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Date: 26 May 2006 12:38:32
From: Gerard Eberlein
Subject: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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Is it a good thing to rock and or lightly shake either of these? I use LME
DME and specialty grains only and I've read some people do it after
fermentation slows, especially with all extract brewing but I've also read
you shouldn't move fermenting beer. Thanx in advance.
Gerard
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Date: 27 May 2006 02:21:44
From: Adam Preble
Subject: Re: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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Gerard Eberlein wrote:
> Is it a good thing to rock and or lightly shake either of these? I use LME
> DME and specialty grains only and I've read some people do it after
> fermentation slows, especially with all extract brewing but I've also read
> you shouldn't move fermenting beer. Thanx in advance.
I disagree with never shaking or even shaking lightly only. When
airlock activity ends, I like to give the beer a thorough shaking up
with the airlock still on. There shouldn't be significant oxygen in the
container. I do this to try to kick start the yeast, and also to get
rid of O2. I then wait for the airlock activity to stop before taking
my FG measurement.
In secondary, I don't see a reason to rouse the beer.
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Date: 26 May 2006 13:23:31
From:
Subject: Re: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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Steve Jones wrote:
> It's not that you shouldn't move the beer, but rather you don't want to
> to introduce oxygen after the yeast has gone through the initial growth
> phase. After that, any oxygen you introduce won't get consumed by the
> yeast and can lead to oxidation.
Most or all of the O2 should be blown out of the fermenter after a bit
of vigorous fermentation, no?
-Nick
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Date: 26 May 2006 17:20:09
From: Joel
Subject: Re: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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Gerard Eberlein <dormouse@charter.net > wrote:
>Is it a good thing to rock and or lightly shake either of these? I use LME
>DME and specialty grains only and I've read some people do it after
>fermentation slows, especially with all extract brewing but I've also read
>you shouldn't move fermenting beer. Thanx in advance.
Some flocculant yeasts need rousing. There was a brewery
in England that reportedly took kegs of barleywine for a
"walk" around the brewery grounds in order to get complete
fermentation.
Also, some wine yeasts (at least) are reportedly sensitive
to CO2, so a bit of swirling will release dissolved CO2 and
make the yeast work better. I have done this to a mead, and
it seems to help.
In general, though, I just leave fermenting beer alone.
--
Joel Plutchak
"...illiterate Abyssinians did it for 5000 years, you can do it too."
- Guy Gregory on brewing beer
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Date: 26 May 2006 13:13:03
From: Steve Jones
Subject: Re: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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In article <gaGdg.6$yW6.1@fe05.lga >,
"Gerard Eberlein" <dormouse@charter.net > wrote:
> Is it a good thing to rock and or lightly shake either of these? I use LME
> DME and specialty grains only and I've read some people do it after
> fermentation slows, especially with all extract brewing but I've also read
> you shouldn't move fermenting beer. Thanx in advance.
>
> Gerard
No real need to shake unless you're using a highly flocculant yeast and
you need to get the yeast roused and fermenting again if it slows down
too soon. It's been a while since I've done extract though, so perhaps
someone else can comment if that is beneficial in that regard.
It's not that you shouldn't move the beer, but rather you don't want to
to introduce oxygen after the yeast has gone through the initial growth
phase. After that, any oxygen you introduce won't get consumed by the
yeast and can lead to oxidation.
Steve
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Date: 26 May 2006 14:04:22
From: Dan Logcher
Subject: Re: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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Steve Jones wrote:
> In article <gaGdg.6$yW6.1@fe05.lga>,
> "Gerard Eberlein" <dormouse@charter.net> wrote:
>
>
>>Is it a good thing to rock and or lightly shake either of these? I use LME
>>DME and specialty grains only and I've read some people do it after
>>fermentation slows, especially with all extract brewing but I've also read
>>you shouldn't move fermenting beer. Thanx in advance.
>>
>>Gerard
>
>
> No real need to shake unless you're using a highly flocculant yeast and
> you need to get the yeast roused and fermenting again if it slows down
> too soon. It's been a while since I've done extract though, so perhaps
> someone else can comment if that is beneficial in that regard.
I sometimes give the secondary a swirl to get some of slimy stuff off
the edges. I can see it sink to the bottom.. I don't rouse anytime just
before kegging.
--
Dan
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Date: 26 May 2006 17:03:55
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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On Fri, 26 May 2006 12:38:32 -0400, <dormouse@charter.net > wrote:
> Is it a good thing to rock and or lightly shake either of these? I use LME
> DME and specialty grains only and I've read some people do it after
> fermentation slows, especially with all extract brewing but I've also read
> you shouldn't move fermenting beer. Thanx in advance.
There are a few circumstances where gently stirring up the sediment in
the fermenter is good, but otherwise there's no real need to do it.
Basically one scenario for a stuck fermentation is that the yeast settles
out prematurely and becomes dormant. IMO, this probably doesn't happen
very often. The solution to this is to "rouse" the yeast by lightly shaking
the fermenter in order to stir up the yeast slurry again.
I certainly wouldn't consider it necessary for a normal fermentation.
John.
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Date: 27 May 2006 11:12:23
From:
Subject: Re: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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When doing a yeast starter for a beer it's always wise to shake up the
yeast and get it going as well as you can before pitching in to the
beer. I don't see any difference between this or an actual beer
fermenting. I stir mine up when the krausen falls out and it starts to
slow. There should be very little o2 left if nothing at all because
even if you shake it you will blow it out because of the co2 that's
been absorbed in to the wort.
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Date: 27 May 2006 19:22:01
From: John 'Shaggy' Kolesar
Subject: Re: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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On 27 May 2006 11:12:23 -0700, <knoerdel@gmail.com > wrote:
> When doing a yeast starter for a beer it's always wise to shake up the
> yeast and get it going as well as you can before pitching in to the
> beer.
It is?
> I don't see any difference between this or an actual beer
> fermenting. I stir mine up when the krausen falls out and it starts to
> slow. There should be very little o2 left if nothing at all because
> even if you shake it you will blow it out because of the co2 that's
> been absorbed in to the wort.
What is stirring it up at this point supposed to accomplish? Granted, it
probably doesn't hurt anything, but I doubt it helps anything either.
John.
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Date: 29 May 2006 11:12:33
From: Jupiter
Subject: Re: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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On 27 May 2006 19:22:01 GMT, John 'Shaggy' Kolesar <spam@shagg.net >
wrote:
>On 27 May 2006 11:12:23 -0700, <knoerdel@gmail.com> wrote:
>> When doing a yeast starter for a beer it's always wise to shake up the
>> yeast and get it going as well as you can before pitching in to the
>> beer.
>
>It is?
>
>> I don't see any difference between this or an actual beer
>> fermenting. I stir mine up when the krausen falls out and it starts to
>> slow. There should be very little o2 left if nothing at all because
>> even if you shake it you will blow it out because of the co2 that's
>> been absorbed in to the wort.
>
>What is stirring it up at this point supposed to accomplish? Granted, it
>probably doesn't hurt anything, but I doubt it helps anything either.
>
>
>John.
'Rousing' the wort like this can sometimes help with a stuck
fermentation buit if the fermentation has proceeded normally I don't
think it serves much purpose.
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Date: 29 May 2006 06:49:48
From:
Subject: Re: Shaking Fermentors/Secondaries
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Gerard Eberlein wrote:
> Is it a good thing to rock and or lightly shake either of these? I use LME
> DME and specialty grains only and I've read some people do it after
> fermentation slows, especially with all extract brewing but I've also read
> you shouldn't move fermenting beer. Thanx in advance.
>
> Gerard
Your right to be suspicious of doing this Gerard, SOP of any
brewing text recomends that you leave the fermentor alone to not move
it around or shake it. Yet as one or two of the guys, including myself
have done to "wake up" a sluggish fermentation is to "rouse" the yeast
with a gentle swirl or shake. All the while avoiding any splashing or
excessive movment. Bringing the yeast back into solution is one way to
address a common problem. Not everyone would agree to this solution but
it works for some.
Steve
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