How to make beer - Fermentation 101

NOTE: Make sure to read all of these instructions prior to removing the lid on your primary fermenting container.

You've sealed the primary fermentation container and are patiently waiting for your mixture to ferment. Fermentation should be pretty active in the beginning days as evidenced by the continuous stream of bubbles in the airlock. You do not want to contaminate the batch by opening it up too soon, so please be patient. Beer can ferment in the primary fermenting chamber for 10 to 14 days depending on the stability of the ambient temperature.

My recommendation is to wait the full 14 days. The sugars should be fully converted to alcohol and dead yeast should be settling to the bottom of the primary fermenting container.

After sanitizing your hands, siphon hose, mason jar, and hydrometer, you can open the primary fermenter lid, and siphon a small amount of the wort into the mason jar for testing. Ideally, the specific gravity will be between 1.010 and 1.020, but this may also depend on either your kit, recipe, or other instructions.

Secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle. There are a couple methods of priming the secondary fermentation, one is with malt extract "drops", the other is to make a malt extract syrup.

Before making the malt extract syrup, sanitize all 2 quart sauce pan, 20 quart pot, spoons, hosing and racking cane, and hands.

Boil one pint of water in the 2 quart sauce pan, and add either 3/4 to 1 cup corn sugar, or my favorite, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups dried malt extract. The more sugars you provide, the greater the carbonation, so make your first batch with a lower concentration of sugars. Pour this into the sanitized 20 quart pot.

Without disturbing the primary fermentation container or carboy, open the lid, and begin syphoning the wort into the 20 quart pot. It helps if the primary fermentation container is slightly elevated, and the 20 quart pot is lower, to take advantage of gravity during this phase.

NOTE: When siphoning, keep the high end of the hose above the sediments, unless you want a "hearty" beer.

The flat beer will mix with the primer solution as it is siphoned into the pot, but you can also stir gently to ensure complete mixing.

It's time to bottle your beer. A special beer bottle filling hose attachment will rest on the bottom of the bottle as the beer flows through. Fill to the top of the bottle, and the fluid level will decrease when the filling hose is removed. Fill and cap each bottle immediately.

NOTE: Document in your brewers journal, the date and time of bottling.

Secondary fermentation will complete the beer making process after another 14 or more days. Aging the beer a couple months can improve the taste, so remain patient. Your beer will be worth the effort and something you can share with friends and family.