BEER MEISTER PRO TIPS

Sanitizing and Cleaning

1. Can I use bleach to sanitize my equipment? You can if you want your homebrew to taste like bleach. Use a good quality cleaner designed for home brewing. You will be happier with your finished product in the end.

General Brewing

1. Should I use tap water or bottled water for home brewing? The general rule of thumb is, if your water from the tap taste good, brew with it. If your water is chlorinated or just tastes bad, do not use it. Those nasty flavors will transfer to your beer! It is all about making good beer.

2. How can I make my beer with a stronger kick? Easy, add more sugar. Most brewers prefer a dry malt extract (DME) for their sugar needs. Table sugar is not a good choice, it will give your beer off flavors. Every pound of DME used will raise the alcohol by a half percent. Be careful not to add too much. Too much sugar will shut the yeast down from working. Maple syrup, brown sugar and honey are all good choices for sugar sources. They will add alcohol and flavor to your beer.

3. Can I use aluminum pot to boil my wort? We wouldn’t. Aluminum dissolves in an acidic environment and will enter your beer. Beer Meister recommends stainless steel or copper are the two best choices for your brew pot.

4. What is the best way to add coffee to my beer? The best way I have found is to make a strong pot of coffee and add it to your brew pot to be chilled down. Do not try steeping the coffee right in the beer. This method does not work very well.

5. Is it safe to put a copper wort chiller in a boiling wort? Absolutely! The boiling wort will sanitize your wort chiller. Remember to keep the plastic tubing away from any heat source.

6. I have no control over the temperature in my home, what can I do? Many brewers are faced with this problem. The easiest way to deal with this problem is to brew with the seasons. Some yeast strains do better in warmer temperatures while others work better in colder temperatures. Spring, Fall and Winter are generally the best seasons for brewing.

Fermentation

1. What temperature range do I ferment lagers at? When making a lager, fermentation temperatures range from 35-60 degrees. Most lagers ferment at 40-55 degrees. A spare fridge or a cold basement floor in the winter will work fine.

2. I see no sign of fermentation, is my yeast dead? Probably not. There are a few different ways to troubleshoot this problem. First, make sure your lid is properly snapped down. Even the smallest gap will allow the co2 to escape. That equals to no airlock activity. Another remedy (most common) is that the fermenter is to cold. Move to a warm part of the house and give the fermenter several swirls to help kick start the stuck yeast. Giving your fermenter a gentle swirl will help agitate the dormant yeast into working again. Sometimes the beer finishes fermenting before you see any airlock activity. Dry yeast can finish fermenting under the right condition in 24-48 hours. The best way to know if your beer has fermented is to use a hydrometer. If it has lowered since the original gravity reading, you know fermentation has taken place.

3. What is the difference between fermenting ales and lagers? Ales are fermented in the temperature range of 65-75 degrees for 10-20 days. Whereas lagers are best fermented at 45-55 degrees and will take 3 weeks to several months to finish.

4. When should I bottle my beer? For the most part, you can bottle ales 14-21 days after the brew day when using two- stage fermentation. This allows for 7 days in your primary fermenter and 7-14 days in the secondary. Lagers need 2-3 weeks more for the longer fermenting time. The only for sure way to know when to bottle your beer is using a hydrometer.

Bottling

1. How often do I need to replace rubber gaskets on the swing cap bottles? You can expect to use them 8 times or more. Replace them if you see any cracks, thinning, or failed to seal properly on the previous use.

2. When should I bottle my beer? For the most part, you can bottle ales 14-21 days after the brew day when using two- stage fermentation. This allows for 7 days in your primary fermenter and 7-14 days in the secondary. Lagers need 2-3 weeks more for the longer fermenting time. The only for sure way to know when to bottle your beer is using a hydrometer.

Ingredients

1. Should I use dry yeast or liquid yeast? They both make great beers. There are pros and cons in using each yeast. Dry yeast travels better in the hot summer months. Liquid yeast works great with any style beer, but is most noticeable in light and amber beers, than dark beers. Dry yeast also tends to ferment faster than liquid yeast.

2. How long will the ingredients in my recipe kit last? You can store everything in the kit in the fridge to help increase shelf life. Grains after crushed should be used within a month. They can last longer with proper storage. Uncrushed grain will last even longer. Extract will keep for 3-4 months. But once again with proper storage it will last even longer. The yeast has a shelf life of 6-8 months. Dry yeast will last 1-2 years! Hops will last for a year in the freezer but will start breaking down bitterness after 4-6 months. Just like when you cook, using the freshest ingredients will produce the best tasting beer. So get brewin’!!!

3. Liquid malt extract (LME) or dried malt extract (DME), which is better? Malt extract comes in two forms liquid and dry. Both malts make excellent beer. LME is generally less expensive per pound, and there are more varieties are available. DME on the other hand is easier to measure, and is 20% stronger per pound than LME because it does not contain water.

4. What is lactose used for? Lactose is milk sugar. It is unfermentable, which means it leaves a residual sweetness in the beer. The styles of beer that lactose is most common in are stouts and porters. Lactose effect is making a smoother and more full body beer

Beer Dispensing

Cleaning

Setup

Foam

Regulator

Winemaking

Sanitizing and Cleaning

Fermentation

Corking and Bottling

Ingredients