Ensure that the carbon dioxide (CO2) produced during fermentation is able to vent from the fermenting vessel. Trapped CO2 can rapidly build enough pressure to destroy your fermentor and cover your ceiling in beer. If your fermentor is not large enough to accommodate the foam produced during peak krausen, attach a wide-diameter blow-off tube that will not be blocked by yeast, hops, fruit etc. If using a glass carboy, ferment it in a place where you will not need to move it after filling it. Alternatively, place it in a milk crate or attach straps that will allow you to safely move the carboy without dropping it. If spunding a beer to develop natural carbonation, always use a pressure vessel with an emergency pressure relief valve affixed that will let off excess pressure before reaching the structural limits of the vessel. When cleaning a keg or fermentor, do not seal it up while it is hot without putting pressure on it. This can create a vacuum as it cools and implodes it. If aging your beer in a fresh spirit barrel, do not attempt to sanitize it with a sulfur wick like a winemaker might. The alcoholic vapor can ignite with deadly force. Ensure the beer is completely finished fermenting before packaging. Generally, you want to be close to the maximum suggested temperature for the yeast strain to ensure it doesn’t stall. Record identical gravity readings for three days before packaging. Dry hopping at warm temperatures can lead to additional attenuation as the hops contain enzymes that free sugars for fermentation. Be careful when using “hyper-attenuative” yeast strains like Brettanomyces, which can slowly continue producing carbon dioxide. I’d suggest stable gravity readings month- over-month. After packaging, prevent your bottles/kegs from getting significantly warmer than room temperature. Higher temperatures increase pressure significantly. Leaving bottles in a warm car in the summer could lead to explosive results. It isn’t good for the flavor of the beer anyway!” Michael Tonmseire from The Mad Fermentationist
gas, so simply upgrading to an electric brewery is probably one of the fastest ways to improve safety. If however, you have a large brewery that requires more power than what you can deliver using your electrical system, gas may be required. If you can’t get enough power through your home power connection and are forced to use gas, then the main things you need to check are: 1. Make sure you do not have gas leaks. Do a pressure check to make sure all your gas lines hold pressure. 2. Ensure that your gas flame cannot blow out. If there is a chance that your flame might blow out, then you really should have a thermal switch or gas control valve with a thermocouple on it, so if the flame goes out, it doesn’t fill the room with gas. 3. Ensure the flame is burning efficiently. If you are getting yellow flames or
carbon builds up on your pots, this is a good indication that you have an inefficient burn and are wasting gas, but more importantly, you most likely generate carbon monoxide which is highly dangerous especially if you are using the burner without good airflow.” Kee Doery from KegLand safety guidelines should I follow for the fermentation and storage of my homebrewed beer? What essential “Fermentation and Storage: Luckily the pH of beer makes it resistant to pathogenic bacteria. Proper cool or cold storage away from light is about maintaining fresh flavor rather than any risk of food-borne illness. That said, there are other potential safety when it comes to fermenting and storing your homebrew.
Leaving bottles in a warm car in the summer could lead to explosive results.
114 SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 25 ISSUE 5
BUSINESS • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE 115
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker