OnTap Magazine

T here comes a time in every homebrewer’s life when the idea of buying one more piece of brewing kit just seems a bridge too far. Close on the heels of that feeling usually comes the crazy notion of building this stu yourself. is might be the start of either (a) a life-long love a air with constructing nifty brewing gear or (b) nding out just how ham-handed and lacking in practical skills you really are. Nonetheless, as you read this article, let’s hope for the best and assume that you might have more than a passing interest in doing at least some of the more practical bits of brewing yourself. Since I’m a nice guy, I’m also going to make the additional assumption that you’re not necessarily some sort of engineering savant. So, I’m going to discuss simple, easy-to-do brewing DIY. STEADY ON! WHY FERMENTATION TEMPERATURE MATTERS. ere are many reasons why our homebrews sometimes don’t turn out exactly as expected. e cat jumps into the fermenter just as you’re pitching your yeast; aliens steal your perfectly clear, sanitary wort and replace it with something akin to dishwater mixed with engine grease. at sort of thing. Yet another common culprit behind less-than-consistent results is fermentation temperature. Professional brewers invest a lot of money and e ort in keeping their fermenters at stable, appropriate temperatures. ey know that wild uctuations in said temperature lead to o - avours, inappropriate forms of alcohol, and various other inconveniences. To combat this problem, most fermenters are tted with jackets (metal, not tweed) through which the brewer pumps a coolant (usually glycol), which in turn is regulated by a thermostat. is rather expensive solution ensures that pro-brewed beers ferment at a constant and correct temperature. What I have learnt, doing some of the pro stu myself, is that ales and lagers alike tend to bene t from cooler fermentation temperatures than are generally achieved by most homebrewers. Yes, your average ale ferments happily at 20-25°C. But at that temperature, ale yeasts can sometimes behave a little erratically and produce overly fruity or otherwise inappropriate avours. Fermenting the same yeasts at 16-18°C tends to make a substantial di erence. ere are, as always, exceptions, such as saisons, which ferment at ridiculously high temperatures. But for the most part, lower tends to be better when it comes to fermentation. Why? Because there’s less of a risk of producing unwanted avours as well as less-than-ideal fusel alcohols (also known as “hangover-in-a-box”). Of course, if you’re interested in making lagers, you will have to nd a way to ferment at very low temperatures (5-15°C) for long periods of time (3-4 weeks). To summarise: fermenting your beers at a lower temperature and maintaining that temperature throughout the fermentation is going to help you make consistently good beer. But barring that rich aunt of yours bequeathing a small fortune, buying a jacketed fermenter will usually be out of the question. So what can the average homebrewer do? I’m glad you asked. CONTROLLING FERMENTATION MARCEL HARPER HOMEBREWING DIY: There are many reasons why our homebrews sometimes don’t turn out exactly as expected HOMEBRU 60 | Spring 2018 | ontapmag.co.za