Using Campden tablets as an 'old school' method of making better-tasting beer
These tablets can be used to remove added chlorine from your water, kill bacteria on brewing equipment, and protect your beer by preventing unwanted foreign bacteria from fermenting in your beer.
So what is this, some kind of super pill?
Campden tablets are basically potassium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite. When added to the beer or even cider or wine, they instantly react with the chlorine (or chloramine), removing it from the water solution.
All this is done without adding any unwanted flavours to your water or beer.
How many Campden tablets should I use?
If used for sterilization of equipment, use 16 tablets to one gallon
If removing chlorine from water, half a tablet to 5 or 6 gallons will break it down in less than 10 minutes.
If stabilizing apple juice when making cider to kill off wild yeast, deploy one crushed tablet per gallon of juice. You should wait for approximately 24 hours before you pitch your yeast.
If trying to stave off an infection in cider or wine, then 1 or 2 smashed up tablets dissolved in your product, rack if you need. You will then probably want to bottle your cider asap and hope the tablets can overtake the infection. This trick may or may not work.
Are Campden tablets safe to use? What about the release of sulphur dioxide?
Yes, the tablets break down into very drinkable compounds - remember this product has been used for many years, and if it did cause any harm, it wouldn't be such a successful product.
You may have heard that sulphur dioxide is released into the water. This is very true, however, when it reacts with the chlorine and chloramine it quickly breaks down. By the time your beer is to be drunk, the concentration in terms of parts per million is massively diminished.
Producers of cider know full well that a batch of juiced apples can easily succumb to acetobacter bacteria contamination which causes the classic turn-to-vinegar spoilage of the apples.
Yeast is resistant to the tablets but the acetobacter is easily killed off, hence treatment with an agent like a Campden tablet is important in cider production.
Why are campden tablets used with wine?
In addition to preventing stray bacteria from taking hold of homemade wine, Campden tablets can also be utilised as an anti-oxidizing agent when transferring wine between containers. The sodium metabisulfite in the Campden tablets will trap oxygen that enters the wine, preventing it from doing any harm.
Do Camden tablets halt fermentation?
It is a fairly common misconception that Campden tablets can be used to halt the fermenting process in wine or beer before all the sugar is converted by the yeast, hence controlling the amount of residual sweetness in the final product.
It is simply not true though.
To truly completely stop fermentation, you'd need too many Campden tablets to do so, which would then actually make your produce undrinkable.
The Boots UK pharmacy chain then made the product popular when they developed it as a tablet.
Do I have to use these tablets, are they necessary for brewing?
No, the use of Campden tablets is totally your choice as a brewer. If you live in an area where the municipal water supply is not heavily dosed with chlorine, then you might not need to.
There are other means of removing chlorine and chloramine in the form of active carbon filters. In the context of a home or residence, these units are generally only good for producing tap water. If you need larger volumes of water for brewing with, a carbon filter will take a fair bit of time to filter your water.
Using carbonation drops for secondary fermentation in beer brewing
A common way to bottle beer or cider is to add sugar to each bottle individually using a spoon or by batch priming.
That can be messy or take a bit of time.
For faster bottling times, many brewers use carbonation drops to make bottling quick and error-free.
Once the beers have been sealed with a drop safely inside, the process of secondary fermentation begins as the yeast eats the sugar in the carbonation drops.
They are pretty well known and are they are a reliable brand. Mangrove Jacks drops are also pretty popular.
What are the ingredients of carbonation drops?
Sugar.
That's it, sucrose is the only ingredient.
So there is no difference between a carbonation drop and sugar.
The reason for using them is simply for ease of use.
You can try other alternative methods of adding sugar to the beer - such as 'priming' the whole batch of beer or by adding sugar to each bottle using a funnel or spoon.
That can be a bit messy though!
So, you should use carbonation drops if you want an easy bottling process and wish to save some time and keep things nice and clean.
Using drops also allows you to ensure that each bottle is given the same sugar dosage - this will allow for a consistent brew and also will help prevent 'gushers' from occurring (more on avoiding beer gushers later on).
It's actually probably the easiest part of making beer!
Once you have added the beer to your sanitized bottles, all you need to do is literally drop a carbonation drop into the bottle.
Instantly, you are done. Easiest instructions you will follow all week!
You then cap the bottle so that carbonation can commence and the CO2 becomes trapped in the bottle.
You might now be thinking:
How many carbonation drops do I add to each bottle?
It depends on how big the bottles are.
It's not an exact piece of maths but here are the standard practices:
1 drop for a beer bottle that is around 350 to 375 mls or 12 OZ. Even 500 mls will cover you
2 drops for a 750 mls bottle (your standard crate size bottle) or 25 OZ but you are probably pushing the limits.
If you're doing anything bigger like a litre, you may wish to consider 2 and a half drops or possibly 3 but you're risking over sugaring your beer and this may cause beer gushers.
Another rough rule of thumb is one drop for one pint which is possibly on the light side if an Imperial pint equals 540 mls but prob OK for an American pint of 473 mls.
Once you have added the drops, give them a chance to dissolve. When they've had long enough after capping, give the bottle a firm shake to ensure each drop has dissolved completely.
Actually, you really shouldn't have any problems with drops dissolving so you can feel free to skip this step.
If you have added sugar using a spoon or funnel, you should definitely shake the bottle so any sugar stuck inside the bottleneck gets into the beer.
Do I need to sterilize carbonation drops?
No, you do not need to take such a step.
If you take the drops straight from a freshly opened packet and use clean hands, you should be absolutely fine.
No one ever sterilizes their sugar when brewing so we don't see any reason to do this.
Not sure how you would either, maybe dissolve them in boiling water? ... and if so you may as well just use ordinary sugar.
The reality is I have a bag of sugar that I keep in my brewing shed. It's in a plastic container but it's manky - I've never had any issues with using sugar that's not sterilsied. You just don't need to do it.
Do different beer styles affect my use of drops?
Ales generally need less sugar than lagers however we really don't think you should worry too much about it when you are at a beginner stage of home brewing.
When you are more experienced and understand what sugar content suits your beer, you'll probably want to think about batch priming more so you can be more targeted with your sugar content.
Though to stay on target, do not over carbonate - using one drop per bottle is a good way to avoid this issue. Why waste your brewing efforts by spilling beer?
How long do carbonation drops take to work / carbonate?
The same amount of time as simply adding sugar does!
Basically, carbonation will take place fairly quickly, a matter of days.
A good length of time is then needed to let your beer condition properly and we recommend an absolute minimum of 2 weeks for that (we won't begrudge you a taste tester one though eh?).
At three weeks your beer should be beginning to become quite drinkable, but as usual, we suggest you wait till that fifth week if you can be so patient.
A wee bit of advice, when you do you first taste, lower your expectations and secondly, make sure you have chilled your bottle in a fridge over night. The lower temperature can reduce excessive fizz when you open the bottle.
Don't believe me? Open a warm brew that's had a little too much sugar added...
The tablets usually contain tablets contain dextrose, dry malt extract and heading powder which is clearly different from using sugar for fermentation.
Carbonation tablets work in the same way as sugar in that the more you use, the more carbonation occurs.
In that sense, they are an equivalent alternative product but given the ingredients, they will add more flavour and body to your beer.
This is important to keep in mind as some beers are better with more bubbles (lager) and others are more enjoyable to drink when they have less (heavy ales, bocks etc). The usage is 3, 4 or 5 tablets per 12 ounce bottle (350 mls) for low, medium or high carbonation.
Beware of over priming your beer. If you add too much sugar, too much CO2 will be produced by the yeast and it will have nowhere to escape. It will escape in the form of a 'gusher' when you open your beer and it will gush out the next of the bottle like a geyser and go bloody everywhere - and ruin that beer experience you were about to enjoy!
Different temperatures will affect the carbonation process as well (the yeast generally enjoys a warmer temperature) - so if you are questioning whether the drops didn't produce enough CO2, bear in mind there are other factors at play.
If you do choose to not use drops and just wish to add granulated sugar to the bottle, we recommend the use of an ordinary kitchen funnel as it speeds things up and helps reduce the mess of sugar going everywhere. Get your measurements correct! You can always try to batch prime - we find this method quite effective.
We once tried using jelly beans as a substitute for carbonation drops. The results were quite interesting! Basically, you can use any form of sugar lollies for carbonating beer - as long as it fits down the neck of the beer bottle you'll be right! Flavours may vary though...
We've used Mangrove Jack's drops many times and had no problems so are very happy to recommend their use.
60 carbonation drops, will be enough drops for one 23 litre brew (i.e. up to that 'line' on a plastic drum.
You can use carbonation drops with your ginger beer as well! And though we've never tried it, maybe your hard seltzer.
If you are buying drops online, say Coopers Drops from Amazon, we suggest you order at least a couple of packets - that way the cost of delivery becomes more effective by price per unit.
What is the science behind carbonation drops for secondary fermentation?
The science behind carbonation drops is based on the concept of priming sugar. During secondary fermentation, yeast consumes the sugar added to the beer, producing carbon dioxide (CO2) as a byproduct. This carbon dioxide is then dissolved in the beer, creating carbonation.
The science behind carbonation drops is relatively simple. Each pellet contains a precise amount of sugar that is carefully calibrated to produce a specific level of carbonation. As the yeast consumes the sugar, it produces a known amount of carbon dioxide, which is then dissolved in the beer.
The result is a beer that is carbonated to a specific level, which can be adjusted by varying the amount of sugar added.
When I was a lad, I lived in a place called 'the fruit bowl of New Zealand', that place being Hastings.
There were apples everywhere, in the orchards, on the farms, in your school lunch, on every corner.
Open the newspaper and four or five would fall out!
And never once did I think about making them into cider.
And now that I live miles away from the orchards of home, a good cider reminds me of years of apple picking and thinning and driving a hydra-ladder around an orchard to help pay for university fees.
But you came here to learn how to brew an alcoholic (hard) cider, so let's get on with it.
If you've brewed beer before, it's the same concept of fermentation but with some slight variations to the preparation of the basic ingredients and the addition of a few handy remedies to augment the cider's flavor.
If you think the first thing on the list of things you need is apples or pears, well, you'd be right.
But it's not that simple.
When brewing cider, not all apples are created equal.
Ideally, you'll have been able to harvest some late-season apples, maybe even some which have naturally fallen from the tree. This is because these apples have high amounts of sugar in them, and as any brewer knows, sugar is great for fermenting!
Having a mix of different kinds of apples is very useful for taste preferences as well.
Mixing Red Delicious with Granny Smith in a 1 to 2 ratio will produce a dry cider whereas 1 to 2 ratio of Macintosh to Cortland will produce a sweeter cider.
Another way to get the mix right is to use a mixture of 70% dessert apples and 30% cooking apples.
This should give a good balance of sweetness and acidic taste.
Preparation of apples for brewing
First up, wash your fruit of dirt, bird shit, leaves, and twigs, and the like. Cut away any rotten fruit as well. If your apples are a bit bruised, this is not a concern.
Your immediate goal is to turn your apples or pears into a pulp. Some players may use a scratter but chances are you're gonna have to do this the hard way by using a bit of elbow grease and pulp them into what's called a 'pomace'.
What you do is pulp the fruit in a large bucket by simply pounding it with a piece of clean wood in the form of a 4 x 4 post. Or the end of a baseball bat, or whatever's handy for pulping. Things will work out best if you quarter your apples or pears before starting this process.
You can always use a blender to speed the process along, but you are not trying to puree the fruit so go easy with the blender.
Bear in mind, that you're not trying to go all Charles Bronson on your apples.
Your mashed apples should have some substance to them, and they should certainly not be liquefied. If that's the case, you've over-pulped.
How many apples do I need to make cider?
A very rough rule of thumb is that 2kg of apples or pears can be turned into 1 litre of juice. If you are thinking in gallons, you'll need 20 pounds or just under 10 kg per gallon. So, if you want to fill your traditional 23 beer fermenter, do the maths and you'll find you need 46 kgs of apples.
Which is a lot of apples!
When crushing, be careful not to overdo it. The finished apples should have some substance to them, and liquid juice should not be present.
If it is, you have pulped them too much.
It's time to press your apples and extract the juice
Seasoned pros will venture that using an apple press will save a lot of time and efficiently produce a lot of juice.
Make sure your apple press is nice and clean. Make sure you have a clean bucket properly positioned to collect the apple juice.
Then load your quartered apples or pears into it.
As you turn the press, you will start to feel some real tension. Don't be tempted to keep going, this tiresome part requires a dedicated application of slowness and patience. Leave the press in this position for a couple of minutes and the juice will actually begin to flow.
Turn the press down onto the fruit until you feel some real tension. As soon as you do, don’t keep turning but leave this in position for a few minutes. You will see the juice will start to run. When the juice stops then tighten the press again and leave to repeat the process again until your apples are fully pressed.
Adding sodium metabisulphite to kill off wild yeast
Producers of cider know full well that a batch of juiced apples can easily succumb to acetobacter bacteria contamination which causes the classic turn-to-vinegar spoilage of the apples.
Acetobacter is easily killed off, hence treatment with an agent like a Campden tablet (sodium metabisulphite) is important in cider production.
Using approx one tablet per gallon will also see off any 'wild yeast' that might have traveled with your apples.
Experienced cider conjurers may also take the opportunity to add pectolase or peptic enzyme to the juice. Pectolase aids in the break down of pectin in the fruit giving you more juice and of great importance, this facilitates a better fermentation and a clearer cider as it helps reduce pectic haze. The amount of enzyme to add is approximately one teaspoon per gallon of juice.
It's also used in winemaking for the same reasons.
It's recommended that you give this new solution 48 hours before you pitch your yeast to commence fermentation. Given this time, you should cover your apple juice will a towel or some such item to prevent foreign particles from getting in. You may wish to give it a stir once in a while as well.
Actually, stir the heck out of the juice every 12 hours to make sure everything is coming into contact with the metabisulphite.
Having let your juice rest with the Campden tablets for at least 24 hours, you are now at a fork in the road somewhat. You can take your chances with any benign yeast taking their opportunity to ferment the juice or you can pitch a yeast that is well suited for brewing with apples or pears.
If you didn't already transfer the juice into your fermenter, now is the time to do so. Make damn well sure it is properly sanitized.
You might want to take a reading with a hydrometer to get the gravity of your juice so you can work out the ABV.
It's time to add the yeast but what kind should you add?
The classic, traditional yeasts to use are commonly referred to as Champagne yeast as they produce what is often described as neutral flavors but there are some great wine and beer yeasts out there to try as well.
Here are a few selections:
Specific yeasts for cider
Mangrove Jack’s Cider Yeast M02
Safcider from Fermentis
WLP775 English Cider Yeast from White Lab
Champagne yeasts for cider
Prise de Mousse, EC1118 from Lallemand. A popular choice for those who wish to have a high alcohol content (and you can encourage this by adding extra sugar to your cider batch).
Here's a demonstration video of how the professionals do it:
How long to leave the cider to ferment?
Fermentation should start within the week, or a few days if the temperature is ideal. You'll want to let your brew do its business for about two weeks AND then give it another to let the yeast begin to settle out of the solution to improve clarity.
You can get away with quicker times for brewing beer but apples and pears need this time if you want to make a quality brew.
What temperature do you ferment cider at?
As with beer making, sound temperature control will improve the odds you will have a good tasting beer. The extremes apply here - too cold and the yeast will hibernate and not ferment. Too hot and the yeast will be overworked and will produce fusel alcohols which will impair the taste of your cider.
The ideal temperature is considered to be about 15 degrees Centigrade or 59 Fahrenheit. Nudging to 20 is acceptable but anything over will produce unwanted side effects.
A steady temperature is also ideal. Too much fluctuation can through the yeast off its game. If you have a brewing fridge / fermentation chamber with a thermostat, your cider is ideal for a run in it.
When to add malic acid to cider brew?
Malic acid occurs naturally in apples and plays a part in the pH level of your cider and most crucially taste. If your pH level is too high, then adding extra malic acid will reduce the pH level (remember the lower the pH level, the more acidic a solution will be).
Conversely, if your pH level is too low, then you'll want to add a base such as precipitated chalk.
So then, your next question surely then is what is an ideal pH reading for cider? Many brewers aim for a range of 3.2 - 3.8. If you're nudging over four, you'll want to add malic acid as given it is already present, it matches the profile of the cider.
If you're interested in using a digital pH meter for checking the level of your cider, check out our pH tester buying guide.
Do I need to add tannins to my cider batch?
Tannin is a yellowish or brownish bitter-tasting organic substance that can be found in plant material such as tea, rhubarb, grapes and apples. Tannins are acids, a well known one being gallic acid. Tannins give an astringent, drying bitterness quality to cider.
Some kinds of apples have high tannin levels so the addition of them is not really necessary. Where brewers are using applies which naturally make a sweet cider, that brew may need some added tannins.
A ¼ teaspoon of tannin per gallon of cider is a commonly recommended amount to add. The exact amount can be a bit of a science, this dude has some great advice on how much to use.
Tannins can be sourced online from Amazon or from your local brew shop.
How long do I bottle condition cider for if I'm carbonating?
Cider takes a lot longer than beer to condition to an optimum drinkable state. It can take up to two months for carbonation to fully occur and even longer for the cider to reach peak performance. That said, some brews will be carbonated within 2 - 3 weeks.
It's very important to only bottle when you are sure fermentation is complete as if you cap those bottles before the yeast has done its job, you'll run the risk of bottles blowing up especially if you've added sugar to promote bottle carbonation.
A bottle explosion can send a big foamy mess everywhere and littering the place with sharp glass.
Trust me, I've made this mistake before and it's a massive pain to clean it all up and worse, it's a waste of time and energy and money!
If you want flat cider, without carbonation, you'll need to add an additive such as more Campden solution to prevent any residual yeast from fermenting in the bottle. Like when you were preparing the apple juice, leave the Campden to sit for a whole day before bottling to help ensure any yeast present is accounted for.
Remember to store your bottles in a cool spot, free from direct sunlight, especially if you used green bottles.
I should mention that before bottling should taste your brew as this is the time to 'back sweeten' if wish.
If you want to do this, you can add a non-fermentable sweetener such as stevia. This is in place of using extra sugar and it will mean you won't over carbonate.
Making cider from store bought Apple Juice
Making cider from store-bought apple juice is a very simple process as the hard work has been all done for you. Try and use a juice that doesn't have preservatives as theoretically this can hamper fermentation from commencing but don't overthink it.
[The short version is you just add yeast - kind of like making Pruno]
You might want to start with a gravity reading. If it is below 1050, then you may wish to consider adding a bit of sugar so the yeast has something to start working on.
The process of fermentation is the same so fill your clean and sanitized fermenter with the desired juice. Give it a bit of a shake to aerate and then pitch your yeast - maybe Lalvin EC-1118. You could also add some yeast nutrient as well.
Some brewers split the juice in half and once they are satisfied fermentation is occurring, they add the second half.
Seal your fermenter with an airlock and leave it be for 2 to 3 weeks at a minimum. When you feel your cider is ready for bottle conditioning, you can batch prime with dextrose in the normal manner.
You will want to condition your cider for a minimum of two months - cider brewers need to be more patient than beer brewers if they want a good tasting cider!
What is a Demijohn?
A demijohn (or jimmyjohn) is a particular kind of glass fermenter that is popular with cider and winemakers.
They come in all kinds of sizes from 5 litres through to 23. The smaller sizes allow for experimentation.
Their long necks can make them troublesome to clean.
A perfect kit for beginners, it makes fermenting hard cider at home simple and fun. The kit has enough ingredients to makes 3 batches of hard cider.
It includes 1 gallon reusable glass fermenter, 3 packets yeast, vinyl tubing & clamp, racking cane & tip, chambered airlock, 3 packets cleanser, and screw-cap stopper.
You'll need to supply your own apples or juice.
You'll be able to produce 3 batches of 7% ABV of hard cider (9-10 12-oz bottles). Brooklyn BrewShop describe that this kit will help you make a cider that is tart, bubbly and dry.
Making an alcoholic brew out of fruit juice is a classic cliche of many a prison movie or television show (looking at you Orange is the new Black) - but it's based in reality and you can indeed make'prison hooch'out of fruit juice with a bit of yeast thrown in.
The character Poussey made her prison hooch in a plastic bag using fruit...
Fun fact before we get into it, some elephants have been observed to bury watermelons, come back once they have fermented, and get drunk.
So clearly nature intended us all to drink fermented juice at some point...what is wine after all but chemical love?
Prison 'hooch' has plenty of interesting slang names - toilet wine (because it is hidden in toilet tanks while fermenting) and buck, raisin jack and one form of it called pruno, is extremely popular - it got its name from the use of prunes as the sugar base.
What are the ingredients of prison hooch?
In prison, you're probably going to juice all the fruit you can such as oranges, apples, plums, and apricots.
Extra sugar is very helpful, and prisoners have also been known to throw in packets of tomato sauce, jelly crystals, hard candy, and basically any sugar that can be fermented!
In the real world, you can simply add baker's yeast or brewer's yeast to a bottle of orange or apple juice, softly cap the lid, and then wait for the yeast to work its fermenting magic.
One thing to consider is that some juices contain preservatives that will kill off the yeast. Fresh juices and products that contain sulfur dioxide, benzoate, potassium sorbate, and diethylpyrocarbonate may be fairly difficult to ferment.
If you intend on using pineapple, consider that it contains enzymes that can be hazardous to yeast, though some yeasts are stronger than others and if you are worried about this you can always boil your juice before pitching your yeast.
How to make fruity prison pruno cocktail AKA hooch?
In prison, it's often done with a plastic bag that can be sealed. The fruit is pulped up, bread added, and then sealed. It's then placed somewhere warm, such as a toilet where it can ferment for 5 - 7 days (depending on if the guards find it). Else whatever is available is used - buckets & bottles.
In the real world, you seriously probably just want to make a nice homebrew cider. If you want to give it a crack though, by all means, use the plastic bag but we suggest you simply use bottled juice and you ferment in the bottle itself.
This will also prevent spills and mess!
If using the bag technique, any vintner will remind you that fermentation produces CO2, so you will need to burb the bag each day to release this gas build-up.
If brewing from a bottle, you can use a balloon or condom with a small hole pricked (this is the only permittable time to do such a thing!) in it as a release valve of sorts:
What does this homemade cider or orange hooch taste like?
In my personal experience, it will often turn out quite bitter, or tart.
If you've an iron-cast stomach, give it ago. I could only manage half a glass before I mixed a glass with a 50:50 split with lemonade soda, so becomes a kind of fruity seltzer.
5 - 7 days is a pretty standard length of time but the more time the better.
Once fermentation is complete, your pruno juice is now ready to drink - you may wish to chill this overnight in a really cold fridge to help let any sediment fall to the bottom of the bottle. In the brewing vernacular, this is called cold crashing.
There's nothing stopping you from using a hydrometer to take a gravity reading - when you have a few daily readings the same, then primary fermentation is complete.
What is the alcohol content of prison hooch?
Temperature conditions, ingredients, and time of fermentation are some genuine variables that will determine the ABV of pruno or prison hooch can range from as low as 2% to as high as 14% which is similar to strong wine.
A batch that high will knock you for six, which is exactly what you want it to do in prison right?
That will all depend on how much sugar is available to ferment. It will also be hard to drink.
Can you make a prison hooch out of Gatorade sports drink?
I get what you're thinking - if you drink, you get a hangover but if you drink a brew made of Gatorade then the electrolytes will help you wake up as fresh as a daisy!
You actually can ferment such sports drinks but you need to change the game a bit - pitch a high amount of yeast and add additional sugars.
Whatever sports drink you choose to use, you should boil it to try and kill any preservatives present,
It's probably not really worth your time...
How safe is prison hooch to drink?
You may have heard the stories from US prisons where prisoners have suffered from botulism which has been attributed to brewing alcohol in prison. If botulism was involved, it would have been caused by unhygienic and unsanitized conditions, rather than the process itself.
Making hooch is a 'cheap' and effective way to make some alcohol.
Understand that there's a variety of reasons for the quality of booze you may make. Rember, results may vary and you make have to experiment somewhat before you settle on the kind of hooch you fancy.
How to fix a stalled fermentation with Yeast Energizer
Yeast is the 'live' part of a good beer.
It's a living organism and just like your friends, you gotta treat them right.
If the yeast is going to turn your wort's sugars into alcohol, it's going to need a nice home where it feels comfortable.
If you think your yeast might need a helping hand either at the beginning of fermentation or due to a stalled fermentation then a 'yeast energizer' might just be the extra ingredient you'll need to add to your brew day shopping list.
What are yeast energizers and why use them?
At its most basic description, a yeast energizer serves two purposes - they are used to stimulate or restart a stalled fermentation.
The effect they have is that they can help with more efficient fermentation which means a faster time to the completion of fermentation and also improve the chances of an improved final gravity - that is to say, increase the alcohol content of your batch.
Yeast energizers have also been demonstrated to also help reduce fusel alcohol and hydrogen sulfide production.
Fusel alcohols are the alcohols responsible for the 'burning sensation' and can contribute to hangovers.
H2S will impart a sulfur smell (rotten eggs vibe) and a general bad taste.
These two problems may be caused by when the yeast is stressed (such as by having too many sugars in the wort or the temperature is too hot.
Yeast energizer also works well in meads and honey brews to help speed fermentation. It will also help cider batches to get to that dry state quicker!
Generally speaking, you'll probably only need to add an energizer if your yeast will face very high sugar worts.
Does 'yeast energizer' affect beer taste?
There is a bit of debate amongst brewers about the effect an energizer can have on taste. It seems to be fairly negligible if there is one.
We believe there are more overriding factors in the brewing process (such as the number of hops used and grain profile) that affect the taste, so we wouldn't factor in 'taste effect' as part of your decision making process on whether to add yeast energizer (and you don't really have a choice of your fermentation has stalled!).
A yeast nutrient is somewhat different from an energizer.
Yeast nutrients can be considered to be the "vitamins and minerals" to help yeast grow and ferment.
Yeast energizer is like a catalyst to kick start a stuck fermentation back into gear.
How much yeast energizer should I add to my beer wort?
Use approx 1/4 teaspoon per gallon in beer to revive a slow or stuck fermentation.
When to add yeast energizer?
At the beginning of the brew!
If you are doing a boil, it can be added in the last 10 minutes of the boil.
If doing a malt kit in do a fermenting drum, pitch it the same time as you do the yeast.
When you have a 'stuck fermentation'
If you are hugely confident that your fermentation hasn't completed properly (such as by having a vastly incorrect expected final gravity) then you make have a stalled fermentation.
You can re-ignite your yeast's performance by adding the energizer.
Before you do that, you should ensure that your drum or carboy is at a sufficient temperature to support fermentation. If you're brewing in a cold shed in winter, it's likely your yeast has gone to sleep rather than you have a stalled fermentation.
Add one-quarter teaspoon or a half teaspoon per gallon to your wort and give it a wee stir. The instructions on the label should give good directions as to the amount to use if unsure.
Navigating the Complexities of Yeast Behavior in Fermentation
When it comes to stalled fermentation, yeast energizer emerges as an unsung hero, but understanding the nuances of yeast behavior in this process is crucial. Yeast is not just a mere ingredient; it's a biological entity with its own set of needs and responses. It’s akin to the maestro of an orchestra, subtly directing the conversion of sugars into alcohol, all while balancing various flavors and aromas to create the final symphony of your brew.
What we commonly attribute to yeast "laziness" or "stalling" might actually be a more complex interplay of stressors such as osmotic pressure, ethanol toxicity, or even nutrient deficiencies. Hence, a yeast energizer isn't just a quick fix; it's part of a broader strategy to maintain yeast health and vitality throughout fermentation.
This involves not only the timely addition of energizers but also monitoring variables like temperature, pH, and sugar concentrations. By adopting a holistic approach to yeast care in brewing, one can not only rescue stalled fermentations but potentially elevate the quality of the final brew, carving out a rich tapestry of flavors and aromas that make each sip a memorable experience.
The best beer kit ideas for Christmas presents in 2022
It was my wife who gave me the push I needed to get into home brewing beers.
I'd been saying for at least a year I was going to do it and even started collecting and cleaning the labels off beer bottles but I never made that jump. And then on Christmas Day, my lovely lady presented me with a Mangrove Jacks home brew kit and I was away!
If you are considering buying your partner / husband / best friend a beer kit for Christmas, we've got some great beer kit gift ideas for you!
There's a lot of gear out there but don't fall into the trap of going overboard and spending too much money. If your gift recipient is new to brewing, only the most simple and cheap brewing kit is required.
I was a slightly nervous first-time brewer. I read up all I could about brewing on websites, I read the instructions on the can. I read them 5 times. I called a mate who had done it few times. I read some more.
And I didn't need to as it is so easy to make beer!
I just did it and it was bloody fun. Because all you need is a simple drum, your equipment and some clean hands! But maybe follow this brewing advice too.
What beer kits do make ideal Christmas presents?
Let's start with the kit I was given for Christmas, the Mangrove Jack's beer kit.
This was an awesome present. It came with everything I needed to make my first batch of beer with. All I need to supply was the bottles. The first thing I realised was just how much beer you can make with it.
The beer I made was pretty good all things considered - I just wish I had let it bottle condition a little more!
This gift was perfect for me as a home brewer, I personally recommend it as a great starter kit.
Mr. Beer Premium Gold Edition Homebrewing Craft Beer Making Kit
This is a handy kit as it has all you need to start brewing – the brewing extract, fermenter, bottles and ingredients. It even has brewing carbonation drops to make the first bottling experience a breeze. Mr Beer, the company that makes this kit, describes it like this:
“Mr Beer’s Premium Gold Edition Complete Homebrewing Kit provides aspiring brewers with our patented brewing equipment and high-quality ingredients that simplify the homebrewing process.
Our patented brewing system includes a compact, lightweight fermenter that is modelled after the design of professional brewing equipment. Eleven 25 oz. reusable and shatterproof bottles that are specially designed for carbonating the beer.
We also include a can of brewing extract - a concentrated form of all natural malted barley and hops - produced in a state-of-the-art facility by Australia’s oldest family owned brewery, as well as No-Rinse Cleanser and unique Carbonation Drops to simplify the sanitization and carbonation process.”
The beauty of these kinds of beer kits is that they are so easy to clean as well - a rinse with a hose and then a splash of hot water with a cloth or non scratching brush and you are done - ready for the next batch to be made!
Not convinced?
Here's one more awesome brewing kit that would make the best Christmas present:
You could try the Brooklyn Brew Shop Beer Making Kit, Everyday IPA.
You could say it's a little bit fancier than the Mr Beers kit as it involves a slightly different way of making the beer.
The Brooklyn kit involves you making an oaty mash on your stove or gas burner and doing a little bit of boiling. The Brooklyn Brew shops described it's product like this:
"If you can make oatmeal, you can make beer. Brooklyn Brew Shop's apartment friendly Beer Making Kits make it easy to bring brewing out of the garage and into the kitchen using only fresh, whole ingredients and traditional methods used in homes and breweries for centuries.
By brewing with the same ingredients (cracked barley, hops, spices, and yeast) that the best craft breweries in the world use, making high quality and complex beers becomes possible on the stove top in your very own kitchen, big or small."
Which is all very nice, but is it any good for a Christmas present? Here's what a user of the kit said in their review on Amazon:
If you "enjoy REAL beer and are actually INTERESTED in the process of brewing and how it works, this kit is an excellent way to jump right in by DOING it. They tell you WHAT to do, you do it, and you get very good beer out of it. "
If beer is not the best idea, why not giving a gift of a cider kit?
If your partner is not really a beer drinking, they could well be into making cider! Good drinking ciders are quite the popular product these days.
They seem to have lost that ‘thing’ about them and are more accepted as something to drink in a bar. Which seems strange as cider has been around for centuries!
to make bottling quick and error-free.
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and corn sugar are both simply dextrose.
as it speeds things up and helps reduce the mess of sugar going everywhere. Get your measurements correct! You can always try to 
