to risk contamination and oxidation of your (still developing) brew. Even homebrew guru, John Palmer, has moved away from secondary fermentation transfer and is now advocating for single vessel fermentation. That’s not to say that you should never open the fermenter. You should measure your beer at least once before bottling, for instance. But do it quickly, carefully, and (preferably) once. Beer is an ancient beverage that rewards patience. Leave your fermenting beer well alone for two to three weeks and you will be happy that you did! MESSING WITH YOUR FERMENTATION 3 an excellent job of cleaning stainless steel but is also pretty toxic tomost forms of life (including brewers). While commercial brewers have a lot of stainless steel to clean, homebrewers often don’t. So, unless you’ve got stainless steel kettles, mash tuns, lauter tuns, lines, fermenters, and brite beer tanks to clean, instead use less toxic cleaning substances like dishwashing liquids and powders. A good replacement for caustic soda is Sodium Metasilicate, a powerful surfactant that is the primary ingredient of many commercially available homebrew cleaners. Just make sure that you rinse cleaned equipment well before using. IGNORING VENTILATION AND AIR QUALITY Good ventilation can literally save your life. If you’re using a large high-pressure gas burner or have a large capacity mill, it’s best to ensure good ventilation throughout the brewing day. If you’re milling lots of grain, get a respirator mask rated for grain particulates. Seriously: you don’t want to get something known as brewer’s lung. It's not worth it. IGNORING THE DANGER OF BOIL-OVER Hot wort is really like a formof sugary lava, and you should therefore be careful of boil-overs. If you’re doing a full-volume boil of 19 litres of wort, that’s a lot of very hot, very dangerous liquid to manage. So be cautious when adding hops and other additions during the boil (either turn off the heat before adding or have a brew- water-filled spray bottle handy). Be extra cautious when carrying your kettle filled with this hot liquid around. A bad spill will not only ruin your kitchen floor but could also result in serious burns. IGNORING YOUR SPINAL HEALTH Do you know what the number one physical ailment is among professional brewers? Back-related injuries and pain. That’s because lifting heavy things like grain bags and filled beer kegs is pretty common in a commercial operation. Homebrewers don’t often need to move around big grain bags, but lifting a big brew kettle filled with wort can injure you if you’re not careful. Bend at the knees, breathe while lifting, and get someone to help you. And one final note on safety: All of the above dangers will be exacerbated 200% if you’re brewing and drinking. Not to mention that you’ll forget to add hops at the right time, start thinking that adding some garlic to the brew may just be a great idea, and generally mess things up. While there’s always the temptation to have a few brews while brewing, my experience is that brews done while sipping on some coffee tend to turn out better! YEAST 44 | Autumn 2023 | ontapmag.co.za