1. FERMENTATION
By Jeff Louella

2. Why Understand Fermentation?
Understanding the science behind fermentation can greatly affect the quality of beer made.
There are some great products on the market to help home brewers excel.
Brewers make wort, Yeast make beer. So be nice to your yeast.

3. Agenda Designing a Beer’s Fermentability Yeast Nutrition
Yeast Pitching
Controlling Fermentation
Fermentation Phases

4. Designing a Beer’s Fermentability
Dry vs Sweet

5. Fermentability - Dry All-Grain Mashing
Mash at a lower temperature range. Many dry beers mash between 148° - 151°
Use fermentable adjuncts
Sugar, Honey, Maple & Rice Syrup, and Most Fruit will ferment out dry

6. Fermentability - Sweet
All-Grain Mashing
Mash at a higher temperature range. Many full mouth feel and sweeter beers mash between 154° °
Extract Brewing
Liquid Malt Extract tends to have an average fermentability. Tough for big beers to ferment out fully.
Adjuncts
Brews with a lot of adjuncts, such as roasted barley, will not ferment out as much.

7. Yeast Nutrition
Carbohydrates
Nitrogen
Vitamins
Minerals
Zinc
Oxygen

8. Nutrition - Carbohydrates
Sugars in order of concentration
Maltose
Maltotriose
Glucose
Sucrose
Fructose

9. Nutrition - Nitrogen Amino Acids
Amino acids collectively referred to as "free amino nitrogen (FAN)," are the principal nitrogen source in wort and are an essential component of yeast nutrition. It is the amino acids that the yeast cells use to synthesize more amino acids and, in turn, to synthesize proteins.
Peptides
Ammonium Salts

10. Nutrition - Vitamins Biotin
Biotin deficiencies will result in yeast with high death rates.
Panthotenic Acid
Thiamin
Inositol

11. Nutrition - Minerals Phosphate
Phosphate is involved in energy conservation, is necessary for rapid yeast growth, and is part of many organic compounds in the yeast cell.
Potassium
Potassium ions are necessary for the uptake of phosphate.
Calcium
Magnesium
Sulfur
Trace Elements

12. Nutrition - Zinc
The most important trace element is zinc, and at least to 0.15 mg/l should be present in the wort.
Zinc assists in protein synthesis in yeast cells and controls their nucleic acid and carbohydrate metabolism.
Fermentations are accelerated by adding zinc chloride ( mg/l) to the wort.

13. Nutrition - Products Complete Nutrients White Labs - Servomyces
Wyeast - Nutrient Blend
Nitrogen
Fermaid K
DAP

14. Nutrition - Oxygen Oxygen is an essential nutrient for yeast growth.
Too low a level of dissolved oxygen can lead to insufficient yeast growth and, therefore, sticking fermentations.
Too much oxygen can lead to excessive production of yeast.

15. Oxygenation Methods Shaking Carboy Aquarium Pump with Stone
Pure O2 with Stone

16. Yeast Pitching
Strain
Pitching Rates
Viability

17. Yeast Strain Specifications
Attenuation
Attenuation is the percentage of sugars that the yeast consume during fermentation. If the fermentation went to gravity, that would be 100% attenuation. Understanding the different attenuation ranges of each strain will help determine the terminal gravity of the beer.
Ex OG to FG = 75% Attenuation
Flocculation
Flocculation refers to the clumping of yeast cells at the end of fermentation. Strains are separated into three main degrees of flocculation- High, Medium, and Low. An example of a highly flocculent strain would be an English Ale yeast, which will settle at the bottom of the fermentation tank. An example of a low flocculent strain would be a Hefeweizen yeast.

18. Pitching Rates
1 million cells of viable yeast, for every milliliter of wort, for every degree plato.
1.050 OG - 5 Gallons Wort - 91% Viability
175 Billion Cells Vials or Smack Packs
1.080 OG - 5 Gallons Wort - 91% Viability
273 Billion Cells - 3 Vials or Smack Packs
Pitching Rate Calculator

19. Controlling Fermentation
Fermentation temperature control is one of the most important thing you can do that will make the most dramatic improvements in your beer.
High Esters, Fruitiness, and Fusel Alcohols (too warm)
Incomplete Fermentation (too cold or temp drop)
Too Low Esters for Style (too cold)

20. Controlling Fermentation Ways to Control Temperature
Temperature Methods
Refrigerator or Freezer
Fermwrap or Brew Belt
Temperature Control Units
Analog and Digital Controller
Dual Stage Controller

21. Fermentation Phases
Aerobic / Lag
Fermentation
Stabilization

22. Secondary Fermentation?
True secondary fermentation happens when more sugars are added.
What most home brewers consider secondary fermentation is basically the Stabilization phase.
For most brews, there is no need to move beer into a secondary vessel.

23. Questions?

24. Thank You!