Tabela de Lúpulos

Comparing and Selecting Hops
So how the heck do I choose the right hops for my beer? With such a wide range of flavor and aroma
characteristics, this chart can serve as a helpful guide to more than five dozen varieties. Whether you
are trying to duplicate a style or are looking to experiment, the following list can help to get you
started.
Alpha
Name Typical Beer Styles Possible Substitutions Flavor Description
Acid %
U.K. Target, U.K.

Admiral 13.5% Known for its bittering
Ale Northdown, U.K.
(U.K.) to 16% potential.
Challenger
4% to Floral, citrus, sharp,

Ahtanum
6.3% and piney.
8% to
Amarillo Ale, IPA Cascade, Centennial Citrusy, flowery.
9%
U.K. Kent Golding, U.K.

Bramling 5% to Quite mild, fruity
ESB, bitter, pale ale Progress, Whitbread
Cross (U.K.) 7% currant aroma.
Golding Variety
Bittering hop with

Brewer's 7% to
English ale Bullion neutral aroma
Gold 8.5%
character.
Brewer's
6% to Ale, heavier Northdown, Northern Black currant, fruity,
Gold
7% German-style lagers Brewer, Galena, Bullion spicy.
(German)
A rich hop primarily

Columbus, Northern
6.5% to used for bittering.
Bullion IPA, ESB, stout Brewer, German
9% Intense blackcurrant
Brewer's Gold
aroma.
Pleasant, flowery, spicy,
4.5% to Pale ale, IPA, porter, Centennial, Amarillo,
Cascade and citrusy. Can have a
7% barleywine possibly Columbus
grapefruit flavor.
All ale styles, has
8% to Cascade, possibly Medium with floral and
Centennial been used with
11.5% Columbus citrus tones.
wheat beer
English-style ales,
Challenger 6.5% to U.S. or German Perle, Mild to moderate, quite
porter, stout, ESB,
(U.K.) 8.5% Northern Brewer spicy.
bitter
Nugget, Columbus, Mild to medium-heavy,

10% to Pale ale, IPA, stout,
Chinook Northern Brewer, U.K. spicy, piney, and
14% porter, lager
Target grapefruity.
Ale and lager (good
5.5% to
Cluster aroma for ale, good Galena Medium and quite spicy.
8.5%
bittering for lager)
11% to Nugget, Chinook, U.K. Pleasant, with pungent
Columbus IPA, pale ale, stout
16% Target, Northern Brewer aroma.
Mt. Hood, Hersbrucker,
2% to Mild and pleasant, spicy
Crystal Lager, pilsner, ESB French Strisslespalt,
4.5% and flowery.
Liberty, Hallertauer
9% to Strong but pleasant
Eroica Wheat Galena, Nugget, Chinook
12% aroma.
First Gold 6.5% to U.K. Kent Golding, A little like Golding

Ale, ESB
(U.K.) 8.5% maybe Crystal family; spicy.
U.K. Fuggle, Willamette,

4% to Any English-style Mild and pleasant,
Fuggle (U.S.) Styrian Golding, U.S.
5.5% beer or American ale earthy and fruity.
Tettnanger
All English-style
4% to U.S. Fuggle, Willamette, Mild, pleasant, hoppy,
Fuggle (U.K.) ales, ESB, bitter,
5.5% Styrian Golding and robust.
lager
10% to Ale, porter, stout, Nugget, Pride of Medium but pleasant

Galena
14% ESB, bitter Ringwood, Chinook hoppiness, citrusy.
U.K. Golding, Whitbread
Mild, extremely
4% to Pale ale, ESB, all Golding Variety, U.K.
Golding (U.S.) pleasant, and gently
6% English-style beer Progress, and possibly
hoppy.
the Fuggle family
Very mild, pleasant,

Hallertauer 3.5% to Lager, pilsner, Liberty, Ultra, Hallertauer
and slightly flowery,
(U.S.) 5.5% bock, wheat Tradition
some spicy.
Known for its aromatic

Hallertauer 6% to
Crystal, Mt. Hood properties similar to
Gold 6.5%
Hallertauer.
Hallertauer 3% to Lager, bock, wheat, Liberty, German

Mild and pleasant.
Mittelfrüh 5.5% maybe pilsner Tradition, Ultra
Hallertauer
3.5% to properties. A
Tradition Mild-flavored beers Crystal, Liberty
5.5% replacement for
(Ger.)
Hallertauer Mittelfrüh.
Hersbrucker 3% to Lager, pilsner, Mt. Hood, French Mild to semi-strong,

(German) 5.5% bock, wheat Strisslespalt pleasant, hoppy.
11% to Magnum or a high-alpha

Horizon Ale, lager Pleasantly hoppy.
14% hop
U.S. Golding, Whitbread
Kent Golding 4% to All English-style Gentle, fragrant, and
Golding Variety, U.K.
(U.K.) 5.5% ales, ESB, bitter pleasant.
Progress
3% to Lager, pilsner, Hallertauer Tradition, Mild and clean aroma,

Liberty
6% bock, wheat Hallertauer, Mt. Hood slightly spicy character.
All beers,
13% to Known for bittering
Magnum particularly lager, Northern Brewer
15% value and quality.
pilsner, stout
Mild, pleasant, and

3% to Lager, pilsner, Crystal, French
Mt. Hood clean, somewhat
8% bock, wheat Strisslespalt, Hersbrucker
pungent and resiny.
Northdown 7.5% to Fruity with some
All ales, porter
(U.K.) 9.5% spiciness.
ESB, bitter, English

Northern 6% to pale ale, porter, Medium-strong with
Nugget, Chinook
Brewer (U.S.) 10% California (steam) some wild tones.
beer
Northern
7% to ESB, bitter, English Chinook, U.S. Northern Medium-strong with
Brewer
10% pale ale, porter Brewer some wild tones.
(German)
Northwest 4% to Ale, porter, stout, Known for aromatic

Golding 5% ESB, bitter properties.
11% to Columbus, Chinook, U.K. Quite heavy and

Nugget Light lager
14.5% Target, Galena herbal.
11% to Mild to medium, citrusy
Olympic Chinook
13% aroma, spicy.
6% to Pale ale, porter, Northern Brewer, Cluster, and bittering
Perle (U.S.)
9.5% German styles Galena, Chinook properties, pleasant
and slightly spicy.
Moderately intense,
Perle 6% to Pale ale, porter, U.S. Perle, Northern
good and hoppy, fruity
(German) 8.5% lager Brewer
and a little spicy.
U.K. Northdown, U.K.

4.2% to Similar to U.K.
Phoenix (U.K.) All ales Kent Golding, U.K.
5.5% Challenger.
Challenger
8% to
Pioneer (U.K.) Ale, ESB U.K. Kent Golding A mild, typical English aroma.
10%
U.S. Saaz, Czech
3% to Mild and typical of noble
Polish Lublin Pilsner Saaz, U.S.
4.5% aroma types, spicy, herbal.
Tettnanger
Pride of
7% to Quite pronounced, woody,
Ringwood Australian lager Galena, Cluster
10% earthy, herbal.
(Australia)
5% to Ale, bitter, ESB, U.K. Kent Golding, Moderately strong, good

Progress (U.K.)
7.5% porter Fuggle aroma.
Very mild with pleasant hoppy
3% to U.S. Saaz, Polish
Saaz (Czech) Pilsner notes, earthy, spicy, and
4.5% Lublin
herbal.
3% to Pilsner, lager, Czech Saaz, Polish Mild and pleasant, earthy and
Saaz (U.S.)
5% wheat Lublin spicy.
German Tettnanger,
5% to Lager, American
Santiam German Spalt, Noble characteristics.
7.9% ale, pilsner
German Spalt Select
12.5% Known for its bittering and

Satus Galena
to 14% aromatic properties.
12% to
Simcoe A bittering and aromatic hop.
14%
U.S. Saaz, U.S.

Spalt 4% to Mild and pleasant, slightly
Lager Tettnanger, German
(German) 5.5% spicy.
Spalt Select
Lager, and any U.S. Saaz, U.S.

Spalt Select 4% to
beer where noble Tettnanger, German Very fine Spalter-type aroma.
(German) 6%
aroma is wanted Spalt
Medium intensity and pleasant
Spalt Select 3% to hoppy qualities. Medium-
German lagers Tettnanger, Saaz
(U.S.) 5% strong aroma with wild
American tones.
6% to Lager, ale, Herbal, spicy, pleasant aroma,

Sterling Saaz, Polish Lublin
9% pilsner hint of floral and citrus.
Strisslespalt 3% to Pilsner, lager, Mt. Hood, Crystal, Medium intensity, pleasant,

(France) 5% wheat Hersbrucker hoppy.
All English-style
Styrian Golding 4.5% to U.S. Fuggle, U.K.
ales, ESB, bitter, Delicate, slightly spicy.
(Slovenia) 6% Fuggle, Willamette
lager
9.5% to Pleasant English hop aroma,

Target (U.K.) All ale and lager Fuggle, Willamette
12.5% quite intense.
German ales and

Tettnanger 3.4% to German Spalt, Czech An aromatic hop, mild and
lagers, American
(U.S.) 5.2% Saaz Santiam slightly spicy.
lagers, wheat
German Spalt,
Tettnanger 3.5% to German Spalt Select, Mild and pleasant, slightly
Lager, ale
(German) 5.5% U.S. Tettnanger, spicy, herbal.
Saaz
15% to
Tomahawk Ale Columbus Primarily a bittering hop.
17%
Tradition 5% to Hersbrucker, Very fine and similar to

Lager, pilsner
(German) 7% Hallertauer Mittelfrüh Hallertauer Mittelfrüh.
Very good to outstanding,
Lager, pilsner,
2% to Liberty, Hallertauer some Saaz-like qualities.
Ultra wheat, finish hop
4.1% Tradition, Saaz Aromatic properties similar
in ales
to Hallertauer.
4% to Saaz, Hallertauer Aroma similar to continental
Vanguard
5.67% Mittelfrüh European types.
15% to A bittering and aromatic

Warrior Ale, stout Nugget
17% hop.
WGV (Whitbread
5% to U.K. Kent Golding, Quite pleasant and hoppy,
Golding Variety) Ale
7% U.K. Progress moderately intense.
(U.K.)
Pale ale, ESB, U.S. Fuggle, U.S. Mild and pleasant, slightly
3.5% to
Willamette bitter, English- Tettnanger, Styrian spicy, fruity, floral, a little
6%
style ale, porter, Golding earthy.
stout
6% to Used as a kettle hop for

Yakima Cluster
8.5% bittering.
13% to
Zeus Columbus Aromatic and pleasant.
17%
Grains and Adjuncts Chart

Brewer's little helper: Here's a composite list of grains and adjuncts.The color is listed in degrees
Lovibond and the gravity is calculated from 1 pound of the ingredient in 1 gallon of water. Experiment
and enjoy!
Key: L = Degrees Lovibond, G = Gravity
Malt L G Decription
American Grains
Sweet, mild caramel flavor and a golden color. Use in

Crystal Malt 10° 1.033-35
light lagers and light ales.

Sweet caramel flavor, deep golden to red color. For dark

amber and brown ales.
Sweet, smooth caramel flavor and a red to deep red
color. For porters, old ales.
Pronounced caramel flavor and a red color. For stouts,

porters and black beers.
Pronounced caramel flavor and a red color. For stouts,

porters and black beers.
Black Patent Malt 500° 1.026 Provides color and sharp flavor in stouts and porters.
Sweet, grainy, coffee flavor and a red to deep brown
Roasted Barley 300° 1.025
color. For porters and stouts.
Imparts dryness. Unmalted; use in porters and dry

Black Barley 525° 1.023-27
stouts.
Use in all types to adjust color and add nutty, toasted
Chocolate Malt 350° 1.034
flavor. Chocolate flavor.
Dextrin Malt Balances body and flavor without adding color, aids in
1.5° 1.033
(carapils) head retention. For any beer.
Pale Malt (Brewers 1.037- Smooth, less grainy, moderate malt flavor. Basic malt for
1.8°
2-row) 1.038 all beer styles.
Pale Malt (Brewers

1.8° 1.035 Moderate malt flavor. Basic malt for all beer styles.
6-row)
Sweet, toasted flavor and aroma. For Oktoberfests and

Munich Malt 10° 1.034
malty styles.
Provides a deep golden to brown color for ales. Use in all

Special Roast 50° 1.035
darker ales.
3.5- Increases malty flavor, provides balance. Use in Vienna,

Vienna Malt 1.035
4° Märzen and Oktoberfest.
Provides a deep golden to brown color. Use in nut brown
Victory Malt 25° 1.034
ales, IPAs and Scottish ales.
Light flavor and creamy head. For American weizenbier,

Wheat Malt 2° 1.038
weissbier and dunkelweiss.
Imparts a malty flavor. For American wheat beers, wheat
White Wheat Malt 2° 1.037
bock and doppel bock.
BETTER EXTRACT BREWING
1. Know Thyself (and Thine Brewery)

If an extract brewer wishes to brew consistently quality beer, he (or she) should get to know the
details of his system and how they effect his brewing. Brew an extract version of a beer brewed
by an all-grain friend or an extract clone of a beer you enjoy. Taste your beer side-by-side with
the all-grain or commercial beer and note every difference you can. How do the color,
bitterness, malt character and yeast qualities stack up? Once you have this information in hand,
use the following information to correct or adjust for any of the problems you may be
experiencing.
2. Pump Up the Volume

The biggest improvement most extract brewers can make to their process is to boil their wort in
a larger volume. Early homebrewing books instructed brewers to boil the malt extract for a 5-
gallon (19-L) batch in as little as 1.5 gallons (5.7 L) of water. Although this is convenient, this
convenience comes at a price. Boiling a thick wort is guaranteed to darken it unacceptably and
severely limit the amount of hop bitterness. No matter what volume a recipe calls for, always
boil your wort at the largest volume you can manage.
These days, most homebrew shops carry relatively inexpensive brewpots. A 16-qt. (4-gallon/15-
L) pot will allow you to begin boiling from around 2.75 gallons (10.4 L) down to 2.5 gallons (9.5
L) in an hour, and a little stirring as the wort comes to a boil will prevent boil-overs. At this
volume, you will be able to brew light-colored beers with reasonably high levels of hop
bitterness — especially if you use the extract late or Texas Two-Step technique. (For more
information on these techniques, see the October 2004 issue of BYO).
If your situation permits, the best solution is to get a “turkey fryer” propane cooker and a 7-
gallon (26-L) or larger pot. This will allow you to boil 6 gallons
(23 L) of wort down to five gallons (19 L) in a typical 60 minute boil. With this setup, the lower
color limit you can achieve is determined by the color of your extract and your beers can be as
hoppy as any all-grain beer.
Sometimes your brewpot isn’t the limiting factor. Sometimes your kitchen stove doesn’t kick out
enough heat to boil much wort vigorously. Two things can help in this regard. First, close the lid
on the pot almost all of the way. You should never boil wort in a completely closed pot.
However, you really don’t need the lid cracked very much to provide an escape for the volatile
chemicals you want to boil off.
A second potential helper in this regard is a coil immersion heater. Many travel places sell these
devices (for around US $15), which are just a small heating coil that plugs into the wall. The coil
is meant to be placed in water, tea or soup to heat them up. On their own, these would be
useless for wort boiling as they don’t produce enough heat. However, used in conjunction with a
stove, they can increase either your boil vigor or the amount of wort you can boil vigorously
slightly. Just the movement induced in the wort by having a hot spot inside the kettle can be a
good thing. Keep in mind, though, the potential shock hazard of these devices. I wouldn’t use
one unless it was plugged into an outlet with an interrupt.
3. Other Dark Forces

Boil volume is not the only factor in wort darkening. Another problem is the potential to
caramelize partially dissolved malt extract. When you stir malt extract into hot water, it does not
dissolve instantly or evenly. Little “blobs” of extract can remain intact for quite awhile, even
when everything looks dissolved. These “blobs” will sink to the bottom of your brewpot and can
caramelize there. So, whenever you stir in extract, turn off the heat and stir until you don’t see
any undissolved bits of extract — then stir for another minute or so.
Two other factors in wort darkening are heat and time. On a commercial scale, most brewers
used to aim to evaporate 10% of their wort in an hour (these days, the target is even lower).
When boiling a small amount of wort on a stove, it’s easy to evaporate a much higher
percentage. If this is happening, turn down the heat or increase the amount of wort you are
boiling.
The longer you boil your wort, the darker it gets. So, boil your wort only as long as the longest
hop addition requires. And, keep in mind that some liquid extracts have already been boiled
(although others have only been evaporated). Liquid malt extract only needs to boil (or steep at
temperatures over 160 °F/71 °C) for 15 minutes to sanitize it.
4. Fresh Extract
This point does not need to be elaborated on, but I can’t leave it out, either — always use fresh
malt extract.
5. Got Grains?
In order to get the colors and flavors you want from your specialty grains, without extracting
excess tannins, you need to do one of two things — either steep in a small amount of water or
in weak wort. A small amount of water means 1–3 qts. of water per pound of grains (2.1–6.3
L/kg). If you steep in a larger volume than that, add malt extract until the specific gravity is
over 1.010 before adding the grains. And finally, rinse with a very small amount of water —
0.5–1 qts. of water per pound of grain steeped (1–2 L/kg) works well (see “Steeping,” in the
May–June 2005 issue of BYO for more on this topic).
In extract brewing, the extract manufacturer collects the wort and concentrates it. When the
wort is concentrated into extract, some volatile compounds are lost. To brew the best extract
beer possible, you need a way to replace at least a portion of them. The simplest way to do this
is to make some wort yourself by doing a partial mash in your brewpot.
To do this, add some 2-row pale malt to your recipe. For every pound (0.45 kg) of pale malt,
subtract 0.53 lbs. (0.24 kg) of dried malt extract or 0.73 lbs. (0.33 kg) liquid malt extract.
When making a 5-gallon (19-L) extract beer, I usually shoot for “steeping” a total of around 2–
2.5 lbs. (0.91–1.1 kg) of grains, including base malt and specialty grains. Steep this liquid in
1.5–
2 qts. of water per pound of grain (3.2–4.2 L/kg) at 148–158 °F (64–70 °C) for 45–60 minutes.
After increasing your boil volume, I feel that doing small partial mashes — which are really just
glorified grain steeps — is the technique that will help extract brewers brew better beer. Note
that partial mash wort is also typically more fermentable than that of malt extract, which can
help if your beers consistently finish at a high final gravity.
6. Sugar is Sweet
Another key difference between all-grain and extract brewing is that an all-malt wort made from
grains is almost always more fermentable than an all-malt wort made from extract. Early beer
kits solved this problem by combining the malt extract with sugar — which is completely
fermentable — to yield reasonably dry beers. (And, because sugar is colorless and many of
these kits were no-boil kits, the color could actually be fairly light.)
However, because early US homebrewing was largely a negative reaction to pale American
lagers, anything that reminded homebrewers of Bud, Miller or Coors was shunned — and this
included adding an adjunct like sugar to their beer. Virtually every homebrewing expert told
brewers to replace the sugar — all of it, no matter how much or in what style of beer — with
darker and less fermentable malt extract. The result? Homebrew that was darker and sweeter
than it should have been.
If high final gravities are a problem for you, swapping some sugar (cane or corn) for a portion of
the light malt extract in your recipe can help. Swap sugar and dried malt extract on a one-to-
one basis. For liquid malt extract, add 13 oz. (0.37 kg) of sugar for every pound (0.45 kg) of
extract deleted from the recipe. If you end up with more than 10% sugar in your recipe,
consider adding 1/4 tsp yeast nutrients to the beer. You probably won’t want to have sugar
occupy more than 30% of your grain bill. Also, be aware that the color of your beer may
decrease slightly when you add sugar.
7. Hops
Boiling at a lower wort density does a lot to improve bitterness in extract brews . However,
extract brewers should also do everything else they can to get the most from their hops.
Although boiling your hops in a bag is convenient, this decreases the amount of bitter
substances (alpha acids) that are extracted from them. Add the hops loose to your brewpot. If
you let the wort sit in your brewpot for a half hour after you cool it, the pellet sludge will settle
to the bottom and you can siphon clear wort off it. Also, knock down any hop pellet residue
clinging to the side of your brewpot as you boil.
Finally, consider “spiking” your wort with a small amount of neutral high-alpha hops to your
beer along with your normal hop charge. Magnum hops usually have around 16% alpha acids
and don’t have a real strong varietal character. If your beers are normally a little less bitter than
you’d like, add a quarter ounce (7 g) or more of Magnum, or any other “strong” hops, along with
the specified bittering charge. This will boost your bitterness without changing the hop character
of the beer.
8. Cooling
Hot wort carries a lot more heat than you might realize, and the dilution water you add to bring
the volume up to 5 gallons (19 L) isn’t cooling your wort down as much as you might think. For
example, pouring 2 gallons (7.6 L) of just-boiled wort into 3 gallons (11 L) of water at
refrigerator temperature (40 °F/4.4 °C) still leaves you with wort over 110 °F (43 °C). (How far
over depends on the gravity of the wort.) Stovetop brewers should take advantage of their
smaller wort volume and always cool their wort in their brewpot before transferring it to their
fermenter. Use a reliable cooling method and measure the temperature of your wort before
pitching.
Getting a wort chiller is the best solution, but many beginners don’t buy this piece of equipment
at first. The next best solution is to cool your wort in your sink or bathtub. By changing the
cooling water every 5 minutes, you continually draw heat away from the wort. And, during this
time, the hop debris and other sediment can settle to the bottom of your brewpot. Once the
brewpot is cool to the touch (i.e. below human body temperature), siphon the wort to your
fermenter and add the dilution water. Here, the dilution water can cool your wort down
effectively if it is below fermentation temperature. A little “temperature strip” on the outside of
your fermenter will let you read the temperature of your wort.
9. Water
Malt extract is condensed wort and it contains everything that wort contains, including dissolved
minerals. Any minerals in your dilution water are added to the (unknown) amount of minerals in
the extract. Unless you have a good reason not to, always use soft water (or even distilled
water) for extract brewing. A little bit of calcium in the boil — under 1/2 tsp of gypsum or
calcium chloride — might be a good thing in some circumstances. However, if you’re trying to
add salts to your brewing water to make “Burton water,” you are ending up with “Burton plus”
water due to the minerals already found in your malt extract. Carbon filtering city water is
advised.
10. Yeast
Once you’ve made your wort, the yeast will convert it into beer. To make the best beer possible,
you need to give your yeast three things — enough “teammates” to get the job done, a stable
and reasonable fermentation temperature and adequate aeration. The first of these is where
most extract brewers could improve. Either make a yeast starter or get enough yeast from
another source (previous fermentation, brewpub) and pitch with it. You’ll want about 1 cup of
yeast solids per 5-gallon (19-L) batch.
Conclusion
Some of the best aspects of extract brewing are its simplicity and the fact that you can do it in a
relatively short amount of time on your stovetop without a lot of specialized equipment.
Improving your beer does not necessarily mean spending much more time brewing it or buying
lots of new gadgets. If you follow the advice in this article, you can brew much better homebrew
in about the same time as the old, standard method took.
20 Facts You Should Know

About Brewing
by John Oliver
Brew Your Own -- March 1999
No single magic trick will transform good homebrew into great homebrew. Many brewers make
excellent beer by following instructions and paying close attention to details. But brewers who understand
the "why" of a particular process or operation in addition to the "how" seem to get the best results. Here are
some brewing facts, including the whys, to keep in mind the next time you brew.
1. Simple is better.
In recent years homebrewing has continued to increase in sophistication. Many of the innovations
enjoyed by homebrewers today are based on scaled-down equipment or operations used at the micro- or
macrobrewing level. Interestingly enough, while homebrewers are now working with pumps, stainless steel
mash screens, and the latest techniques for hop additions, commercial brewers are researching and
developing ways to simplify and ease the brewing process. This is because the single biggest variable in the
brewing process is not the ingredients or the equipment used but the one factor that many brewers overlook:
the human element.
It is an experiment that has been repeated many times: If you give 10 different brewers the identical
ingredients and instructions, you will undoubtedly end up with 10 different finished beers. Remember that
anything that can be done to organize the brewing process and keep it simple will not only make it an easier
and more enjoyable hobby, it will reduce the likelihood of brewing errors occurring as well.
2. If it’s not clean, it’s not sanitary.
Cleaning is one area in which homebrewers, in mimicking their craft brewing and microbrewing cousins,
often miss the point. While there is a multitude of chemicals and products available to help clean dirty
equipment, many of the chemicals used in commercial operations are simply industrial substitutes for the one
piece of equipment that no homebrewer can overuse — elbow grease.
Giant tanks that can’t be reached can only be effectively cleaned with harsh chemicals, but there is really
no good reason to employ hazardous caustics and acids in homebrewing.
While good cleaners can help with the job, the best approaches to cleaning boil down to plenty of hot
water and liberal use of scrubbing pads and brushes. Getting equipment spotless allows the chemicals used in
the sanitization process to effectively do their jobs. Failure to get equipment clean can result in bacterial
contaminations, and nobody enjoys dumping a spoiled homebrew down the drain.
3. Directions are there for a reason.
As with cleaning products, there are many choices today on what to use as a final sanitizer in
homebrewing. Regardless of the sanitizer used, there is a human tendency to believe that if a little is good,
more is better and way too much is just right. This seems especially true if a recent batch of beer has gone
bad due to poor sanitization.
Unfortunately, failure to follow proper dilution instructions by creating stronger-than-recommended
solutions usually results in a decrease in sanitizer efficiency. Furthermore, overmixing of sanitizers can result
in residues that can create off-flavors even worse than those caused by bacterial contamination.
Remember to allow adequate contact time for the sanitizer to do its work. Mixing up sanitizing solutions
that are double the recommended dosage does not mean you can cut the required contact time in half. Use
the proper dilution ratios for the recommended time; your beer won’t end up tasting like industrial paint
stripper.
4. It’s the water.
The vast majority of a bottle of beer is made up of the one ingredient that most brewers pay the least
amount of attention to — water. Most of the truly successful mega- and regional breweries in the world
today are located at or near a good source of clean water.
If your local tap water tastes good, without excess chlorine compounds or mineral imbalances, it will
probably make good beer. Otherwise, most bottled drinking water will provide a good neutral source of clean
water.
Water picks up its character as a result of what it passes through, so unless you are fond of unusual
rubbery smells in your beer, think twice before filling the brewpot from the old garden hose hanging up in
the garage. Draw your water directly from the tap or with a short length of food-grade hose such as the
siphon hose available at most homebrew shops.
5. Water adjustments often create trouble.
There is a plethora of information regarding ways to adjust mineral content and pH levels of water to
mimic the great brewing waters around the world. But use caution. Many times the levels of adjustment
required as well as the minerals or acids used are relatively minor and difficult to accurately weigh without a
gram scale, pH meter, and titration equipment. In addition while government- mandated water reports for
your local water supply are readily available and quite accurate (just call your local water department), many
times these reports are annual averages, and the actual water could be quite different depending on the
season and any recent rainfall if the water is from a surface source. Unless you feel that there is a substantial
improvement to be made in beer quality due to the style of beer being made or the water available, avoid
making too many adjustments to the brewing water.
6. Freshness counts.
You know that fresh beer tastes best, so keep that in mind when you purchase the ingredients for your
next batch of beer. The same reactions that can result in beer going stale over time can affect the ingredients
as well, and using stale or out-of-date ingredients means you’ll get stale off-flavors in the beer before it is
even a few weeks old.
Beyond looking for obvious signs such as freshness dates, look at products before you buy. Do they look
and smell fresh? Do the products appear to rotate frequently, or are the packages covered with dust? Are the
hops green and kept cold in airtight packaging? Are packages of yeast stored in a cooler, or are they taped to
the outside of a can of malt extract? If possible, taste grains to make sure there are no stale or moldy flavors
or characters.
7. Milling grain can contaminate the brewing area.
Grain is a food source. As such it is literally covered with different types of bacteria, with Lactobacillus
being the most common. In the brewing process this bacteria usually does not present a problem thanks to
the high temperatures used in the mashing and boiling stages. If allowed to come into contact with cooled
wort, Lactobacillus produces lactic acid in the finished beer. This creates sour, unpleasant off-flavors.
Milling grain usually creates a lot of dust, which in addition to being an irritant and nuisance also
releases an airborne invasion of Lactobacillus into the surrounding environment. Most successful breweries
move pre-mash grain processing as far away from the brewing and fermentation areas as possible, and
homebrewers should do likewise. If you pre-mill your grain and need to transport it home, do so in a bag or
old, unused pail, not a fermentation bucket.
8. Mash temperatures dramatically affect beer flavors.
In all-grain beer, conversion of starches into fermentable and unfermentable sugars takes place over a
wide temperature band from 145° to 165° F. However, within this range different enzymes are working at
different temperatures. The work done by these enzymes has a big impact on the flavor profile of the finished
product.
Beta-amylase, the enzyme responsible for creating easily fermented simple sugars, works best on the
lower end of this range. Alpha-amylase, the enzyme responsible for breaking down starches into
unfermentable long-chain sugars, works best at the higher temperatures.
Adjusting mash temperatures within this range gives you control over the finished wort. It can be very
fermentable, resulting in a dry beer, or very dextrinous with a sweet, malty character. A good compromise
allowing both enzymes to work relatively well is in the center of this range, 150° to 155° F.
9. Grains should be sparged at 168° F and 170° F.
The mashing process creates a sweet, sugary solution that must be lautered, or extracted to the brewpot.
The sugars present in the mash react to temperature much the same way the sugars in a can of malt extract
syrup do. When cold they become very thick and viscous, and when hot they tend to lose viscosity and flow
more easily.
Extract brewers many times will run a package of malt syrup under the hot water faucet for a few
minutes to make it easier to pour into the brewpot. For all-grain brewers the goal in sparging is to use the
hottest temperature possible to take advantage of this effect and improve extraction efficiency, yet not extract
any of the harsh, astringent tannins that are present in the husks of grain. This occurs best at 168° to 170° F.
10. There is no substitute for a hard, rolling boil.
There are many good reasons to employ a solid, rolling boil for a minimum of 30 minutes. A strong boil
ensures sanitization by killing any bacteria present. Compounds in hops responsible for bittering are
isomerized and drawn into the final solution. And a strong boil is crucial in creating an effective "hot break,"
in which proteins that might otherwise cloud up or haze the finished beer are coagulated into particles that
can easily drop out of suspension.
The steam that escapes from a vigorous boil carries with it several volatile aromatic compounds that can
create unpleasant sulfury aromas in the finished beer — if they are not driven off.
11. Good notes make better beer.
Keep track of the temperature when you pitched yeast, the gravity of the wort before fermentation, mash
variables, and many other tangible factors in your process. You can’t know where you are going unless you
know where you’ve been.
Without good notes, the many factors that can affect the outcome of a batch of beer will become
muddled and forgotten over time and a few batches of homebrew. Being able to look back and review notes
made at an earlier time can help you make decisions that change or improve the next flavor in that next
batch, especially if you stumble across something unexpected but good. Using simple instruments such as
thermometers and hydro-meters allows you to take accurate readings that not only indicate what to expect
from your current beer but that will help you to accurately reproduce it in the future as well.
12. Quick wort chilling does more than just save time.
After boiling, quickly dropping the temperature of the fresh wort to yeast-pitching temperature of no
more than 70° F speeds up the entire brewing process. More important, it helps to improve the quality of the
finished beer.
Wort is sanitary at the boiling point, and most yeast can be safely pitched and fermentation begun at 70°
F. Beer-spoiling bacteria can thrive and reproduce rapidly at temperatures below boiling and above 70° F. It
stands to reason that the faster you can transcend this danger zone, the more you lessen the chances of any
bacterial contaminations taking hold and ruining the beer. Furthermore, rapidly chilling the wort increases
the coagulation and precipitation of proteins. With proper chilling this "cold break" will settle out of
suspension. If these proteins are not removed, they will create a haze in the finished beer.
13. It’s hard to overpitch.
How much yeast is the proper amount? In most cases the right answer is more! From a technical
standpoint the proper amount to pitch is somewhere between 10 million and 30 million cells of viable yeast
per milliliter of wort.
The factors that affect the amount of yeast required to pitch and ferment a batch of beer are many,
including gravity of the wort, fermentation temperature, yeast strain used, type of fermentation vessel, and
myriad other factors. However, from the homebrewer standpoint it is very difficult to have an adverse effect
on the finished beer by overpitching, and without a microscope, hemocytometer, or centrifuge, pitching
volumes are almost impossible to accurately determine.
Overpitching a beer can result in shortened fermentation time. It will also undermine proper yeast health
for successive repitching by not allowing the yeast to go through a proper growth phase. In this phase cells
rejuvenate, and they rebuild their glycogen reserves at the end of the growth phase. These are all factors that
can be important to a commercial operation with set production schedules and where a yeast strain is
expected to be used for many successive batches of beer. The majority of homebrewers rarely use a
particular batch of yeast for more than just a few sequential batches of beer, so this is not really an issue.
Large pitching volumes have the advantage of reducing lag times and the opportunity for beer-spoiling
organisms to multiply and produce off-flavors. While the potential for yeasty flavors does exist when using
large pitching amounts, for the most part these can be avoided by racking at the proper time and maintaining
proper fermentation temperatures. How much is a good volume to pitch? A pint of good slurry from a clean
previous batch or cultured from a starter should result in a prompt and active fermentation in a five-gallon
batch.
14. There’s a time and place for oxygenation.
Much the same as with yeast pitching rates, there are many equations to determine the proper amount of
air to inject into the cooled wort for optimum yeast health, usually in the neighborhood of eight to 12 parts
per million.
The factors that affect this figure include wort gravity, temperature, oxygenation or aeration method and
efficiency, and many others. Again, from the homebrewing standpoint the proper answer on how much
oxygen to use is more!
As with yeast, without proper lab instruments it can be virtually impossible to determine the amount of
dissolved oxygen in a sample of wort. It is better to err on the side of excess, because the problems that can
occur from over-oxygenation in a homebrew are negligible compared with the problems that can happen
when not enough is used.
Inadequate oxygenation can result in poor yeast health and performance, along with stuck fermentations
and beers that do not attenuate or reach their expected terminal gravity.
A healthy dose of oxygen usually results in a shortened lag time, vigorous fermentation, and good yeast
health. Any excess oxygen that is introduced usually is removed or "scrubbed out" by the escaping carbon
dioxide gas during the subsequent fermentation. Whether you’re using the time-tested method of splashing
the cooled wort into the fermenter or using any one of the commercially available oxygenation/aeration
systems, don’t hesitate to introduce more oxygen to the wort prior to pitching yeast. Be careful not to add too
much when using pure oxygen.
Many homebrewers do make a mistake that will affect the flavor of the finished beer by introducing
oxygen to the wort after the fermentation process has begun, usually by careless splashing during racking or
bottling. Since the fermentation process is for the most part complete, any oxygen introduced will not be
scrubbed out and will instead remain to react with other compounds in the beer to create staling and off-
flavors.
15. Steady, constant temperatures protect wort from off-flavors.
Yeast is a living organism, and like any other creature yeast perform at their best when in a comfortable
environment with an adequate supply of nutrients. The nutrients are supplied in the form of boiled and
chilled wort, which will be fermented into finished beer.
The temperature at which this takes place has a dramatic effect on the flavor of the finished product.
Ferment too warm and you’ll get higher alcohols called fusels, which are associated with hangovers. They
not only taste harsh, they are very difficult for our bodies to process and neutralize.
Temperatures that are too cold slow down the metabolism of the yeast. This can result in sluggish
fermentations that stall before the beer has reached the proper terminal gravity. Butterscotch-like compounds
called diacetyl can also result from fermentation temperatures that are too high.
Don’t worry if you do not have access to a rigid, temperature-controlled environment. A five-gallon
fermenter of wort will be slow to react to minor daily fluctuations in air temperature. Liquids change
temperature much more slowly than the surrounding air and thus maintain a reasonably constant average if
kept out of drafts or direct sunlight.
16. Two-stage fermentation clears beer.
In a two-stage fermentation the fermenting wort is transferred into a second fermenter after the initial
vigorous fermentation subsides. Not only will this result in a cleaner-looking finished product but a cleaner-
tasting one as well.
As the fermentation begins to slow down, the yeast flocculates (settles out) along with a substantial
amount of protein trub. If the still-fermenting wort is allowed to remain in contact with this sediment,
unpleasant yeasty characters and off-flavors can result. Transferring the beer into a clean secondary
fermenter for the remainder of the conditioning time allows additional settling to occur. It also allows time
for the flavors in the young beer to mature.
17. Darkness is a good thing.
Much has been written about using brown glass bottles to help prevent the light-struck, skunky aroma
that can result from hop compounds reacting with ultraviolet light. This reaction can occur at any time, so
remember to keep those clear glass carboys covered up or in a closet to prevent "preskunking" the beer long
before it reaches the bottle.
18. Time is on your side — with unfiltered beer.
If that latest batch of beer just doesn’t quite seem to taste right, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s time to
start opening bottles and fertilizing the roses. Providing the flavors are not the result of a bacterial
contamination, the further conditioning that takes place in the bottle or keg can result in a mellowing of
flavors over time. An unpleasant beer can sometimes turn into a quite drinkable one. This process can take
weeks or even months. So unless you need the bottles for something else, forgetting about them and
sampling again at a later date can result in some very pleasant surprises.
19. Talking beer can improve beer.
Brewing is a science that, while quite old, is evolving. Some books that were on the cutting edge 15
years ago are now quite dated and full of information that will actually hurt your brewing. That’s because
equipment and ingredients have changed, and thus so have proper techniques. The best way to stay current is
by reading and talking to others who brew.
Most brew-shop owners and brewpub brewers are more than happy to talk about the hobby. After all,
most brewers brew because they enjoy it. It is always fun to sit down over a pint of homebrew and talk shop.
Just be a little discreet; when the delivery truck is unloading a pallet of malt to the shop or the brewers are
attempting to remove 2,000 pounds of spent grain from the mash tun is probably not a good time to approach
and say, "Hey, can you answer a quick question?"
20. Experimentation is the soul of brewing.
Many of civilization’s greatest scientific discoveries and advances were made by accident. Yet without
these "accidents" we would be without many of the things that we take for granted today.
The same is true for brewing; the best way to find out what will happen if you try something new is to do it.
Just because you’ve never read about somebody using breakfast cereal or starch-based packaging material in
a mash doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t work. Be open to new ideas, and don’t be afraid to experiment.
Brewing is every bit as much an art as it is a science. By working to understand the processes that can
take place every time you make a batch of homebrew, you can better exercise artistic freedom to continually
create better, more flavorful beers as you improve your brewing skills.
20 Tips For Better Brewing
It's simple. If you want to make good homebrewed beer, all you need are the best possible ingredients, the
best possible equipment, good recipes, and sound technique.
The first three requirements can be met by taking a trip to your local homebrew shop or ordering from your
favorite mail-order supplier. But the requirement of sound technique is satisfied only by practice, practice,
practice, and by listening to the advice of other homebrewers.
You see, homebrewers are an ingenious lot. Any homebrewer worth his wort is constantly trying to improve
some aspect or other of his brewing process. Just when you think you have heard it all, someone comes up
with a simple yet effective tip for the brewing process that makes you slap your forehead and say, "Well, of
course! Why didn't I think about that before?" Every time you add another piece of advice to your bag of
tricks you enhance that last, most subjective requirement for making good beer: technique.
What follows is a quick tour of the brewing process, including tips and tricks that have been picked up from
an assortment of homebrewers over the years. Some of these may be old news. Others may take you one step
closer to making that perfect pint of beer.
1. Try to employ full five-gallon boils as soon as possible. Think of malt extract as concentrated wort. To
make beer that rivals the best home- and microbrews, you must reconstitute the wort. That is, you must
restore the concentrated wort back to its original gravity. Once you have, you can begin to treat it as wort
retrieved from an all-grain mash and sparge. This is especially important for hop utilization. Yes, you will
probably need a wort chiller. But the sooner you start using one, the sooner you will wonder how you ever
lived without it.
2. Avoid straight extract recipes. Can you make decent beer by dumping two cans of prehopped malt
extract into a pot and boiling it for an hour? Well, yes. But it will never be as good as using light malt
extract, crushed specialty grains, and fresh or pelletized hops.
Craft your beers by consulting all-grain recipes. Most five-gallon all-grain recipes will call for eight to 10
pounds of pale malt, a variety of specialty grains (crystal malt for amber ales, chocolate malt for dark ales,
for example), and fresh or pelletized hops. Simply substitute two cans of your favorite light malt extract for
the eight to 10 pounds of pale malt. You can boost the gravity of your wort if necessary by adding small
amounts of dried malt extract. Grind the specialty malts. Place them in a mesh bag and submerge them in
your water as it comes to a boil. Pseudo-sparge by dipping them in and out of the water several times.
Remove them once the water hits 180° F to avoid extracting excessive tannins from the grains. Be very
careful not to boil the grains. Bring the "malt tea" to a boil. Add the extract and proceed with hop additions
per the recipe.
A side benefit of this technique is that you only have to buy one kind of malt extract. Therefore, you can buy
in bulk or case lots and get a reduced price. This will help you save on the total cost of your beer.
3. Pre-mix liquid malt extracts with equal parts boiling water before adding them to the brewpot. This
will eliminate the heavy syrup from glopping on the bottom of the pot, the malt sugars caramelizing, and the
subsequent burnt sugar taste in your beer.
4. Remove the brewpot from its heat source when adding malt extract. This, too, will help eliminate the
possibility of scorching the malt on the bottom of your boiling kettle.
5. Brew two batches of beer at once. The hardest part of any job is getting started, so once started, why not
brew two batches of beer instead of just one?
This works well for both extract and all-grain brews. The key is to understand that most of the time spent
brewing beer, especially all-grain, is spent waiting for each process to finish. So while the first batch is
mashing, grind the grains for the second batch. While sparging the first batch, mash the second. While
boiling the first batch, sparge the second. While chilling the first batch, boil the second. While cleaning up
the first batch, chill the second. It makes for a busy afternoon but by spending an extra hour brewing, you
have two batches of beer to show for your efforts instead of just one.
Should you try this stagger-step brewing process (no pun intended!), measure all your ingredients and
schedule the brewhouse procedure the night before. The brew day will go much smoother if you do.
6. Eliminate the dreaded boilover! It has happened to every brewer. But it does not have to keep
happening. Have you ever noticed how boilover usually happens during the first few minutes of the boil?
This is because proteins in the wort coagulate and form a sticky film as the wort comes to a boil. This film
literally blows into a giant wort bubble once steam is released from the wort at the onset of the boil. There
are two ways to help prevent this wort bubble from forming:
• Skim off the thick, creamy protein head that forms on top of the wort as it approaches boiling
temperature.
• Throw a few hops into the wort before it comes to a boil.
7. Boil the wort for 10 minutes before adding the bittering hops. Many proteins will coagulate and fall
out of solution during the first 10 minutes of the boil. If you add hops before these proteins have a chance to
coagulate, they will coat the hops and interfere with utilization.
There are several technical reasons you should achieve as clear a runoff as possible when transferring the
wort from the boiler to the fermenter. It is beyond the scope of this article to explain all the issues at stake
here. Suffice to say that pouring wort through a funnel and screen into a fermenter is risky. Instead, either
drain the wort through a drain valve at the bottom of the boiling vessel (the hops and trub form an effective
filter bed) or siphon the wort off the top of the trub. If you choose to siphon, follow these steps:
8. With your brewing spoon, create a whirlpool in the brewing kettle. This will force the hops and trub
into a cone at the bottom, leaving a moat of wort around the edges of the kettle.
9. The key to success when siphoning from the boiling pot is filtering out the hops and trub. Tie a
copper-wound pot scrubber around the bottom of your pick-up tube to filter the hops and prevent them from
clogging the siphon hose. The Chore-Boy brand pot scrubber is a good choice because it is made of pure
copper. You can find them at most grocery stores with the cleaning supplies. Secure the pot scrubber to the
bottom of the pick-up tube with a short piece of copper wire.
Suspend the bottom of the pick-up tube just above the trub layer at the bottom of the kettle. There are a
couple of nifty siphon tube holders on the market now that make this an easy task. Halfway through the
siphon, tip the boiling pot over a bit by placing a large book under the side opposite the pick-up tube. At the
end of the siphon, all the wort will have run around the moat and will be sitting in a small pool of wort at the
bottom of the pickup tube.
10. Aeration of the wort is essential before fermentation. One brewer active on the Internet came up
with an ingenious idea for achieving this. You will need a 12-inch piece of 3/8-inch-diameter copper
tubing, a drill, and a small (3/32-inch or so) drill bit. One inch from the end of the copper tubing, drill a hole
straight through the tubing and out the other side. Turn the tubing 90 degrees and drill another set of holes.
Sterilize the tubing and insert the drilled end into the outlet end of your siphon hose.
Start the siphon. As the wort goes by the holes you have drilled, it will suck (entrain) air into the wort.
Prepare to shake down all the bubbles that form in the collected wort.
11. Siphoning is an essential brewing skill! Here is one technique:
The key piece of equipment is a siphon starter, a two-inch piece of 3/8-inch copper tubing. Insert the siphon
starter into the outlet end of the siphon hose and put your mouth on it to start your siphon. Never, but never,
place your mouth in direct contact with the siphon hose itself.
One reason people have problems siphoning is because they begin by keeping the outlet end of the hose
below the top level of the liquid from which they are siphoning. Wrong! The secret is to keep the outlet end
of the siphon hose above the top level of the liquid from which you are siphoning when you start to pull the
liquid.
Stand up straight, with the siphon hose draping down from the pick-up tube back up to your mouth, forming
a U-shaped loop. Suck on the siphon starter; the wort will travel down and up the siphon hose, stopping at a
level equal to the top level of the wort in the kettle. (Practice this with water until you get it down.) Remove
the copper tubing from the end of the siphon hose, replace it with the aeration tube described above, pinch
the hose, and drop it into the fermenter.
12. Keep your fermentation temperatures stable. Stable temperatures are almost more important than
maintaining proper temperatures; to a point. Do not allow the temperature of your beer to fluctuate more than
five degrees per day.
13. Pure (liquid) yeast cultures are here, and they are wonderful. Use them if you can.
14. If you cannot use a pure yeast culture and need to use dried yeast, rehydrate the yeast. It is
preferable to do two packs for 30 minutes in water that has been boiled and cooled to at least 80° F. (Grolsch
bottles with flip-top lids, called cage caps, are great for this.) Do not pour dried yeast on top of the wort in
the fermenter. The osmotic pressure on the yeast cells as they rehydrate is too great, causing many of them to
burst. The result is a low yeast count.
15. Absolutely, positively replace all the rubber parts if you own a five-gallon Cornelius keg that has
had cola or root beer in it. If you are not sure if it has held soda, replace the parts anyway!
16. Consider trimming one inch from the bottom of the pick-up tube in your keg to ensure clear beer
from the first glass. You can always re-extend the tube by slipping a one inch piece of siphon hose over the
end later.
17. Force-carbonate your beer at room temperature by placing it under 40 pounds of pressure or at
34° F at 13 psi for three days. Either method will give the same carbonation. Do not shake the carbon
dioxide into the solution. Big "fish eye" bubbles in your brew may be the result once the beer is poured into
the glass. Let the CO2 gradually dissolve into solution.
18. Here's another great gadget invented by a homebrewer: the $3 counter pressure bottle filler!
Parts list: A 12-inch piece of 3/8-inch copper tubing. A one-holed stopper that fits your bottles. A standard
dispensing tap (you know, the kind that came with your kegging set-up).
Stick the copper tubing through the one-holed stopper. Adjust it so the copper tubing just clears the bottom
of the bottle as the stopper fits snugly into the mouth of the bottle. Jam the mouth of the tap onto the copper
tubing sticking through the top of the bottle.
Fill each bottle with carbon dioxide from your keg, dispensed at around four pounds per square inch (psi).
Fill them all at once. Since CO2 is heavier than air, it will stay in the bottles.
Stick your $3 counterpressure filler into the first bottle. Instead of pressing down on the handle of the tap to
release beer into the bottle, flip the handle backwards. This locks it in the open position. Beer will then flow
into the bottle until the pressure equalizes. Gently push the stopper back with your thumb, releasing some
pressure, and the bottle will continue filling! Flip the handle back down and fill more bottles.
19. Quick-drain a carboy by sticking a semi-rigid tube (low-density polyethylene tubing or copper
tubing) through the neck of the carboy into the "head" space at the bottom. The tube will vent air,
allowing the water to rush out without gurgling.
20. If you still ferment in plastic buckets, it is important to store them properly. Refill your fermenter to
the brim with a dilute solution of bleach and water (one teaspoon of bleach per gallon). Let it "pickle" until
your next brew day. Rinse with boiling water.
The poor reputation of plastic fermenters probably comes more from the way they are stored between
brewing sessions than anything having to do with the plastic itself.
A Stout Companion
by Roger Bergen
The art of brewing this most extreme beer style is revealed by both old brewing texts and a
discussion of the many worldwide variations on a dark and bitter theme.
In the last issue (Porters: Then and Now," BrewingTechniques 1 [3], 1993), I ventured into the murky
borderland between porter and stout in search of the elusive porter. This issue, I continue with stouts. Despite
stout's international popularity, it is not a unified style but a family of substyles. Indeed, the range of
variation within these black beers is astounding. Not only do stouts offer unparalleled levels of flavor
intensity, but they also complement a wide array of foods from oysters to chocolate.
The origins of stout are even more obscure than those of porter, of which stout is probably an offshoot.
Although stout is mentioned as early as the late 1600s, most likely it was a strong dark ale of the type now
called "old." For centuries, the British used dark malts to balance the sweetness of the old-style unhopped
ales and continued to use them after hops were generally adopted (ca. 1650). These were brown malts, used
for all or a large proportion of the grist. Black malts were first introduced in the 1830s in the London porter
industry, and chocolate malt and roasted barley followed later. Guinness, like many great brewers, first
gained fame with porter. Stout seems to have really come into its own as porter entered its long decline.
The various substyles of stout represent a range of gravities and palates as great as any other family of ales.
The unifying factors are the very dark, usually black color, and the more or less pronounced roasted, grainy
palate. Beyond this, gravities range from 9 to 25 degrees P (SG 1.036 to >1.100), and bitterness ranges from
as low as 20 to >60 IBU.
STOUTS BACK THEN

Wahl-Henius (1) provide good descriptions of stout production in the late 19th century. Single stouts were
brewed to 16-18 degrees P (SG 1.065- 1.073), double stouts to 18-20 degrees P (SG 1.073-1.080), imperial
stout to 20-25 degrees P (SG 1.080-1.100), and Russian export to >25 degrees P (SG >1.100) (1).
Stouts were aged "stock ales," typically with Brettanomyces secondary fermentation. One common method
of achieving this character economically was the blending process called "vatting." A proportion of well-
aged stout of >20 degrees P (SG 1.080) would be blended into a young "running" stout or porter of 12-13
degrees P (SG 1.049-1.053). This was thought to give better results in English brewing than could be
obtained with a single unblended stout of 16-17 degrees P (SG 1.065-1.069) (1). Vatting was the rule in stout
brewing and was used for other types of ales as well. It is still practiced by a number of stout brewers,
including Guinness.
IRISH DRY STOUTS

Guinness is deservedly the most famous stout in the world, and for many it serves as the benchmark against
which all others are measured. This is perhaps unfair to stouts whose origins and intentions are different
from those of Guinness, but it is certainly both the prototype of the Irish style and the most popular stout in
the world. Beamish and Murphy stouts are just as authentic as their famous countryman. A remarkably
successful example of the style is Main Sail Stout from Full Sail Ales of Hood River, Oregon -- a very
worthy stout indeed.
That said, Guinness is a schizophrenic beverage. The most casual drinker will notice the difference between
the draught product (including the remarkable new draught in a can) and the bottle. The difference is
primarily due to draught Guinness' unique combination of low carbonation and the practice of dispensing
under a combination of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, which promotes the characteristic creamy head and
smooth body. The gravity of bottled Guinness stout is higher -- about 13 degrees P (SG 1.052), compared
with 10 degrees P (SG 1.040) for draught Guinness sold in the United States. Gravities in Britain and Ireland
run lower: about 9 degrees P (SG 1.036) for draught and 11.5 degrees P (SG 1.046) for bottled, and slightly
higher for both in winter. Alas, bottled Guinness in Britain is no longer bottle-conditioned.
The dry character of Irish stouts is far more pronounced in draught stout, which is a well-attenuated beer.
Relative to draught stout, the higher gravity of the bottled beer gives it a sweeter, fuller palate, and the higher
carbonation gives a rougher, more prickly mouthfeel. The draught has a definite "ironlike" note, and the
acetic aroma sometimes encountered is due to poorly maintained draft systems. Liberal hopping rates
emphasize the dryness of Irish stouts, though hops are used for bittering only, and hop aroma is not
appropriate to this style. The bitterness is very clean and for most Guinness products roughly matches the
last two numbers of the original SG; a bottled stout of specific gravity 1.052, for example, has about 50 IBU.
Many details of Guinness's production remain closely guarded secrets. Most brewers know, however, that
the use of very dark roasted barley, rather than black malt, is critical to the distinctive Irish palate, as is the
inclusion of perhaps 10% of raw unmalted barley, cooked or flaked to gelatinize the starch. Pale malt
composes the rest of the grist; no caramel or crystal malts are used. Vatting is used for all Guinness products.
ENGLISH STOUTS
English stouts are often thought of as sweet, at least relative to the Irish stouts. Although some English stouts
are sweet indeed, the tendency is toward a more rounded and less intense palate than that found in Irish
stouts. This tendency is evident in the occasional Scottish example as well. The "sweet stout" substyle is
synonymous with "milk stout" -- a moderate-gravity stout, usually about 9.5-10.5 degrees P (SG 1.038-
1.042), hopped at a fairly low rate, and usually sweetened by priming with unfermentable lactose. The soft,
roasted character is usually from chocolate malt. Whitbread's Mackeson is to sweet stout as Guinness is to
Irish -- the classic -- although England offers many other good examples. Export Mackeson is considerably
higher in gravity, approximately 14 degrees P (SG 1.056), and has a more aggressive "stouty" palate and a
much less pronounced sweetness.
Other English stouts occupy a middle ground between the sweet and dry styles, and much variation in palate
and balance occurs between brewers. Some English stouts are quite intense. Black and/or chocolate malts
plus crystal malts are the usual color malts. Up to 10% flaked maize may be used in the grist; British brewers
swear that maize improves head retention. Also typically British is the use of dark brewing sugars such as
black treacle (blackstrap molasses), either in the kettle, as a primer, or both. The term "cream" stout may
once have been a market variation on milk stout but now usually means that the stout is not in the Irish dry
style. Cream stout is reasonably descriptive of the palate of English-style stouts.
OATMEAL STOUT
Oatmeal stout has become an important substyle for American microbreweries, probably because of the
influence of Michael Jackson's writings (2). Originally an English style and once extinct, Samuel Smith¹s of
Yorkshire now produces an excellent revivalist version. A number of U.S. microbreweries are brewing
excellent oatmeal stouts, among them the superlative Barney Flats by Anderson Valley Brewing (Boonville,
California) and one from Breckenbridge Brewing (Breckenbridge, Colorado). Modern oatmeal stouts range
from about 12 to 15 degrees P (SG 1.048-1.060) and typically have a heavily roasted palate supported by
caramel malts and fairly high bitterness levels.
Oats are even harder to work with than flaked barley or wheat malt. In addition to a high protein and lipid
content, oats are very rich in beta-glucan gums (for evidence, you need look no further than the consistency
of your breakfast porridge). Most brewers find it impossible to lauter with more than 5-7% oats in the grist.
More might be practical if a beta-glucanase rest is incorporated in the mash program; in my experience,
however, 5% is practical with single-temperature infusion mash equipment and gives the distinctive silkiness
that is the hallmark of oatmeal stout.
Use the most heavily processed oats you can get. Ordinary "quick" oats from the grocery store work well,
but the "instant" type is better. Instant-type oats are much more thoroughly gelatinized than regular oatmeal
and are used by some commercial brewers. Avoid steel-cut oats unless you are prepared to cook them before
mashing. The rule of thumb: The shorter the recommended cooking time, the more suitable for brewing. The
same applies to flaked barley, although 10% can be used comfortably. In both cases I recommend using an
iodine test for conversion, although the results can be hard to read in a stout mash. As for lautering, follow
the guidelines given in a previous "Brewing in Styles" installment on American wheat beers (3). The
delightful texture of oatmeal stout is best expressed in the unfiltered form, which is just as well because
filtration is usually very difficult.
EXPORT STOUTS
As described in the last issue, stouts and porters were the basis of an important export trade from England
and later from Ireland, first to the Baltic region and then to the tropics. In addition to the remarkable Baltic
brews, the legacy of stout consumption and brewing stretches to Africa, Southeast Asia, the Indo-Pacific
region, the Caribbean, and possibly South America (Xingu seems more stout than schwarzbier to me).
The grandfather and dean of them all is the incomparable Courage Russian Imperial Stout, brewed to a
gravity of 26 degrees P (SG 1.104) and capable of lasting 25 years or more in the bottle. It is the beer world's
answer to a vintage Cockburn port. Jackson likens the palate to that of a British Christmas pudding (2), but
that hardly conveys the layer of complexity and intensity found within the nip bottle. Any descriptions of the
harmonious melange of honey, tar, currants, caramel, roasted malts, and dozens of esters and aldehydes,
underpinned by generous hopping, is grossly inadequate. Unfortunately, Courage is impossible to find
outside Britain and is even very scarce within. Since Courage closed its London brewery in 1982, it has been
brewed only sporadically at various locations. I must continue to refuse all offers for my bottles of the 1982.
The export categories of double, triple, and Russian once offered many representatives, but today their
numbers have dwindled. There have been revivals, most notably Samuel Smith's Imperial Stout (Yorkshire,
England) and Grant's Imperial Stout of (Yakima, Washington). These are both fine beers, but with gravities
at about 18 degrees P (SG 1.072), they barely qualify as double stout and pale next to the Courage original.
One notable holdover, though, is Guinness Foreign Extra Stout, known as "FES" to the brewers. FES is
everything you would expect from bottled Guinness, with a gravity of 18-19 degrees P (SG 1.072-76) and
tremendous flavor density. It is widely available in the Caribbean, West Africa, and places like Singapore
and Hong Kong, but, sadly, not in North America. Where it is available, it is far more than just beer. It is
universally regarded as a tonic and aphrodisiac. One slogan is "Guinness puts it back." Like its Baltic trade
forerunners, Guinness FES has spawned not only license brewing arrangements but numerous emulators
around the tropics, from the pedestrian Red Dragon of Desnoes-Geddes, Jamaica, to the excellent bottle-
conditioned ABC Stout of Malaysia. Australian and New Zealand stouts are descended from English
forebears and are not in the export style.
AMERICAN STOUTS
Last issue's installment of "Brewing in Styles" gave Wahl and Henius's recommendation for stout and porter
brewing ca. 1908 (4). The only difference from porters are stouts' higher gravities -- 16-18 degrees P (SG
1.072-1.076) -- and a hopping rate exactly double that of porters (21/2 lb/bbl in three equal additions).
Although some ale breweries in the Eastern United States brewed stout before Prohibition, it seems that it
was not brewed after 1919. The first revival American stout was, quite naturally, brewed by the nation's first
microbrewery, New Albion of Sonoma, California, around 1978. Virtually all other ale microbreweries
followed suit, starting with Boulder and Sierra Nevada in the early 1980s. Stouts have since become a major
part of the microbrewer's repertoire, and it is uncommon for brewpubs or microbreweries not to brew at least
one seasonally. They are a frequent choice for special Christmas beers, a practice followed by Boulder
Brewing for a number of years. Although I describe only a few American stouts here, there are many other
outstanding labels. Perhaps one reason for stout's popularity with home brewers and microbrewers is their
forgiving nature: the intense flavors can conceal a multitude of small brewing mistakes.
Typical modern American stouts range between 11 and 18 degrees P (SG 1.044-1.072). I know of no
American stout brewed to true Russian imperial gravity, though this may change. Home brewers like to take
this style to extremes, both in gravity and odd grist constituents, including licorice and even coffee or
chocolate. Many microbrewers attempt to emulate Guinness, but few succeed at the difficult task of
achieving a true Irish palate. Many others are broadly in the English style, sweeter and fuller of palate. So
far, it is not really possible to speak of an American-style stout; those with a lot of hop aroma are largely
confined to the West Coast micros and are not universal even there.
Stout developed in association with the carbonate water of London and Dublin. The acidity of the roasted
grains balances alkaline mash and sparge water. When brewing with soft or slightly sulfate waters, I
recommend adding calcium carbonate to the mash (not to the water) to bring the pH up to the optimal 5.2-5.4
range. Those with high-sulfate or very hard water will have to resort to another water source or to reverse-
osmosis or deionization equipment.
Bitterness ranges from 30 to >60 IBU. Many brewers, especially on the West Coast, use aroma hops rather
liberally, an acceptable practice for American stouts, according to Wahl and Henius. Dry hopping is never
appropriate. "Coarse" high-alpha hops are highly acceptable; noble aroma hops would essentially be wasted.
The high cohumulone content of many new high-alpha hops, however, suggests that a blend with a lower
alpha hop such as the traditional Fuggles or Willamette would be best for a clean bitterness. Recommended
varieties for stout include Cluster, Northern Brewer, and Bullion or Brewer's Gold.
Stouts have been fermented with good results by virtually every ale yeast available. Most brewers use their
house ale yeast. When brewing in the Irish style I particularly recommend Wyeast #1084 Irish Ale Yeast. It
is the house yeast at Full Sail Ale, and the resulting Main Sail Stout speaks for itself. This yeast is moderate
in both attenuation and flocculation and is especially well suited to life in unitank fermentors.
ALWAYS A PLACE FOR THE STOUT

Although stout may not be the top seller in most brewers' portfolios, for many beer lovers nothing else will
do, which means that stout will always have a place. It is certainly the most extreme style in common
production in the world's breweries, and it seems to be regaining lost popularity in the United States while,
ironically, ever-increasing taxes make it more and more of a luxury in Ireland, the country that elevated it to
its highest form and made it its everyday drink.
REFERENCES
(1) R. Wahl and M. Henius, American Handy Book of the Brewing, Malting, and Auxiliary Trades, vol. II
(Wahl-Henius Institute, Chicago, IL 1908).
(2) M. Jackson, New World Guide to Beer (Running Press, Philadelphia, 1988), p. 171; see also previous
editions.
(3) R. Bergen, "American Wheat Beers," BrewingTechniques 1 (1), 14-17 (1993).
(4) R. Bergen, "Porters," BrewingTechniques 1 (3), p. 14-19 (1993).
Beauty and the Yeast Sep, 2003
by Donald Million
You make the wort. but it's the yeast that turns it into beer. What you can do to ensure
that your fungal friends get off to a fast start and finish at the proper specific gravity.
Many brewers believe yeast is the single

biggest factor affecting the final taste of their
beer. The effort we put into mashing, boiling
and the rest simply prepares an environment
where the yeast can do their work.
Some of the flavor and aroma compounds that

are affected by yeast are esters (“fruity,” often
banana, aroma), diacetyl (buttery or
butterscotch flavor), fusel alcohols (solvent-
like flavor), and aldehydes (green apple aroma
and flavor). Most lager yeasts also produce
noticeable amounts of sulfur. These
characteristics are acceptable, sometimes even
desirable, in low concentrations, but are
considered flaws in higher concentrations. And
for beer styles such as German hefeweizen or
some Belgian beers, key flavor and aroma
characteristics of the beer are a product of the
special yeast strains used in their brewing.
That’s why choosing the right yeast strain and
handling the yeast correctly is so important.
Selecting the Right Yeast
Should you use dry yeast or liquid? In the past, dry yeast got a bad reputation for a
number of reasons. One of the main ones was the generic package stuck under the lid
of all-in-one can kits of an earlier era. This yeast was sometimes old and could have
overheated during shipping.
Name brand dry yeast suppliers, like Lallemand and Safale, have made dramatic
improvements in the last few years. If you haven’t tried dry yeast recently, you haven’t
tried dry yeast. The only drawback these days is that it is not available in as many
varieties as liquid. If you are making a basic pale, brown or amber ale, there are dry
yeasts available that are as good as the best liquid yeast you can buy. If you are
making lagers, many Belgian ales or a German-style wheat beer, you will need one of
the appropriate liquid yeast strains.
An important step in selecting a yeast strain is checking the suppliers’ information. Most
yeast suppliers provide information about attenuation, flocculation and appropriate
temperatures for each of their yeast strains. In addition, they will describe the style of
beer the strain is best suited for and whether or not it can tolerate high gravity wort.
Attenuation: Attenuation refers to how completely the yeast can ferment wort. If your
wort’s starting gravity is 1.048 and its final gravity is 1.012, then the attenuation is
calculated as (48-12)/48 = 0.75, or 75%. This value is about average. Some yeast
attenuate less — in the 70-73% range — resulting in a sweeter, fuller-bodied beer.
Wyeast 1968, White Labs WLP002 and Danstar Windsor are examples of low to
moderate attenuating yeast. Other yeasts attenuate more — as much as 80-85% —
resulting in a drier, lighter-bodied beer. Wyeast 1010, Danstar Nottingham and White
Labs WLP007 are examples of highly-attenuating yeast strains.
Flocculation: Flocculation refers to the tendency of the yeast to clump together and
settle out when fermentation is complete. All yeast does this to some extent, but there
is considerable variation between strains. For example, White Labs WLP300 and Wyeast
1007 are both known as low flocculating yeasts while WLP002 and Wyeast 2112 are
both highly flocculent. The important difference to homebrewers is that with a highly
flocculent yeast, the beer will clear more quickly and completely than with a low
flocculating strain.
Temperature: Most ale yeasts work best between 65–75 °F (18–24 °C) and will slow
down or stop working completely if the temperature drops much below 60 °F (15.6 °C).
Lager yeast work at much lower temperatures, in the range of 45–60 °F (7–16 °C). As
always, there are exceptions; ale yeasts are available that work as cold as 55° F (13°
C) and lager yeasts that work as warm as 68° F (20° C) without producing off flavors.
Both ale and lager yeast will ferment at temperatures above their recommended range,
but then produce excessive amounts of esters and other flavor compounds, resulting in
off tastes.
Once you have chosen a strain and gotten it home, it should be refrigerated until you
are ready to use it.
Pitching Enough Yeast
Yeast want lots of company when they are making beer. Once in the wort, yeast will
reproduce until there are 6-10 million cells per milliliter, per degree Plato — for a total
of as many as two trillion cells in a typical 5-gallon (19 L) batch!
Commercial breweries have established the ideal amount of yeast to pitch at about 1
million cells per milliliter per degree Plato. The yeast then accomplish a six to ten-fold
increase in population between pitching and the time when the majority of alcohol
production occurs. If the yeast must reproduce more than that, there will be a
correspondingly longer lag time.
A long lag time leaves the wort susceptible to contamination by bacteria and wild yeast.
The increase in yeast growth that goes along with low pitching rates is also associated
with increases in diacetyl, esters and fusel alcohols. Finally, under-pitching can result in
under-attenuation — causing high final gravities — or an extremely slow fermentation.
If you do the math, you would find that you should be pitching 228 billion yeast cells for
an average strength ale. A larger batch or higher gravity calls for more yeast.
How do you get that many yeast cells? First of all, you don’t need exactly that many
yeast cells. This is an “ideal” amount, but good beer
has been made with far less. If you
get into the neighborhood, your beer will be fine.
On the other hand, if you’re experiencing long lag times, or any of the problems
associated with them, your pitching rate should be increased. It is also a good idea to
err on the side of too much yeast rather than too little for lagers and high gravity ales.
This is because the fermenting conditions for these kinds of beer put more demands on
the yeast.
According to their respective manufacturers, large smack packs and “pitchable” tubes of
liquid yeast contain up to 60 billion cells while an 11-gram packet of dry yeast may
have as much as 160 billion cells. A packet of dry yeast gets you fairly close to your
target pitching rate and two is plenty even for a high gravity beer. The liquid yeast
should really be stepped up at least once.
Making a Starter
To step up the quantity of yeast, we make a yeast starter. This is a simple process, but
you need to be careful about sanitation. You want to grow brewers yeast, not bacteria
or wild yeast. Remember, too, that you are growing yeast. While the process is similar
to making a mini batch of beer, the objective is different.
The correct specific gravity for starter wort is a matter of some disagreement. Wyeast
says it should be between 1.020 and 1.030. White Labs recommends about 1.040.
Many commercial breweries make starters with gravities of 1.048. What everyone
seems to agree on is that yeast grow more rapidly in lower gravity wort. The
disagreement revolves around whether lower gravity wort properly prepares the yeast
for pitching into the actual batch.
My recommendation is to begin with relatively low gravity wort; 60% of the projected
gravity of the actual batch is a good rule of thumb. For instance, if your batch is going
to have a gravity of 1.050, you would make a starter with a gravity of (50*0.60 = 30)
1.030. For a high gravity beer, I would step the yeast up a second time into a starter
that was closer in gravity to the batch, perhaps 75–80%. How big of a starter do you
need? Since you
probably don’t have the equipment to count yeast cells, you have to base it on the
volume of the starter. A standard rule of thumb is to step up the volume of yeast to 6–
10 times the amount of wort that you start with. That means, if you are going to make
a 5-gallon (19 L) batch, you would ideally pitch from a 2-quart (~ 2 L) starter. Any of
the “pitchable” yeast tubes or large smack packs can be pitched directly into a 2-quart
(~2 L) starter.
A Starter, Step by Step

Here is how to make a 2-qt. (~2L) starter with a gravity of about 1.030.
1. Heat 2 qts. (~2 L) of water to boiling.

2. Add 6 ozs. (170 g), or about
11/2 cups, of dry malt extract.
3. Add 1/4 tsp. of yeast nutrient. (This is optional, but recommended).
4. Boil for 15-20 minutes. (Watch out for boilovers!)
5. Remove from heat and cool to below 90° F (32° C).
6. Transfer starter wort to a sanitized container that provides at least a couple of inches
of headspace. A one-gallon (3.8 L) apple cider bottle works well, as does a brewpub
growler or 3-liter soda bottle.
7. Aerate well.
8. Add yeast.
9. Close the container with a stopper and airlock or simply cover with aluminum foil.
Keep the starter warm, at the upper end of — or even slightly above — the supplier’s
recommended temperature range. Don’t be surprised if you don’t see a lot of foaming
or airlock activity. Starters often ferment quickly, but quietly. If, after a day or two, you
see yeast sediment in the container, your starter has been active.
Using the Starter
Once the yeast goes through the growth phase, the starter is ready. At this point, a
layer of gray, putty-like yeast will have settled to the bottom of the container. You can
decant the liquid and only pitch this yeast sediment, or you can pitch the entire starter.
If you decant the liquid, you will lose some yeast still in suspension, but will not dilute
your batch as much. If your starter was similar in gravity and color to your batch,
however, diluting is not an issue and I recommend pitching the entire starter. In either
case, you need to swirl the container to loosen the sediment on the bottom.
Other Sources of Yeast

An alternative to a starter is using the yeast sediment from a previous batch. Time your
batches so that you are ready to pitch a new one just as you are bottling the previous
one, or moving the previous one from primary to secondary, and you have a ready-
made starter.
Some homebrewers pour the new batch in on top of the yeast sediment from the
previous batch after moving the previous batch out of the primary fermenter. An
alternative, which separates the new batch from the cold-break and hop residue of the
previous batch, is to measure out about a cup (about 250 mL) of the previous batch’s
yeast sediment from either the primary or secondary fermenter and pitch that into the
new batch. As usual, pitch more for a lager or high gravity ale.
Be aware that over several generations the yeast can mutate. For that reason, any
changes for the worse in your beer should signal that it is time to stop reusing that
yeast. Also, if a batch exhibits any signs of contamination, it’s time for fresh yeast.
Should you use the yeast from the primary or secondary fermenter? Yeast from the
secondary has gone through a longer fermentation period and spent more time in an
alcohol-rich environment. For that reason, some brewers believe they are “tired” and
less suitable than yeast from the primary. On the other hand, the yeast from the
primary will have more trub mixed in with them, so some brewers feel the yeast from
the secondary are “cleaner.” I’d prefer fresh, “dirty” to “tired,” clean yeast, but good
beer has been made using both methods.
A final option with some strains is to skim the floating yeast from the top of the
primary. This is my favorite way to harvest yeast, because you get the freshness of
yeast from the primary, but avoid the trub. White Labs WLP022 and Wyeast 1007 are
examples of strains that usually leave enough yeast floating on top for this to work. Use
a carefully sanitized spoon to skim the yeast and save it in a sanitized jar under distilled
water.
Pitching Temperature
Wherever you get your yeast from, avoid shocking it with a large temperature change
when you pitch. Most brewers yeast strains can survive temperatures well over optimal
fermentation temperatures. However, yeast do not like rapid temperature changes, for
instance from pitching cold yeast into a batch of beer that has not been cooled
adequately. Try to ensure that the temperature difference between your yeast and beer
is 10 °F (5 °C) or less. Remove the yeast from the fridge, if that’s where you’re storing
it, at least three hours before you use it to let it warm up.
Nutrients and Oxygen
Pitching enough yeast isn’t all there is to it, though. You also have to provide the right
environment for them. This means the right nutrients and enough oxygen for them to
go through a healthy reproductive phase and move vigorously into fermenting your
wort.
Yeast nutrients are available at most homebrew stores. The contents of these mixtures
vary, but most contain zinc and diammonium phosphate (DAP). Some also contain
common minerals like thiamin, niacin and folic acid, and many contain yeast hulls (the
empty cells of dead yeast).
With all-grain recipes, the wort should contain all the nutrients the yeast will need. If
the recipe includes a lot of adjuncts, there may be deficiencies. Extract or partial mash
recipes may also benefit from the addition of yeast nutrients. Extremely high gravity
wort, where the yeast is going to be stressed just converting all of the sugar to alcohol,
can also benefit from additional nutrients. Usually a teaspoon or two, added to the boil,
is all that is needed.
You need to get as much oxygen as possible into the wort immediately after it cools.
This can be done by shaking the fermenter, splashing the wort, allowing air to be
sucked in and mixed with the wort while siphoning, or by direct injection of air or
oxygen using an aquarium pump or oxygen cylinder. Yeast require oxygen during their
growth phase, when they are rapidly reproducing. Without it, they can’t reproduce
adequately and will come out of the growth phase weakened and unable to fully
ferment the wort. The affect on the beer is the same as not pitching enough yeast.
Oxygen is more soluble in cool wort and aerating hot wort causes it to darken; this is
why we add oxygen only after the wort has cooled. Likewise, oxygen introduced after
the yeast have passed the growth phase results in oxidation, causing early staling of
the beer. It will also lead to diacetyl production in the wort. This is why we aerate only
immediately after cooling the wort, not throughout fermentation.
Fermentation
Fermentation is where it all comes together, as far as homebrewing is concerned. Each

strain of yeast has different characteristics it will impart to the beer and different
conditions in which it will ferment most effectively. If you’re making an imperial stout,
for instance, you want yeast that can tolerate high gravity and the high alcohol content
towards the end of fermentation. Examples would be White Labs WLP007 and Wyeast
1728. If your fermentation area is on the warm or cool side, pick a strain that will do
well at that temperature. White Labs WLP001, for instance, ferments well at warmer
temperatures while Wyeast 1007 does well at cooler temperatures.
Some extremely flocculent yeast strains may need to be roused during fermentation.
You will need to shake the fermenter or stir the wort to get the yeast off the bottom
and back into suspension. Wyeast 1968 is an example of this type of yeast.
The attenuation your yeast achieves is dependent on all the things we’ve discussed up
to now, as well as on the fermentability of the wort. If you under-pitch, fail to aerate,
keep the fermenter too cool or use a yeast intended for low gravity beers in a high
gravity wort, then under-attenuation is a likely result.
During fermentation, about all you have to do as a homebrewer is ensure that the
temperature remains in the recommended range and (at least roughly) constant. Also,
keep your carboy away from bright lights, especially bright sunlight. A dark t-shirt over
the carboy is all you’ll need for light protection if your fermenting area is brightly lit. If
you have taken care of yeast nutrition and aeration, sit back and let the yeast do their
work.
Yeast for Bottle-Conditioning
After the wort ferments, the yeast will eventually settle out and the beer will appear
clear. Even after beer has fallen clear, it still has yeast in it — enough yeast for bottling
in almost all cases. Some homebrewers, however, still prefer to add some bottling
yeast for quicker conditioning. If you add fresh yeast, it is not necessary to pitch as
much as for a completely new batch. The Sierra Nevada brewery, for instance, adds
only enough yeast to their bottle conditioned beers to get about 250,000 cells/mL, or
the equivalent of 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of yeast slurry in a 5-gallon (19 L) batch.
Don Million wrote “Keg Your Beer” in the March-April 2003 issue of BYO.
by Sal Emma
Brew Your Own -- May 1999
It’s the bane of many a brewer. The occasional batch that just won’t clear.
All is not lost. A variety of fining agents are available to encourage your beer to clear. The term "fining"
refers to the process of clarifying beer, or to the agents that are used for that purpose. Finings are also
described as fining aids or clarifying agents.
Browsing through the finings shelf in your homebrew supply store can be confusing, especially since
most stores stock finings for both the brewer and the winemaker. Some finings are used in both specialties,
but some are not. It’s important to understand the distinctions when you choose a method for your beer.
Fog in the Forecast
Brewers and brewing scientists have spent many years exploring, discovering, and reporting sources of
haze and cloudiness in beer. The homebrewer is generally concerned with two of them: chill haze and yeast
in suspension.
Haze can be the result of biological contamination; that is when your beer becomes a growth medium for
wild yeast and unwelcome bacteria. But the more common form of haze occurs when naturally occurring
compounds in the beer react with one another to precipitate (come together) as solids.
When large molecules of protein meet certain phenolic compounds, known as polyphenols or tannins,
they latch on to one another and grow larger. As this process continues, they become large enough to be seen
as haze, especially at serving temperature. That’s chill haze.
In extreme cases, when the process continues unchecked, the haze forms at higher temperatures. This
form is called permanent haze.
Heading Off Haze in the Kettle
Perhaps the most ubiquitous fining is Irish moss, a standard ingredient listed in nearly every homebrew
recipe.
Irish moss is a type of seaweed that is gathered along seashores of the north Atlantic, including Ireland
— hence its common name. It’s also called carrageen, which is the name of its active ingredient. In addition
to beer, components of Irish moss are used as thickening agents in ice cream, salad dressing, toothpaste,
pudding, and paint.
Irish moss fits in the category of kettle finings. It is added to the brew kettle, usually during the last few
minutes of the boil. It helps to settle out proteins in the wort that could contribute to haze later on.
Ian Ward of Savilles, a manufacturer of beer finings in the United Kingdom, explains: "The action of all
kettle finings, including Irish moss, relies on the kappa carrageenan molecule, a large molecule with a strong
negative charge. When added to hot wort, some of the carrageenan dissolves. The proteins from the malt in
the wort have a positive charge. They react with the negatively charged carrageenan, forming a particle that
rapidly grows in size. The particles precipitate out to fall to the bottom," Ward says.
Steve Dresler, brewmaster for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, Calif., has been using Irish moss in
Sierra Nevada products for many years. "We’ve done some trials without it and I like the results better with,
especially in the original brewhouse," says Dresler. "Our whirlpool over there is high velocity and has a
tendency to break the proteins apart. The Irish moss keeps the protein well coagulated and makes it settle
better in the whirlpool.
"In the test batches we’ve brewed without it, the trub is fluffier and not as sticky. It mixes back into the
wort very easily," he says. "I’m comfortable using it because it’s a traditional fining, it’s inexpensive, and
it’s virtually completely removed before the beer is packaged," he says.
Modern surveys of beer chemistry indicate that Irish moss has little effect in low-protein worts, such as
those made exclusively from extract. But Dresler agrees with the conventional wisdom: "Do it. Irish moss
serves homebrewers well. It’s cheap, and it can’t hurt your beer," he says.
Sometimes It’s Just Yeast
Occasionally particles of yeast refuse to settle out of the beer, leaving the final product cloudy at any
temperature. Why does yeast sometimes refuse to settle? Usually, nobody knows.
"Every yeast has its own quirks and idiosyncrasies," says Steve Parkes, lead instructor and head brewer
at the American Brewers Guild in Woodland, Calif. Parkes earned his brewing credentials at Heriot-Watt
University in Edinburgh, Scotland. Yeast strains have different abilities to flocculate, but even very
flocculent strains sometimes have difficulty.
"Every brewer encounters the problem at some time. There are myriad things that could have gone
wrong. The yeast my be tired, running out of steam after many generations; you could have too much iron in
the water; it could be an amino-acid deficiency; beta-glucan from a too-high sparge temperature," Parkes
suggests.
Savilles’ Ward adds that since the yeast particles all share the same negative charge, they all repel one
another, continually bouncing around and remaining in a colloidal (suspended) state.
The favored traditional fining for yeast in suspension is isinglass, natural collagen from an unusual
source: fish swim bladders. The swim bladder is like a narrow balloon nestled inside the fish. The fish
controls buoyancy by inflating and deflating the swim bladder.
"Isinglass has been used as a food additive since medieval times, and its use in beer has been
documented to go back at least 300 years," says Ward.
"The current thinking is that its discovery goes back to the days when wine, beer, and other liquids were
carried in skins, usually of animal origin, sewn together to form a bottle. In some larger fish the swim
bladder is quite large and made a perfect, ready-made vessel for liquids. Someone probably used one to store
some cloudy wine and discovered quite by accident that the wine cleared inside the bladder," Ward says.
To understand how isinglass works, remember the properties of magnets. Like forces repel and unlike
forces attract. Isinglass is made up of long, positively charged molecules. When introduced into beer,
positive isinglass molecules latch onto negatively charged yeast, causing a clumping action.
"Imagine two graduated cylinders filled with water," says Ward. "If you drop a stone in one, it will drop
very quickly to the bottom. But if you drop a single grain of sand into the other, it will drift around and sink
much more slowly.
"The bigger the particle, the faster it will settle. In fact if you double the size of the particle, it will fall
four times faster, because the rate of settlement is a function of the square of the size of the particle. Isinglass
can increase the size of a clump of yeast cells by easily 100 times," he says.
Isinglass is a very effective cask fining when used properly. But using it properly can be a bit of a
challenge, as Parkes explains.
"It’s got to be well mixed in solution with cold water. That takes a long time. You want to keep it cool,
since it will start to degrade around 68° F," Parkes says. "At the brewery we use a magnetic stirrer, which
can stir indefinitely on its own. What I recommend for homebrewers is to measure the isinglass into water in
a flask, stop it, and shake it very well for a good 15 minutes. Don’t be tempted to use a blender, since that
will tear the molecules apart and render them useless.
"Keep it in the fridge and continue to shake occasionally for a day or two. By then, most of it will be in
solution and it will be ready to use," Parkes says.
Isinglass needs acid to dissolve. The commercial powders contain an acid component built in. Some
suppliers make a liquid formation, ready to use, but Parkes says the powder is probably more reliable.
"There’s no way to know the history of the product you’re buying. If it’s been held at high temperatures
for any length of time, it may be ineffective. That goes for the dry products, too, but they are probably not as
susceptible as the liquid," he says.
Isinglass is the traditional English way of fining cask-conditioned ale. "Isinglass works very quickly. I
usually hold off fining until 24 hours before serving, after the secondary ferment has been going for at least a
week in the cask. The yeast need to stay in suspension to do their work during conditioning. You don’t want
to fine them out until they’re finished," Parkes says.
Parkes says fining is best on a rising temperature. "That’s a tidbit that every English cellarmaster knew
but you won’t find written in any technical manual, because it’s something we can’t explain. Chill the beer to
a degree or two below serving temperature, then add the isinglass, shake it up to mix well, and allow the
temperature to rise for best results," he says.
Homebrewer Keith Chamberlin of Riverdale, Md., used isinglass to fine his real ale, which won a blue
ribbon in a Washington, D.C., area homebrew competition last year. "Some people prefer gelatin when they
learn where isinglass comes from. But I wanted my real ale to be as traditional as possible," he says.
Chamberlin used the liquid version and had no problems. "I primed in the keg for secondary
fermentation and let it ferment out for about a week. I added the isinglass about two days before the
competition and it won first place. It was very clear," he says.
Another ale brewer, Tom Cannon of Fairfax, Va., is less confident. "I’ve had mixed results with the
liquid stuff. I prefer to use the powder. I boil about two and a half cups of water to sanitize it and then chill it,
mixing in the isinglass in a flask. I shake it like crazy until it gets very thick and viscous, then add it to the
beer the next day.
Cannon conditions his ale in a genuine English stainless firkin, which comfortably holds 10 U.S. gallons.
"The nice thing about isinglass is that it continues to work, even if the cask is moved and the yeast sediment
is disturbed. It will settle right back down quickly," he says.
Cannon says he’s on the fence about isinglass only because he’s encountered such a range of results. "I
might switch to gelatin, just from a stability point of view," he says.
Attacking Haze in the Glass
The agents that are effective against yeast are generally ineffective against chill haze, because the
particles that form chill haze are naturally positive in charge. To get them to clump and settle — or to filter
better — brewers add negatively charged finings. These compounds include silica gel (Chillguard is a
common brand) and a fine powder of PVPP plastic, known as Polyclar.
Polyclar works by latching on to tannins in the protein-tannin reaction. Silica gel achieves the same
effect by latching on to the protein side.
Polyclar is a favorite among both professionals and homebrewers who use it. Brett Pacheco, head brewer
of the Concord Junction Brewery in Concord, Mass., says Polyclar rescued his beer from a nasty haze
problem.
"Over time our pale ale was setting a slight haze, even after filtering," he says. "We were not sure what
was going on but decided to run some Polyclar to see what would happen. It made a big difference
immediately, and we have not had any problems since we began using it."
Pacheco says that subsequent analysis indicated that the brewery’s water supply had a high level of
tannin compounds, feeding the tannin-protein formula needed for haze formation. "The tannin level of our
beer after being treated with Polyclar is near zero. And the beer stands up to forcing tests for both chill and
permanent haze," he says.
Pacheco was a homebrewer for years before going pro in 1994, but he never used Polyclar at home. He
says he would seriously consider it.
"It gets rid of haze-forming particles but does not seem to take anything good out of the beer. It’s
expensive, but in homebrew quantities that’s not much of an issue. As long as it settles enough for removal, I
can’t see any reason not to use it," he says.
Homebrewer Doug King of Calgary, Canada, uses Polyclar to help clear his award-winning American-
style light lager, a style that demands clarity for proper presentation.
"I do not filter any more. I have tried it with success, but decent filter cartridges cost too much. I fine
with Polyclar to eliminate chill haze. This is done in the secondary fermenter, after lagering," King says.
King says the beer should be chilled to near freezing to form the haze before fining. To treat five gallons
of beer, he uses three heaping tablespoons stirred well into two cups of boiling water.
"I do not stir or shake the beer, but rather allow the Polyclar solution to settle from the top.
Use plenty of water (when mixing your Polyclar); otherwise, it can sink directly to the bottom when
poured in," he says.
"I have not had any success with other fining agents. I feel that polyphenols are the only haze-forming
compounds that require fining. Other haze-producing things such as yeast and proteins will naturally settle
out. I am a very patient brewer and try to never rush the natural processes," he adds.
Rita Liotta of Buffalo, N.Y., is also a Polyclar fan. "I hate haze because I believe there is anaesthetic
aspect to the beer’s appearance. Haze distracts me from the enjoyment of the beer.
"Polyclar is easy to use and effective. I’ve used it for years. I use one tablespoon for five gallons of beer.
You can add it at racking, if you’re sure fermentation is over, or later on in secondary. I’ve done both. I also
cold-condition my beers in the bottle in the fridge for several weeks. That helps drop out the haze, too," says
Liotta.
Del Lansing of Pittsburgh warns homebrewers to be careful when adding Polyclar to beer with a fair
amount of dissolved C02. "Polyclar provides perfect bubble nucleation sites. If you dump it in too fast, the
result is bubbles — and a lot of them. Can you say volcano? What a mess," Lansing says.
It’s important to rack the beer off the Polyclar before you keg or bottle. Although it’s inert plastic, the
FDA approval is contingent on its removal before packaging. In fact because it’s safe and does not damage
foam stability, Polyclar is one of the few agents permitted under the German Reinheitsgebot brewing purity
law.
The procedure for using silica gel is very similar. For a double-barrel approach, professional brewers use
a combination of silica gel and Polyclar. However, silica gel is less widely available than Polyclar, which is
the chill-proofing agent of choice for homebrewers.
Other Finings
Gelatin — the same stuff used to make gelatin dessert — is a collagen protein derived from bones,
hooves, and other meat byproducts. It dissolves more readily than isinglass in hot liquid. It works by the
same action, but at a less effective rate. Most homebrew supply stores sell it, but unflavored gelatin from the
grocery store is just as effective.
About a teaspoon, or one packet of supermarket gelatin, will treat five gallons of beer. Before adding to
beer chilled below serving temperature, mix it into a cup of room temperature water or beer in a small pot.
Gradually increase the heat until it dissolves. Avoid boiling it, which will break it down and reduce its
effectiveness.
Bentonite is a traditional wine fining made from a mineral clay, the same material from which kitty litter
is made. Bentonite is not well suited to beer, because it can take up to several weeks to work and settle out.
Sparkalloid is a wine fining combining a polysaccharide sugar with diatomaceous earth. It carries a
strong positive charge, working similarly to isinglass or gelatin to allow particles to precipitate (clump and
sink) better before filtering. It’s not ideal for unfiltered beer but has been reported as an excellent fining
agent for mead.
Papain is an enzyme derived from papaya, also used as meat tenderizer. Papain works by breaking down
proteins in a very narrow temperature range. Its use was perfected by commercial breweries during the
pasteurization process. It has little value in the homebrewery.
Build Your Own Counter-Pressure Filler
by Ron Hamm
I have seen the light and I know the way. CP bottle filling is a breeze, if
you've got the RIGHT STUFF.
Although I own another CP filler, I have coveted one like those once sold
by DeFalco's. Gleaming stainless steel from beginning to end. It's the best
design and most easily operated model I've seen. Unfortunately, they
were produced in limited quantity and sold out immediately.
During a bottling session in preparation for the Dixie Cup competition, my

desire turned to lust. Sometime between my second and third beer bath,
I had had enough. I put too much effort into making my beer to bathe in
it and I was determined to somehow get it into bottles with the proper
carbonation, etc.. What to do?
***** BUILD IT YOURSELF *****
The design I used is a variation of the model appearing in a Zymurgy

article from the Spring 1990 issue. It very closely resembles the model
DeFalco's once offered and works as flawlessly sketch / photo. In order to
keep costs down, I used brass bodied valves and pretreated them for
removal of surface lead deposits. I also used Swagelok fittings which
increases the cost, but I swear by the way they work. I'll admit up front,
there are certainly cheaper parts to be had, but this is built to last and it
will never have to be replaced. Folks, this is the easiest thing to operate
in your brewing arsenal. You'll wonder how you ever lived without it.
Here's what you'll need (parts):
Qty.Description
1 Whitey B43XF4 valve, 3-position (center off), 1/4" FNPT ports (2
inlet & 1 outlet) (1)
2 Brass male push-on adapter, 1/4" MNPT with hose-barb ends (2)
2 Stainless steel connector, 1/4" MNPT compression fitting (3)
1 18" length 1/4" stainless steel tubing (4)
1 Brass 1/4" MNPT bore-thru compression fitting, replace brass ferrule
assembly with nylon version (5)
1 Brass 1/4" FNPT street tee (6)
1 Stainless steel 1/4" MNPT x 3/8" compression fitting (8)
1 #2 drilled stopper (9)
1 Nupro B-4JN2 valve, 1/4" MNPT x 1/4" MNPT, (needle valve for
precise metering control) (10)
1 Stainless steel elbow, 1/4" FNPT (11)
1 1/4" tubing tee with hose-barb ends (I use a stainless version)
1 Roll Teflon tape
Notes:
1. Stainless compression fittings are needed wherever you intend to

use stainless tubing to assure proper gripping action.
2. Replace the brass ferrule assembly in the bore-thru compression
fitting with an appropriate size nylon assembly. This allows for
proper tightening and accommodates sliding of the main tube for
different size bottles.
3. Wrap all male threaded fittings with Teflon tape.
Assembly:
1. Thread a brass male hose-barb adapter into one of the inlet ports
on the 3-position valve. Repeat the procedure with the remaining
barb adapter on the opposite valve inlet port.
2. Lightly, thread a 1/4" MNPT stainless compression fitting into the
outlet port of the 3-position valve. Insert the 18" length of 1/4"
stainless tubing into the fitting until it rests firmly on the valve
inner shoulder. Tighten the compression fitting securely locking
the tubing in place.
3. Start threading the brass 1/4" MNPT bore-thru fitting into the top
of the street tee. Slide the tube assembly with valve attached thru
the fitting and extend it several inches thru the tee. Tighten the
compression fitting lightly to hold in place.
4. Slide the stainless 1/4" MNPT x 3/8" compression fitting over the
tube end and thread lightly into the bottom of the tee.
5. Slide the 2" section of 3/8" stainless tubing over the 1/4" tube and
insert it into the 3/8" compression fitting. Tighten all lower fittings
securely.
6. Slide your #2 stopper over the sleeve assembly you've created by
the combination of 1/4" & 3/8" tube sections. Snug it up against
the compression fitting nut.
7. Thread the 1/4" MNPT x 1/4" MNPT needle valve into the side of
the street tee.
8. Thread the stainless 1/4" FNPT elbow onto the outlet side of the
needle valve and position with elbow opening facing down.
9. Thread the remaining 1/4" MNPT compression fitting into the open
elbow port & insert the 6" length of 1/4" stainless tubing into the
compression fitting until it stops at the shoulder. Tighten securely.
How to use it:
Properly chill and carbonate your beer in the keg before doing anything.
Insert the tubing tee into a gas line coming from your regulator. Push
another section of hose onto a leg of the tee and attach it to the gas inlet
port of your CP filler (clamp them all). The remaining leg of the tee
receives a tubing section with a gas quick disconnect fitting for your keg
attached to one end. The liquid inlet on the CP filler receives a section of
tubing with a liquid out quick disconnect fitting attached to the other end.
Adjust the regulator pressure for 10-15 psi. MAKE SURE the valve on the
CP filler is in the off (center) position. Release most of the pressure on
the keg and attach the gas line from the tubing tee to the keg. Put your
bottle filler in the bottle, hold in place, and slightly open the needle valve.
Move the top valve to the gas position and purge the oxygen from the
bottle for a few seconds. Close the metering valve. Let gas flow into the
bottle to equalize pressure (few seconds), and move the top valve to the
off position. Move the valve to the beer inlet position. No beer should
flow. Slowly open the metering valve until the flow rate suits you.
Continue filling to about 1/2" from the bottleneck end. Shut off the
metering valve to stop the beer flow. Move the top valve to the off
position. Slowly open the metering valve to release the pressure on top
the liquid. Remove the filler, tap the bottle neck to make it foam up
slightly and cap immediately.
That's it. If you want something that works as intended, first time, every
time, this is for you.
CP Filler Sketch CP Filler Photo
Marty's Counter-Pressure Bottle Filler

Marty Tippin (martyt@pobox.com)
Original: November 2, 1996

Last Update: August 21, 1998
August 21 1998: Since my interests have shifted away from homebrewing, I've sold all my
equipment and am essentially out of the hobby for now - but these pages will remain online for the
foreseeable future. And I'll still be around to answer questions, so don't hesitate to e-mail me!
-Marty
Introduction
Inevitably, most people who use 5 gallon soda kegs to dispense homebrew find themselves wishing they
could fill a few bottles with the kegged beer now and then - maybe for a homebrew competition or to take
along on a camping trip or over to a friend's house for dinner.
So you go grab a few bottles and decide that you'll just fill them up from the picnic tapper. And it turns out to
be a disaster. The problem with trying to fill a bottle directly from the tapper is that the beer foams and fobs
and generally goes flat before you can get the bottle capped (if there's still any beer left in the bottle by the
time you can get the cap on.)
The reason the beer foams and fobs is because of the sudden change in pressure - it went from being under
10 to 20 psi in the keg to 0 psi in the bottle, which causes the dissolved carbon dioxide to rapidly come out of
solution. The way to avoid this problem, then, is to keep the bottle at nearly the same pressure as the keg
until it is full, and then to quickly cap it before the beer figures out there's been a drop in the surrounding
pressure. That's the basic principle behind a counter-pressure bottle filler.
Table of Contents
Simple Methods
High-Tech Methods
Parts List
Construction
Operation
Copyright, Disclaimer and Other Nonsense
Simple Methods
As a small step up from the no-technology method of filling straight from the tapper, you will find that a
simple and functional filler can be made by sticking a piece of 3/8" outside diameter (OD) rigid tubing into
the head of your tapper (this assumes you use the picnic or "cobra" style tapper - a black plastic gizmo that
you squeeze to let the beer out), then attaching to the tubing a drilled rubber stopper of the size to fit in a beer
bottle. You jam the whole thing down onto your bottle to seal it and open the tapper. After a few seconds, the
pressure in the bottle equalizes and beer stops flowing. So you raise the stopper slightly to "burp" a little air
out and more beer flows. This process continues until the bottle is full, at which time you quickly cap the
bottle. The most obvious advantage to this method is that it's cheap - if you've already got a plastic bottle
filling wand with a removable tip, all you need to add is a drilled stopper and you're all set - total cost: less
than $5. However, this method is less than optimal because there will inevitably be some foaming and you
don't have a way to purge the bottle of oxygen before you start filling - if there's any oxygen left in the bottle
when you cap it, the beer will get oxidized and go stale much quicker than it would if there were only CO2 in
the headspace.
Ken Schwartz has come up with a nifty enhancement to this simple method - you can check out his Poor
Man's Real Counter-Pressure Bottle Filler if you're interested. I looked at the design and contemplated
building one, but I'm far too much of a gadget freak for something that simple.
High-Tech Methods
There are several commercially-available counter-pressure fillers, usually selling for around $50 in most
homebrew shops, not including the tubing or fittings to connect it to your keg and CO2 cylinder. The Fall
1995 issue of Zymurgy had a review of several commercial fillers; if you're thinking of buying one already
made, check out that article first. The cost to build the filler I'll be describing shortly is comparable to the
commercially available filler; you may be able to build it cheaper if you already have some parts on-hand or
look around to find the cheapest stuff.
I recently ran across another innovative design by C.D. Pritchard and was quite impressed by the simplicity
of the design, but I lacked the machining tools (like a drill press) required to do a good job in constructing it,
so the search went on. If you have access to a drill press, you can probably save quite a bit of money by
building C.D.'s counter-pressure filler.
Just a few days ago, I found a web page by Dion Hollenbeck containing his collected brewing knowledge.
Among the many good items on his page was an article describing how the counter-pressure filler sold by
Foxx Equipment Co. was made. Their filler is made from readily-available fittings and was therefore suitable
for my next gadgeteering project, so I ran down to the local hardware store and bought all the pieces I needed
and went to work.
Dion's article was pretty basic (no offense, Dion!) - just straight text describing little more than the basic
construction of the filler. But it was enough that I could figure out how to build the thing. I decided after
building mine that I would put together this web page and throw in a picture or two to hopefully make
construction and use of the filler a little simpler for others who might like to build one.
Parts List
Note: "NPT" stands for National Pipe Thread and is a standard thread for pipe fittings. You may also see it
abbreviated as MPT or MIP (for Male threads), and FPT or FIP (for Female threads). All parts (except the
quick disconnects and stainless steel tubing) were obtained at the local Ace hardware store; similar parts
should be avilable at most any hardware store.
• 2 - Brass Tee, 1/4" NPT (Female)

• 2 - Brass Nipple, 1/4" NPT (Male) x Close
• 2 - Ball Valve, 1/4" NPT (Female) - Brass if available
• 2 - Connector, 1/4" NPT (Male) x 1/4" Compression
• 1 - Connector, 1/4" NPT (Male) x 3/8" Compression
• 1 - Needle Valve, Right Angle, 1/4" NPT (Male) x 1/4" Compression
• 2 - Hose Barb, Nylon, 1/4" NPT (Male) x 3/8" Barb
• 1 - Tee, Nylon, 3/8" Hose Barb
• 10 ft. - 3/8" ID Vinyl Tubing (or whatever size tubing your keg system currently uses)
• 18 inches - 304 Stainless Steel Tubing, 1/4" OD (outside diameter) x 0.035" wall, *
• 2 inches - Soft Copper (Refrigeration) Tubing, 3/8" OD
• 1 - Roll of Teflon Tape ("Plumber's Tape")
• 1 - Drilled Rubber Stopper (3/8" ID, sized to fit the neck of a beer bottle - your local homebrew store
has these)
• 1 - Gas-In Quick Disconnect (Ball Lock or Pin Lock as appropriate)
• 1 - Liquid-Out Quick Disconnect (Ball Lock or Pin Lock as appropriate)
* The Stainless Steel tubing may be hard to find in your area. There is a local company that deals exclusively
in stainless tubing and pipe fittings, and I was able to obtain a scrap piece of 1/4" OD tubing for $5. If you
can't find stainless steel tubing locally, you may be able to use 1/4" OD brass or soft copper tubing. Though
extremely inexpensive, neither of these is ideal - they bend much too easily. One other alternative would be
to contact Small Parts, Inc. at 800-220-4242. As the name implies, this company deals in small, hard-to-find
parts. Their catalog shows a 24" length of 1/4" OD tubing (part no. E-GPTX-35/4-24) for $8.07 plus
shipping. There may be other, cheaper mail order sources - look around and you may get lucky. In fact,
Stainless In Seattle may carry tubing in this size; I haven't checked for sure but it may be worth your time..
Construction
All parts should be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed before assembly to remove grease and other nasty gunk; I
used a strong TSP solution (TSP is an industrial-strength cleaner, available in the paint section of any
hardware store) and hot water. If you're worried about the potential danger of lead on the surface of the brass
parts, you can soak them in a solution of 2 parts white vinegar to 1 part hydrogen peroxide for 15 minutes at
room temperature to remove the surface lead - the brass will turn a buttery yellow color when it's done.
(Thanks to John Palmer for this information.)
(Refer to the diagram of the completed filler if these instructions are unclear; between the picture and my
attempt at using the English language, you should be able to figure it out. ;-)
Be sure to wrap the threads with about 3 turns of the teflon tape to make assembly easier and to seal against
leaks!
Start with the brass tee at the top of the diagram. Attach the 1/4"MPTx1/4" Compression connector to the
middle of the tee. On the ends of the tee, attach the 1/4"xClose nipples, and to the nipples attach the ball
valves. Orient the ball valves so that the lever is pointing away from the tee in the "open" position. Finally,
attach the nylon hose barbs to the ball valves.
Now get the other brass tee. One one end of the tee, attach a 1/4"NPT x 1/4" Compression connector, and the
1/4"NPT x 3/8" Compresion connector to the other end. As you can see in the photograph, this assembly is
oriented so that the middle connector on the tee points to the right. Attach the right-angle needle valve to the
middle of the tee. To the needle valve, attach a short length of 1/4" OD tubing. Orient the valve so the tubing
points toward the 3/8" compression fitting.
The tee assembly must slide over the 1/4" OD stainless steel tubing, using the 1/4" Compression fitting to
lock the assembly in place. I had to drill out the inside of the 1/4" Compression fitting with a 1/4" drill bit to
allow the tubing to slide through. Attach the 1/4" stainless steel tubing to the 1/4" compression fitting on the
first tee, being sure to slide a compression collar onto the tubing before tightening the nut securely. Attach
the short length of 3/8" OD copper to the 3/8" Compression fitting on the other tee and tighten. Put the
drilled stopper over the copper tubing with the wide end of the stopper closest to the tee. Slide the remaining
1/4" compression nut and collar onto the stainless tubing and then slide the second tee onto the tubing.
Tighten the compression nut just enough to hold everything in place. (If you overtighten the compression nut,
you'll crimp the compression collar and it'll be permanently stuck wherever it happens to be!)
Now find the shortest bottle you expect to fill. Place the end of the filler into the bottle so it is about 1/2"
from the bottom of the bottle. Slide the tee down so the stopper is firmly planted in the bottle opening. Hold
everything in place and finish tightening the compression nut. (During use, if you need to fill a taller bottle,
you can add a short piece of 1/4" ID vinyl tubing to reach the bottom of the bottle. If you later find an even
shorter bottle, you can use regular tubing cutters to whack off a little of the stainless steel tubing.)
The basic construction is now complete; the next step is to attach the tubing. Start with the nylon hose barb
tee. On one end of it, attach a length of tubing with a Gas-In quick disconnect on the other end. The other
end of the tee needs another length of tubing that goes to your CO2 regulator. I use a quick-disconnect fitting
on my tank so I can interchange various gadgets quickly and easily. You can use the regular type of quick-
disconnect intended for compressed air, or you can order a special fitting designed expressly for CO2 - I
ordered mine from a company called "Rapids" at (800) 472-7431. Finally, the middle of the tee needs to be
connected to one of the nylon hose barbs on the filler (either one is fine) via yet another length of tubing. The
only connection left to make is to attach a length of tubing to the remaining nylon hose barb and add a
Liquid-Out quick disconnect.
I recently conversed with Dion Hollenbeck and he had a very interesting (and useful!) suggestion regarding
hooking up the tubing:
"I, personally, NEVER connect beer line or CO2 line tubing to hose barbs with pipe threads. This
permanently connects the hose to the device and not only requires many more hoses, but also has hose
flopping from every device around. I use hose barb to 1/4" female flare fittings on all hoses. These screw
directly onto all my keg Quick Disconnect fittings (I do not buy QD fittings with hose barbs either, for the
same reason). All my equipment is equipped with 1/4" male flare fittings so the hoses just screw right on.
Hoses can be hung up on a hook to drain dry after use and equipment can be put away without hoses. You
only have to have as many hoses as you will ever use simultaneously, not two for every piece of equipment."
Dion's suggestion is worthwhile and I'm planning to retrofit all my gadgets with the flare fittings he
describes. Should make things a lot easier all the way around.
Operation
The first step is to sanitize the filler before use. I keep a keg full of an Iodophor solution on hand at all times
for sanitizing hoses, bottles and anything else that needs it. If you've got a spare keg, I highly recommend it.
So what I do is attach the filler to the Iodophor keg (Liquid-Out and Gas-In) as well as the CO2 cylinder
(make sure both ball valves on the filler are closed before you attach anything!) Pressurize the keg to around
10 psi and put the business end of the filler in a spare bottle, firmly seating the stopper into the bottle. Crack
open the liquid in ball valve and the pressure relief needle valve and allow the bottle to fill with sanitizer
until it overflows. Close the ball valve and the pressure relief valve and let the whole thing sit for a few
minutes. With the filler still stuck in the bottle, disconnect the Gas-In quick disconnect from the keg and
open the gas-in ball valve on the filler. Open the liquid-in ball valve on the filler also. Now if you use the
pressure relief valve on the keg to bleed off a little of the keg pressure, you can force the sanitizer in the
tubing to flow back into the keg. Once the tubing is empty, close the liquid ball valve and the gas ball valve.
Remove the filler from the bottle and crack open the gas ball valve to purge the remaining sanitizer from the
filler. If you don't
You're now ready to go. Round up as many sanitized bottles and bottle caps as you want to fill and get the
bottle capper adjusted and nearby. Your kegged beer should be fully carbonated and chilled as close to 32F
as you can get it - that helps minimize foaming. The keg and CO2 regulator should also be pressurized the
same (around 10 psi works for me.) You'll also need a tray of some sort to catch spillage.
Make sure all three valves on the filler are closed before you attach anything! Connect the liquid-out quick
disconnect to the keg, then connect the CO2 cylinder to the filler and finally connect the gas-in quick
disconnect to the keg.
The basic sequence for bottling is as follows. The first few times are akward and you're probably going to
open the wrong valve at least once and get a face full of beer. (Common sense would dictate that you use
some sort of eye protection while using the filler- both to protect against spraying beer and the remote
chance of an exploding bottle. I don't know anyone who's had this happen, but it's always possible when
working with compressed gasses.)
1. Insert the filler into a sanitized bottle and firmly seat the stopper in the neck of the bottle.
2. Open the gas-in ball valve fully and allow the bottle to reach the same pressure as the keg.
3. Open the pressure bleed valve slightly to allow the oxygen in the bottle to be purged and replaced
with CO2. Leave it open for 10 seconds or so.
4. Close the pressure relief needle valve and allow the bottle to pressurize again.
5. Close the gas-in ball valve.
6. Open the liquid-in ball valve fully. No beer should flow into the bottle since the bottle and keg are at
the same pressure.
7. Open the pressure relief valve slightly. Beer should start to flow into the bottle. Don't get in too much
of a hurry or you'll wind up with a foaming mess.
8. Allow the bottle to fill until the beer reaches the bottom of the stopper. You need the bottles to be
quite full at this point so you wind up with a decent headspace after the filler is removed.
9. Close the pressure relief valve.
10. Close the liquid-in ball valve. All valves on the filler are closed at this point.
11. Crack open relief valve and allow pressure to vent slowly (make sure the process takes at least 15
seconds.) Some foam will be generated.
12. Cap the bottle.
Discover the Joys of Kegging
Set up a Simple Home Draft System
by Kirk R. Fleming;
John Palmer, column editor
Republished from BrewingTechniques' January/February 1997 issue.
The benefits of convenience and control far outweigh the cost of setting up a home draft system. This article
shows how easy it can be to keg at home.
Sooner or later you'll meet a brewer who shares with you the joy of home-brewed draft beer. Drawing a glass
of fresh ale or well-aged lager from the keg has an appeal that somehow goes beyond mere words. After
you've seen for yourself how much fun (and how cool) draft-at-home can be, you'll probably be on your way
to the store to get set up. In fact, you may have just received a draft system during the holidays and are
wondering how to use it.
Understanding the benefits, costs, and special considerations involved in kegging will help you make better
choices when it comes time to set yours up. This column describes what you'll be getting into, and what
you'll get out of the whole experience.
First off, kegging is all about convenience and control. Convenience, because you can forget about cleaning
and sanitizing bottles, storing empties, and waiting weeks for beer to condition in the bottle. Control, because
you'll be able to easily adjust carbonation levels to your liking for a given style or batch. A home draft
system also opens the door to other possibilities, like closed beer transfer and filtering for crystal clear beer.
Of course, all these benefits have some cost, depending on the type of draft setup you choose. The cost of the
basic equipment itself can be relatively high (though it will pay for itself many times over in convenience).
Storage and refrigeration of kegs is another concern. Kegs come in a variety of sizes, including convenient 5-
L minikegs. While the smaller kegs fit neatly into any refrigerator, larger kegs are a bit bulky and place
demands on storage locations, transportation, and cooling needs. A dedicated beer storage refrigerator is
almost a requirement, and it takes a fairly sizable fridge to store more than a couple of kegs. Other options
are available for getting cold beer from a keg (jockey boxes, for example), and many brewers get by just fine
without dedicated refrigerators.
Hardware You'll Need

By far the most common system used by home brewers for draft beer is the 5-gallon soda canister, originally
manufactured by the Cornelius Company (Annoka, Minnesota). Though other companies also make similar
models (notably the Firestone brand [Spartanburg Steel Products, Spartanburg, South Carolina], whose kegs
are virtually identical to Cornelius's -- though parts are not necessarily interchangeable), the style is usually
referred to as a Cornelius or "Corny" keg. These stainless steel canisters were developed and used to
distribute premixed soda for common restaurant dispensers. The keg shape, capacity, and fittings are
standardized, and over the years millions have been manufactured. Nowadays, soda producers are replacing
the kegs with disposable poly bags in cardboard boxes. The old kegs can be purchased from soda distributors
and reconditioned for a higher purpose. It takes only a small conceptual leap to see they can dispense beer
the same way they once dispensed diet cola.
This article focuses on Cornelius-type kegs because they are the most Costs for a Typical Kegging System
commonly used kegs in home brewing, and also because they require New Used
some instruction. A variety of other home draft systems are available
5-gal Cornelius keg $100 $30
on the market, complete with documentation and home brewer-
CO2 tank, 5-lb,
friendly features. For these, inquire at your local homebrew supply $80 $40
aluminum
store or consult the companies advertised in this magazine.
Pressure regulator, dual-
$50 $50*
gauge
The complete Corny keg draft-beer system is very simple. A typical
Hoses with quick-
system includes a Corny keg to hold the beverage, a CO2 (carbon disconnect fitting
$10 $10**
dioxide) gas tank to pressurize the Corny keg (for force-carbonation
Hose with picnic tap $15 $15**
and dispensing), a gas regulator to lower the gas-tank pressure to a
usable level, a hose with a quick-disconnect fitting to connect the CO2 Total kegging system $255 $145
tank to the Corny keg, and a hose with a plastic faucet or "picnic tap" Note: Steel CO2 canisters can be cheaper than
aluminum, and used steel canisters will save you still
and quick-disconnect fitting to dispense the beverage. Prices vary, of more. Many homebrew supply stores sell kegging
packages that come with or without the keg/canister.
course, but generally such a system costs about $200 (see box, "Costs
for a Typical Kegging System"). * I've never seen used gauges.
** Used hoses are not recommended.
The Corny keg: Most Corny kegs are 8-1/2 in. in diameter, about 26 in. tall, and hold 5 gallons of liquid.
Somewhat shorter, 3-gallon kegs are available, and a larger diameter 10-gallon variety can occasionally be
found. The top and bottom ends of the kegs are covered with shock-absorbing plastic caps. The cap on the
top end of the keg is molded to provide handles for easy lifting, although older kegs made by the Cornelius
Company had no end caps at all but relied on a single metal handle bolted to the top. Kegs may or may not
have a pressure-relief valve in the lid -- an important safety feature.
Corny kegs are available with two types of valves, ball-lock and pin-lock, which refer to the method used to
couple the hose fittings to the valves. The fittings are threaded slightly differently and are not
interchangeable, so it's a good idea to pick one keg type and stick with it to avoid confusion. Ball-locks are a
bit easier to disassemble with your average socket set. Relative availability varies by region.
Used 5-gallon kegs cost about $30 each, and the 3- and 10-gallon sizes cost about $10-20 more. You can also
purchase new kegs, but they run nearly $100 each. Plan to buy at least two kegs so you won't have to finish
one batch before kegging another.
CO2 tank: You'll also need a high-pressure CO2 tank to provide gas for carbonation and dispensing the beer.
Used steel tanks are usually available in a 25-lb scuba size and can be purchased empty by mail order or
from your local supplier for about $120. Welding supply shops will often lease the 25-lb tanks and charge for
only the gas.
Used aluminum tanks -- often in 2.5-, 5-, and 10-lb sizes -- are also available and are sold new by many
mail-order houses. Prices for new tanks vary considerably; aluminum is usually more expensive than steel,
$80-$100 for the 5- and 10-lb sizes, but their smaller sizes are much more convenient. Unless portability is a
big consideration, go for at least the 5-lb tanks. Better yet, just buy a 10-lb tank. The folks who fill the tanks
charge a flat labor fee regardless of size, so keep in mind that smaller tanks may cost anywhere from two to
four times as much to fill per pound of gas.
All tanks should be stamped near the top with a pressure test or certification date, and must be recertified
every five years. If you can't find a date stamp, ask the person selling the tank to show it to you. No
responsible dealer will fill a tank with an expired certification. Recertification, if needed, will cost you extra.
Pressure regulator: You'll also need a single- or dual-gauge gas pressure regulator for the tank, which is
used to drop the gas pressure from the 800 psi or so in the tank to the 10-30 psi you'll need for force
carbonation and dispensing The regulator is adjustable so you can set the output pressure to control
carbonation levels and to control how the beer serves.
Regulators include a pressure relief valve that will blow at or below the maximum pressure indicated on the
low pressure gauge -- around 50-60 psi for most regulators.
One or two gauges? Both single- and dual-gauge styles work perfectly well. Both include a gauge that
indicates the output (low) pressure setting, which is the most important information you need.
The dual-gauge unit also includes a second gauge that indicates the tank pressure, which tells you roughly
how much gas is left. Knowing the tank pressure, though, is only marginally useful; it drops from 400 to 0
psi in what often seems to be the last few minutes of use. When the gauge says "almost empty," for all
practical purposes, it's empty. But because dual-gauge regulators cost within a few dollars of single-gauge
models (about $40 for single, and about $50 for dual), it's probably worth it to get at least some warning.
Nothing is worse than running out of CO2 at 7 p.m. on a Saturday night with thirsty friends in line at the
cooler.
Connections: To connect the gas tank to your keg and to dispense the beer, you'll need two quick
disconnects (about $5 each), a gas line, and a beverage line with a picnic faucet (about $15 each with swivel
fittings).
Disconnect fittings are available in both ball-lock and pin-lock styles to match the keg type. In addition to the
lock type, the fittings are also available with either hose barb or flare outlets.
To gain the most from your investment, use the flare-style outlet -- it's a short metal insert with a male
thread. This style of fitting allows you to connect either pin-lock or ball-lock fittings to your regulator and
even connect several kegs at the same time. In fact, acquiring an assortment of vinyl hoses fitted with the
matching swivel-flare nut fitting gives you lots of options beyond simple packaging and dispense..
Getting Your Beer into the Keg

If you know how to fill a bottle, then you can fill a keg. The process is basically the same, and sanitization is
every bit as important.
Cleaning: Most of the component parts of Corny kegs will contact the beer, so it is extremely important that
all parts -- especially in used kegs -- be properly cleaned and sanitized before use. For details on how to
disassemble and clean Corny kegs, see the box, "The Care and Feeding of a Cornelius-Style Keg." After
cleaning your keg, leave it inverted in a clean container while you prepare for racking.
Priming: It is possible to prime your beer just as you would normally do for bottle-conditioning. You could
then use a hand pump and picnic tap to dispense the beer. A CO2 system, however, makes it easier to obtain
a consistent level of carbonation, and the carbonation can be adjusted at will.
Racking and purging: Some brewers prefer to purge the Corny keg with CO2 before racking to avoid any
possibility of oxidizing the beer; others simply rack into the keg as they normally would any carboy. If you
choose not to purge the keg, make sure your racking tube is long enough to reach to the bottom of the Corny
keg when you begin. Ideally, it should be long enough to remain below the surface of the beer during the
entire process to prevent aeration and premature staling of your finished beer.
After racking is complete, fit the sanitized keg lid into the top of the Corny keg and seal it with the retaining
bail. Whether or not you purge before racking, it is important to purge the headspace with CO2 before
pressurizing. If your keg has a pressure-relief valve, open the valve by pulling on the valve ring and turning
the ring 90deg to lock the valve open. To purge the keg, set the tank regulator to about 30 psi and connect the
gas to the IN side of the keg. Let the gas flow into the keg for about 30 seconds or so, then close the relief
valve. If your keg doesn't have a relief valve in the lid, an alternative purging technique is to leave the lid
unsealed to allow the keg to vent. You will need to reduce the purge pressure to about 5 psi to reduce
splashing.
Once the headspace has been purged (it should only take a minute or two), seal the lid. You're now ready to
carbonate.
Force Carbonation
Background: Your beer's carbonation level, known as "the condition in the beer," is determined by both the
temperature and the pressure of the beverage.
Most gases are more soluble in cold liquids than in warm, and higher pressures keep that gas from escaping
into the atmosphere. The amount of gas dissolved in beer (its carbonation level) is measured in volumes. To
say the carbonation level is "2 volumes" means that every cubic inch of beer has 2 cubic inches (at standard
temperature and pressure) of CO2 dissolved into it.
As with all other aspects of beer, tradition and personal taste determine how much the beer is conditioned.
Nonpressurized finished beer has between 1.2 and 1.7 volumes of CO2 per volume of beer. Most beer is
packaged with 2.3-2.8 volumes of CO2 (compare this to sodas, which contain 3.5 volumes). Each beer style,
however, has a traditional carbonation level, just as it has a traditional hop bitterness. Belgian ales and
German Weiss, for example, are usually carbonated to 3-3.2 volumes but are sometimes found with as much
as 5.1 volumes. In the case of cask-conditioned real ale, the desired level has to do with physics. At typical
cellar temperatures (50-55 degF [10-13 degC]) and ambient pressure, an open cask of ale can hold only
about l volume of CO2. That defines "true-to-style" carbonation for a British real ale.
Table I shows the pressures that are needed at various temperatures to obtain a given level of carbonation.
Choose the desired serving temperature (the temperature at which you'll keep your keg) and the desired
carbonation level (in volumes). The chart will indicate the conditioning pressure needed. After your keg of
beer has had a day or so to condition at the selected pressure, you may need to reduce the pressure for
serving (usually to about 10-15 psi). The carbonation level will eventually drop to this lower setting, but the
process is very slow. You'll probably find that, once carbonated, the beer can be kept at dispensing pressure
until consumed.
For ale served at about 50 degF (10 degC), a good starting point is to carbonate the beer for several hours,
maintaining 10 psi. The 3/16-in. diameter vinyl beer line tubing drops about 3 lb of pressure per foot of
length, with an additional half pound pressure drop for every vertical foot that the keg is above the source. If
you're dispensing with a 3-ft., 3/16-in. i.d. dispense hose and picnic tap, a 10 psi pressure should give you a
very nice serve. At pressures of 15 psi and above, you'll probably see a little excess foam.
Now you're ready to carbonate the beer: With the tank set at the pressure required for the desired
carbonation level, allow the keg to pressurize until you no longer hear any gas flow, then agitate the keg by
rocking it gently (on its side, for best results). This agitation exposes more surface area of the beer to the CO2
and allows the gas to dissolve faster.
If you can refrigerate the keg with the gas supply attached, then Filling Bottles from Your Keg
simply leave the regulator set to the desired pressure and agitate Once you start kegging, you may still
occasionally. When the beer is at serving temperature and no more want to bottle some draft beer to give to
gas flows into the keg when you agitate it, the beer is conditioned. friends or to send off to competitions.
The time needed to get perfectly conditioned beer depends only on You can pour the beer into a bottle from
the tap, but it's hard to do it without
how quickly you can cool the beer to serving temperature and how aerating the beer, creating foam, and
much time you spend agitating it to dissolve the CO2. making a big mess. You can solve these
problems by using a simple
If you can't refrigerate the keg while connected to the CO2 tank setup, counterpressure filler. The term
you'll have to repeatedly connect the gas, agitate the keg, disconnect, counterpressure refers to the fact that
once a bottle has been purged of air it is
and continue cooling. With the regulator set to the desired final keg pressurized with CO2 to the exact
pressure, each charge of gas is fairly small. To speed the process, you pressure of the dispensing keg. Nothing
can overpressurize on the first few charges. This puts more gas into happens when the beer inlet valve is
the keg. On each successive charge, reduce the regulator pressure opened because the whole system is at
the same pressure -- there is no net
downward toward the desired final pressure. With practice, you can
force to move the beer from the keg into
gauge this process so that on the last attempt to add gas at the final the bottle. When the bleed valve placed
pressure and temperature only a small amount of gas flows into the in the bottle's opening is slowly opened
keg and conditioning is complete. Regardless of the technique you to the atmosphere, the pressure in the
use, fully conditioned beer can be yours in a matter of days. bottle is reduced just enough to cause
beer to flow into the bottle. The flow of
beer is controlled, or "countered," by the
Dispense gas pressure maintained in the bottle.
Whether or not you force-carbonate your beer, you will find yeast Very little foaming results, and the bottle
sediment at the bottom of your keg. Cutting 3/4-in. from the end of can be filled uniformly with little or no
the long dip tube will prevent sediment pick-up during dispense. exposure to air.
The basic design of all commercial fillers

A cold draft: Instead of using a simple picnic tap to dispense their
includes two tubes that pass through a
beer, many brewers choose to install a beer faucet right in the fridge. rubber stopper fitted inside the mouth of
a beer bottle. One of the tubes is used
for both purging the bottle with CO2 and
filling the bottle with beer from the keg (a
pair of valves is used for selecting either
gas or beer). The second tube is used to
bleed air from the bottle as it's being
purged with CO2, and to bleed CO2 as
the bottle is filled with beer.
Commercial fillers can cost anywhere

from $50 to $150. For information on
making your own simple counterpressure
filler, refer to a BrewingTechniques
article by Bennett Dawson (2).
Table I: CO2 Temperature-Pressure Guidelines for Carbonation
The following table shows the pressures of CO2 (in psi) required to achieve target carbonation (measured in volumes
of dissolved CO2) at various temperatures
Temp Volumes of CO2 in Solution
°F °C 1.8 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6 2.8 3.0
40 4 5 7 9 11 13 16 18
44 7 6 9 11 13 16 18 20
48 9 8 10 13 15 18 20 23
52 11 10 12 15 17 20 23 25
56 13 11 14 17 20 22 25 28
Accessories Jockey Boxing Your Beer

With the convenience of CO2 pressure, an entire world of opportunity One of the challenges of kegging your
opens up to the inventive home brewer. CO2 can be used to pump beer is chilling it for dispensing if you
beer anywhere you want.You can easily set up a closed transfer don't have a refrigerator to store it in
system for moving beer from one keg to another by using quick- (once chilled, it will stay cold for hours).
The jockey box is one handy solution
disconnects with threaded fitting outlets and lengths of tubing that allows portability and flexibility in
terminated with female swivel fittings. how and where you dispense your
homebrew.
A draft system also makes filtering easier. Replaceable cartridge
filters can be installed in the transfer line to provide crystal clear beer A jockey box is essentially a coil or plate
in the dispense keg (see Jim Busch's column on filtering [1]). Other cooler set up in an ice chest. You may
have seen them at outdoor tastings or
optional equipment includes counterpressure bottle fillers (2), beer festivals -- standard beer faucets
insulation jackets, and adjustable pressure relief valves (3). Corny keg mounted through the front of a picnic
fittings and repair parts are available almost everywhere soda is sold. cooler. Inside the chest, one end of a
The 5-gallon soda canisters offer an endless variety of other uses. stainless steel coil mounts to the back of
the faucet, and the other end of the coil
exits through the back side of the cooler
If you choose to modify your keg, limiting your experiments to the and connects to the keg. The coil inside
keg lid will ensure that mistakes can be easily fixed without is surrounded by ice. When the faucet is
destroying the keg itself. (For an example of practical keg opened, beer under pressure from the
modification, see Dion Hollenbeck's article on modifying kegs for use keg is pushed through the coil and
with aeration stones [4]). chilled before it pours out the tap.
Jockey boxes eliminate the need to keep

Kegs that are just too ugly to use for beer, or are missing valve parts the entire keg cold (although you'll
and aren't worth reconditioning, make excellent storage containers for always want to keep your beer at least
grain and hops. And don't overlook the container's original purpose; cool). To get cold draft beer, you need
many homebrew supply shops also sell soda-making kits. You may only fill the cooler with ice.
find that making your own root beer or ginger ale is a lot of fun, or you may just like having a few gallons of
soda water on hand to quench a summer thirst.
Control Outweighs Cost

For about $200 you can easily relieve yourself of the tedium of priming and bottling and enjoy the
convenience and flexibility of a complete kegging setup. Once you've tried it, I'm sure you'll never want to
go back. If you've often thought you'd like to have complete control over your beer's carbonation level, or
you'd like to filter it more easily or ferment under pressure to naturally carbonate, kegging is probably your
answer.
References
1. Jim Busch, "When Beer Must Be Clear -- Techniques and Technologies for Clarifying
Homebrew," BrewingTechniques 4 (1), pp. 24-29 January/February 1996).
2. Bennett Dawson, "The Poor Man's Counter-Pressure Bottle Filler," Brewing Techniques 4 (1), pp.
30 (January/February 1996).
3. Steve Stevens, "Basic Minikeg Modification for Improved Pressure Regulation"
BrewingTechniques 4 (3), pp. 32 (May/June 1996).
DRY HOPPING RECOMMENDATIONS
I used to think it was best to leave the dry hops in the beer as long as possible, but I found that after a while
more aromatics escape from the beer and into the air than enter the beer from the hops. What I now do is
wait until the beer is done fermenting and then add whole hops directly into the fermentor. I then wait 7-10
days and rack the beer out from under the hops into the bottling vessel (usually another glass carboy) on top
of the priming sugar.
Why not dry hop at pitching time? Three reasons. First, if you use the blowoff method, either the hops will
clog the blowoff tube or the kraeusen will pump hops out of the fermentor and into the blowoff vessel, which
will give your blowoff a nice hop nose but which won't do your beer any good. Second, when carbon dioxide
actively bubbles out of the green beer it takes with it dissolved gases (like excess oxygen) and other
aromatics (like hop aromatics). (For this same reason, if you're adding fruit to your beer, I recommend that it
not be added until the really ferocious fermentation is over.) Third, it's safer to wait until fermentation is
almost finished to minimize sanitation worries.
Won't the dry hops introduce all kinds of nasties into my beer? Many brewers that I've talked with have
been hesitant to try dry hopping because of fears of infection. It took me a long time to convince myself to
dry hop (I, too, was afraid of contamination). Eventually, three things got me to try it. First, if you wait to dry
hop (as I suggested above), the beer has very little sugar left, quite a bit of alcohol, and its pH has dropped,
making the environment relatively inhospitable to unwelcome visitors. Second, the boiling and flavoring
hops have some antibiotic effects. Third, what self-respecting yeast or bacterium would live on hops? Hops
are completely different from grape skins or a cup of raspberry juice in that they have no nutritional value. I
suspect that hops would carry no more microbiota than is present in the area in which they've been stored
(the dust in the bottling area is just as likely to infect your beer as the dry hops).
Should I use whole hops or pellets or plugs for dry hopping? Since I've started adding dry hops only during
the last 7-10 days before bottling, the question of hop form has become less of an issue, but in my experience
whole hops tend to float for a long time, making it easier to rack (siphon) the beer out from under them. The
one time that I used pellets to dry hop, they began to sink to the bottom of the fermentor after about a week.
After about two weeks, virtually all of them were at the bottom of the fermentor and were being covered by
dormant yeast (where I doubt they continued to contribute anything to the beer). I suggest using whole hops
if you have the choice, simply because I've found that dry hopping with whole hops makes it easier to rack
than does dry hopping with pellets. Plugs are simply compressed whole hops and are equivalent to whole
hops in the context of this discussion. Because they tend to be fresher than regular whole hops or pellets as a
result of their packaging, plugs would tend to contribute more bouquet by weight than either pellets or whole
hops.
--Al Korzonas
Countryside, Illinois
Eight Tips to Advance Your Brewing Skills

Ashton Lewis
Brewing is a blend of science and art. This often-used cliché has real merit when you
consider its meaning. In the pursuit of good beer, an informed brewer draws from
microbiology, chemistry, biochemistry, food science, mathematics, and engineering
principles on a regular basis. Just like excellent laboratory technique is crucial to good
science, a solid command of brewing technique is also required for consistently
excellent beer.
The art of brewing comes into play when brewers draw from their knowledge, experience, and available
techniques and tools to create new beers and brewing techniques. In a certain sense, all the brewing
knowledge and technique in the world is useless unless it is properly and creatively applied. This is the
brewer's art.
Hobbyists in general like to identify their skill level with terms such as beginner, intermediate or advanced.
Snow skiing is a prime example. Every ski trail on every mountain in the world is marked with a symbol that
tells skiers how difficult the terrain is. And it's pretty easy to spot, say, an intermediate: He's the guy flailing
down the black-diamond slope.
Brewing is one of those hobbies in which skill level is difficult to define. A first-time brewer, for example, is
capable of brewing a beer that blows the socks off a batch brewed by a seasoned veteran. Is this brewer a
prodigy, plain lucky, or exceptionally good at following the directions on that excellent kit he got for his
birthday? One way to define an advanced brewer is that he fits the following four-point profile:
1. An advanced brewer is usually, but not necessarily, an all-grain brewer. Most advanced brewers
prefer all-grain brewing because of the added freedom.
2. An advanced brewer must have an open mind. He must be eager to get out of the routine of following
directions and pursue the art of brewing.
3. An advanced brewer must be knowledgeable about beer and brewing and have good technique.
4. An advanced brewer continually expands his knowledge base.
If you fit this profile, these tips will give you ideas on how to become even more advanced in this great
hobby. If you're on your way to joining the advanced ranks, they may help you hone your skills.
1. Chuck the Recipes

Brewing shares many common traits with cooking, including recipes. Recipes are an excellent method of
communicating the particulars of how something is made. This is great for restaurants that need to deliver
the same plate of pasta day after day. Cooks use recipes, but a real chef will use a recipe as a very general
guideline in an attempt to put his own twist on another's idea.
Brewing works the same way. Beginner and intermediate brewers find comfort in recipes because they
minimize the risk of a design flaw. Let's face it: Some blends of malt, hops, yeast, and water can make for
some pretty nasty brews. Advanced brewers eventually grow out of recipes because recipes are, by
definition, restrictive.
Learn to read a recipe in general terms. Evaluate the ratios of the various specialty malts and the hopping
schedule. Your experience may throw a flag that you are not going to like the flavor produced by the recipe.
Then look at the mash profile. Does it fit with how your system is designed? If not, change it!
Similarly, don't worry too much about details like mash thickness, sparge temperature, and the nitty-gritties
of fermentation and aging in a recipe. When you see a recipe, you should take a hard look at the malts, the
original gravity, the bitterness, and the type of beer. You will have your own methods of mashing, sparging,
fermenting, and aging and are usually not going to change your brewing process for most recipes. On the
other hand, you should definitely look at information that pertains to the beer's flavor. An example is a very
warm fermentation temperature or a certain yeast strain that produces a special flavor.
2. Crunch Those Numbers!
There are many different methods for calculating a brew. Each method has its own assumptions and
limitations. Whatever methods you use, an advanced brewer should be able to determine his system
efficiency and formulate malt and hop blends to hit a target wort gravity at a target bitterness level.
Calculations are also useful for estimating color, determining yeast pitching rates, and even can be used to
calculate carbonation levels.
The only way to evaluate other brewers' recipes or become completely free of them is by learning how to
effectively do brewing calculations. The other power you gain is to read a beer description and formulate a
close approximation of the beer. Many breweries now describe their beers in brewer's terms because of more
knowledgeable consumers. If you know an IPA
contains British pale, crystal, and wheat malts; has an OG of 1.065 and 50 IBUs; and is dry hopped with
British aroma hops, you can easily calculate this brew.
The action item to go along with this tip is to choose useful calculations from the literature you feel
comfortable with and add them to your bag of tricks.
Check out the recipe in this issue by Teri Fahrendorf. It's a good example of a commercial recipe. Try to
crunch through the calculations to test your ability to handle advanced homebrewing math.
3. Question the Importance of Style
Beer styles help brewers inform beer drinkers about their beer. When someone opens his mouth for a
swallow of stout, he is mentally prepared for the flavor of stout. The study of styles is interesting from a
historical view and shows how styles travel around the globe. Styles can also be used to categorize beers for
competitions, making it easier for judges to define and evaluate various beers.
Styles can also get in the way of brewing if taken too seriously. Too many beers have been slammed because
they were inappropriately labeled. For example, "Bob's IPA was terrible - it was way under-hopped and its
OG was too low to be an IPA. Too bad. It would have been a great ESB." Advanced brewers should evaluate
a beer by its flavor profile first and then determine whether it is labeled with the appropriate style.
A no-style philosophy also makes it easier to be creative because new beers can be accepted even if they
don't conform with an established style. The Great American Beer Festival now has an "experimental"
category for beers that don't fit the traditional style
4. Increase the Depth of Your Brewing Knowledge
This tip is easier said than done considering the best brewers are proud to state that learning never stops. The
key is to invest in a small brewing library and keep the library growing. A good brewer uses his collection of
information as a reference and will challenge ideas by referring to the library.
There's something interesting about brewing and debating - very few brewers (or homebrewers, for that
matter) share the same interpretation of any given issue. The hotly debated topics these days include hot-side
aeration, the significance of the "protein rest," and decoction mashing and its affect on flavor formation. An
advanced brewer should know enough about these hot topics to develop his own beliefs. An advanced
brewer should be able to defend his position on such issues.
5. Learn from the Giants of the Industry
Too many small-scale brewers (homebrewers and craft brewers) spend way too much time bad-mouthing big
brewers. Maybe it makes small brewers feel superior or something, but it could simply be a complex. Most
small brewers feel pretty tiny when they dwell on the numbers. A small brewery may squeak out 1,200
barrels of beer a year - that's roughly 0.0006 percent of annual domestic beer sales. If every domestic
brewery only produced 1,200 barrels per year, there would be 150,000 breweries in the United States!
The fact is that the big breweries really know their stuff, but they choose to brew what 95 percent of the
public wants to buy. Their decisions are based on basic economic principles that drive the world. Some past
experimental brews from the corporate R&D facility of a rather large brewery located along the Mississippi
River were truly exceptional beers. Included was a doppel bock, a barleywine aged in French oak, and a dry-
hopped IPA. These beers will never be sold commercially because the market is too small, but they proved
that these companies can do about anything they want.
Learn how the big breweries do what they do and you are sure to pick up some useful information. This
doesn't mean you need to start brewing light beer at home, but many of the techniques used by the big
breweries are pretty slick and can give homebrewers new ideas.
6. Sharpen Your Palate
It's hard to be critical of your own beer. After all, the whole idea is to brew beer at home that you like. Being
your own worst critic can be very discouraging at times, but it is also key to improvement.
There are many things a brewer can learn from books, magazines, and experience. When it comes to tasting,
however, a training program organized by a knowledgeable and experienced taster is essential. Training
programs use flavor standards to illustrate aromas like diacetyl, acetaldehyde, isovaleric acid (cheesy hops),
oxidized, DMS, and others. It is very hard to educate your palate without learning to identify the aromas
typically encountered in beer.
Once your palate is sharpened, then the connection between ingredients, process, and flavor can be made.
This is perhaps the single most important skill required to be an excellent brewer.
7. Experiment with Raw Materials
Knowing how different malts, hops, yeast, and water affect flavor, color, and the brewing process (for
example, rye and lautering) is essential. This knowledge is useful when formulating new recipes or
modifying a recipe you want to try. One of the ingredients that is interesting to play with is malt. Although
all crystal malts are made using a similar process, malts from different malt houses have different flavors.
Exposing yourself to a wide variety of maltsters is a great way of discovering subtle and interesting flavors.
When you are tasting beers and wondering where a particular flavor came from, often you will discover a
certain malt was the key to reproducing the flavor.
The same reasoning can be applied to hops, yeast, and water. Knowing your hops is especially useful when
you are forced to substitute one variety for another. It also comes in handy when you are formulating a new
recipe: You can smell and taste the hop flavor you desire, and need to decide what variety (or varieties) to
use to get that flavor. One of the rewards of knowing your ingredients is the ability to create a signature
flavor in your beers.
8. Take the Consistency Challenge
One of the great benefits to homebrewing is having the freedom to brew just about anything, anytime.
Commercial brewers, especially those who began as homebrewers, are envious of this creative freedom. One
drawback to creative freedom is that many homebrewers are constantly trying different recipes and rarely
brew the same beer over and over again.
Choose one of your favorite brews to become a stock beer. The challenge is to brew the same beer several
times to test your ability to be consistent. Once you become consistent, you can then move on to making very
small changes in your stock beer recipe and procedure to learn how to fine-tune a beer. This can be a very
valuable learning tool since it enables you to demonstrate how certain ingredients and techniques affect the
finished beer.
If you decide to give this idea a try, you can do some informal sensory-evaluation panels with your brewing
pals to assess how similar your stock beer is from batch to batch. A blind tasting is also a good way to test
your palate; for example, if you and your brewing partner are tasting a beer from the same batch and bottle,
and find yourselves describing significant differences, someone probably needs a bit more sensory training.
How do I force carbonate beer using a Cornelius kegging system?
Cold, finished beer is best to force carbonate, because the carbon dioxide absorbs much more quickly and easily into it
than into room-temperature beer.
Transfer the cold beer into your keg gently, the beer will push any remaining air out the top as it fills, leaving only
carbon dioxide in the headspace. Leaving an inch or two of headspace is helpful for faster carbonation, but not
necessary. Then replace the cover tightly and crank your regulator up to 30 psi. You'll hear the gas charging your keg;
the fuller the keg, the quieter this charge will be. The lid should seal tightly at this time; if it doesn't, and gas comes
hissing out, reseat the gasket on your lid and the lid itself in a sanitary fashion and try it again. If that doesn't work,
inspect the lid and gasket carefully. There may be a chunk of something caught in there preventing a good seal, or
the lid or keg mouth may be bent somewhere. Rarely, there may be a crack in the lid.
Assuming you have headspace of one or two inches above the beer, shake the keg vigorously for two or three minutes
with the gas on. Room-temperature beer or a fuller keg may take a little longer to carbonate, depending on how
carbonated you like your beer to be. Then disconnect the gas line and let the keg sit at serving temperature to absorb
the rest of the carbon dioxide. You can actually vent out whatever pressure is on top of the beer and dispense it right
then, but it may foam considerably at first. For the carbon dioxide to really absorb well and stay in solution, you
should let the charged keg chill for a day or so, then check the head pressure.
Once the beer is carbonated, you'll want to keep between 5-10 psi on it while storing and serving it, charging when
necessary. Leaving the carbon dioxide hooked up to your keg and relying on your regulator to maintain that constant
pressure is fine as well.

Tabela de Lúpulos

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Comparing and Selecting Hops

U.K. Target, U.K.

4% to Floral, citrus, sharp,

U.K. Kent Golding, U.K.

Bittering hop with

A rich hop primarily

Nugget, Columbus, Mild to medium-heavy,

First Gold 6.5% to U.K. Kent Golding, A little like Golding

U.K. Fuggle, Willamette,

10% to Ale, porter, stout, Nugget, Pride of Medium but pleasant

Very mild, pleasant,

Known for its aromatic

Hallertauer 3% to Lager, bock, wheat, Liberty, German

Hersbrucker 3% to Lager, pilsner, Mt. Hood, French Mild to semi-strong,

11% to Magnum or a high-alpha

3% to Lager, pilsner, Hallertauer Tradition, Mild and clean aroma,

Mild, pleasant, and

ESB, bitter, English

Northwest 4% to Ale, porter, stout, Known for aromatic

11% to Columbus, Chinook, U.K. Quite heavy and

U.K. Northdown, U.K.

5% to Ale, bitter, ESB, U.K. Kent Golding, Moderately strong, good

12.5% Known for its bittering and

U.S. Saaz, U.S.

Lager, and any U.S. Saaz, U.S.

6% to Lager, ale, Herbal, spicy, pleasant aroma,

Strisslespalt 3% to Pilsner, lager, Mt. Hood, Crystal, Medium intensity, pleasant,

9.5% to Pleasant English hop aroma,

German ales and

Tradition 5% to Hersbrucker, Very fine and similar to

15% to A bittering and aromatic

6% to Used as a kettle hop for

Grains and Adjuncts Chart

Key: L = Degrees Lovibond, G = Gravity

Sweet, mild caramel flavor and a golden color. Use in

Sweet, mild caramel flavor and a golden color. Use in

Sweet caramel flavor, deep golden to red color. For dark

Pronounced caramel flavor and a red color. For stouts,

Pronounced caramel flavor and a red color. For stouts,

Imparts dryness. Unmalted; use in porters and dry

Pale Malt (Brewers

Sweet, toasted flavor and aroma. For Oktoberfests and

Provides a deep golden to brown color for ales. Use in all

3.5- Increases malty flavor, provides balance. Use in Vienna,

Light flavor and creamy head. For American weizenbier,

BETTER EXTRACT BREWING

1. Know Thyself (and Thine Brewery)

2. Pump Up the Volume

3. Other Dark Forces

20 Facts You Should Know

2. If it’s not clean, it’s not sanitary.

3. Directions are there for a reason.

4. It’s the water.

5. Water adjustments often create trouble.

7. Milling grain can contaminate the brewing area.

8. Mash temperatures dramatically affect beer flavors.

9. Grains should be sparged at 168° F and 170° F.

10. There is no substitute for a hard, rolling boil.

11. Good notes make better beer.

13. It’s hard to overpitch.

15. Steady, constant temperatures protect wort from off-flavors.

16. Two-stage fermentation clears beer.

17. Darkness is a good thing.

18. Time is on your side — with unfiltered beer.

* BUILD IT YOURSELF *