Fruit wines are a great alternative to traditional grape wines, especially where it is hard to come by enough wine grape to make a batch. I have written a lot about making fruit wines and there are loads of recipes here on home brew answers. 

In this article, we will cover making wines from any fruit, or even flowers and vegetables too. Allowing you to combine fruits to make unique fruit wines rather than just a single variety of fruit. 

What Is Fruit Wine?

Fruit wine is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting the juice, pulp or mash of fruits other than grapes. Fruit wines is a catchall term and similar style wine can also be made with flowers or vegetables.

Fruit wines often require the addition of sugar to boost the alcohol content and balance the natural acidity of the fruit. The fermentation process can also be more challenging due to the presence of pectin and other compounds in the fruit but these difficulties are easily countered with wine-making nutrients and additives.

Despite these differences in production, homemade fruit wines can rival grape wines in complexity, balance and drinkability. The end result captures the unique flavours and aromas of the source fruit in the wine. 

Why Make Wine With Fruit?

Fruit wines allow you to experiment with the vast array of flavours especially when you have an abundance of produce from your garden or farmers market. From berries and stone fruits to citrus and tropical fruits, the options for creating your own unique fruit wines at home are endless. 

In this article, we will provide you with the knowledge and recipes to get started crafting your own fruit wines.

Fruit wines are relatively easy to make at home, requiring only a few basic ingredients and equipment. The process involves mashing or juicing the fruit, adding sugar and yeast, and allowing the mixture to ferment for several weeks. With the right recipes and techniques, you can produce fruit wines that rival those found in stores.

What We Will Cover In This Guide

We will begin by discussing the equipment and supplies needed to make fruit wine, including fermentation vessels, airlocks, funnels, strainer bags, and sanitisers. Next, we will cover the basic fruit winemaking process from start to finish, highlighting key factors that influence flavour and quality. 

Then, we will dive into some fruit wine recipes featuring berries, stone fruits, tree fruits, and more. The recipes cover a range of wine styles from dry to sweet and provide guidance on adjusting acid and sugar levels to achieve the perfect balance.

We will also look at customising your wines by adding flavours like herbs, spices and wood that will really pick up the complexity of your wine. Additional flavourings are often overlooked but just like with cooking the addition of herbs or spices, particularly with certain fruits will take your wine to the next level.

Equipment Needed To Make Homemade Wine From Fruit

When first starting out making fruit wine, I recommend keeping your equipment simple and inexpensive. Fancier equipment can be purchased later if you find you enjoy the process and want to expand your operations. However, with just a few basic items, you can produce perfectly drinkable fruit wines as you learn the ropes.

Primary Fermenter / Fermenting Bucket: All you need is a food-grade plastic bucket with an airtight lid. A 3-gallon bucket is a good size for most beginner fruit wine recipes which are a 1-gallon usually. The bucket acts as your primary fermenter where the fruit and yeast mixture will sit and bubble away for the initial fermentation stage.

Demijohn/Carboy: After the initial fermentation in the bucket, you can transfer the wine to a glass or plastic demijohn (carboy) for secondary fermentation. This helps clarify the wine and reduces exposure to oxygen. 

Airlock & Bung: An airlock is a one-way valve that allows carbon dioxide to escape from the fermenter while preventing outside contaminants from entering. This helps control the fermentation and reduce the risk of infection. Basic S-shaped airlocks can be purchased for just a few dollars.  

Siphon Tube & Bottling Wand: It is not a good idea to pour wine when its being made, this introduces oxygen which will age the wine quicker. Wine is racked from vessel to vessel by siphoning and I would recommend a bottling wand to fill bottles.

Bottles, Corks & Corker: You will need bottles and corks to bottle your wine. You can reuse bottles so clean them and save them when you finish a wine and a corker is a device to push the corks into the bottles.

Measuring Cups and Spoons: You’ll need basic measuring cups and spoons to accurately measure out the sugar, yeast, and other ingredients in your fruit wine recipes.

Fine Mesh Straining Bag: A mesh straining bag allows you to remove the fruit solids from the juice after mashing and squeezing the fruit. Reusable nylon strainer bags can be found for really cheap.

Sanitiser: Some basic no-rinse sanitiser is essential for cleaning and sanitising your equipment between uses to avoid contamination. Your local or online home brew retailer will have plenty to choose from and they are inexpensive sanitisers that work well.

Hydrometer & Test Jar: A hydrometer is a tool to measure the density of a liquid. In winemaking, we use a hydrometer and trial jar to measure the sugar content of the wine before and after fermentation. This tells us the progress of fermentation and importantly the amount of alcohol in the finished wine.

That covers the bare minimum of equipment needed to get started making your own fruit wines. Keep it simple, focus on the winemaking process, and have fun experimenting! You can always upgrade your equipment over time if you decide the hobby is for you.

Cleaning & Sanitising For Fruit Wine Making

Cleaning and sanitising are critical to the success of your fruit wine. Without proper sanitation, your wine can become contaminated with bacteria or wild yeast that will spoil the wine and ruin the flavour and aroma.

It is important to note that no pathogenic bacteria that can make you ill will survive in wine. The worst thing that will happen is the wine will taste and smell bad.

When making fruit wine, it is important to clean and sanitise all equipment, surfaces and containers that will come into contact with the fruit, juice or wine. 

It’s also important to sanitise your hands thoroughly before handling any of the fruit, juice or wine. Wearing disposable gloves that you change frequently is a good practice.

Use a no-rinse sanitiser specifically made for brewing and winemaking. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for mixing the proper concentration of sanitiser and soaking times, don’t be tempted to add more or less.

Neglecting sanitation is a surefire way to ruin an entire batch of wine.

The Basic Process Of Making A Wine From Any Fruit, Vegetable Or Flower

Most fruit wines follow very similar steps to produce. Whether you are making a berry wine, apple wine, stone fruit wine or even a dried fruit wine these steps will explain the process:

1. Selecting and preparing the fruit: Choose ripe fruit in good condition and wash or scrub as needed. The fruit may need to be crushed, mashed or juiced depending on the recipe. 
2. Extracting flavour from the fruit: In most cases, primary fermentation happens with the fruit flesh and juice in the fermenter. The fruit is placed in a straining bag in the fermenter and crushed or broken down.
3. Adding sugar: Most fruit wines require additional sugar to boost the alcohol content and balance the acidity. The amount of sugar needed will depend on the type of fruit and desired sweetness.
4. Adding additives: Producing the best wines requires some additives, I will explain those in a moment but if you are serious about making fruit wine you’ll need to buy some home brew shop or online.
5. Adding yeast. Wine yeast is added to the fruit-sugar mixture to start the fermentation process. Wine yeast strains are best for producing quality fruit wines.
6. Primary fermentation: The fruit-sugar-yeast mixture is placed in an airtight container and left to ferment for 1-3 weeks. During this stage, the yeast converts the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Fermentation: The fermentation process produces the alcohol in the wine. The yeast “eats” the sugar in the fruit juice and produces alcohol and carbon dioxide as byproducts. The CO2 escapes through an airlock, while the alcohol remains in the wine. A vigorous and active fermentation is important to produce a balanced fruit wine.

5. Transfer to demijohn/carboy: After 1-3 weeks of primary fermentation, the fruit wine is transferred to a glass carboy to continue fermenting. This helps clarify the wine by separating it from the sediment and pulp.
6. Secondary fermentation: The fruit wine remains in the carboy for several weeks or months to complete fermentation. This stage helps develop flavour and refine the taste.
7. Conditioning: Once fermentation is complete, the wine is left to “condition” for a few months. This allows excess yeast and particles to settle out, clarifying the wine further.
8. Bottling: After conditioning, the clear fruit wine is siphoned from the carboy and bottled. The bottles are capped or corked and stored upright to age.

That covers the basic steps from start to finish for making fruit wine at home, from fermentation to bottling. Following these steps will produce a delicious and unique fruit wine with balanced flavours.

Homemade Wine Ingredients & Wine Making Additives

Many of the chemicals and additives used in fruit winemaking are the same as those used in grape winemaking. The primary ones are:

Wine Yeast: Dried or liquid yeast is added to the fruit or must to start the fermentation process and convert the sugars into alcohol. Winemakers use specialized wine yeast strains for fruit wines. Don’t be tempted to use baker’s yeast.

Pectic Enzyme: This enzyme is added to help break down pectin in the fruit, which can otherwise cause the wine to become hazy. It’s especially useful for fruit wines made from apples and stone fruits.

Acid Blend: If the fruit lacks sufficient acidity, an acid blend (tartaric, malic and citric acids) may be added to balance the pH and help stabilize the wine.

Wine Tannin: Tannin, either from grape or oak sources, can be added to improve the mouthfeel and ageing potential of fruit wines that are naturally low in tannins.

Campden tablets / Sulfite: A small amount of potassium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite is typically added as a preservative and antioxidant early in the winemaking process.

Yeast Nutrient: A yeast nutrient may be added to the must to ensure the yeast has sufficient nitrogen and vitamins to facilitate a healthy fermentation. A low nutrient wine will result in a poorer wine with sluggish fermentation.

Sugar: Additional sugar in the form of corn or cane sugar is often needed for fruit wines to boost the alcohol content and balance the acidity. Other sugars can be used such as honey for meads.

For a more in-depth review of the various chemicals and additives used in fruit winemaking, including details on usage rates and benefits, see this article.

Racking & Conditioning Homemade Wine

Racking and bottling wine is an important part of the winemaking process:

Racking involves transferring the wine from one container to another, leaving the sediment behind. This helps clarify the wine. You can rack the wine multiple times during ageing, but we want to minimise the amount if we can. Your fruit wine recipe will state roughly when and how often to rack the wine.

To rack your wine:

• Sanitise all equipment like siphon tubing, racking cane, containers, and bottling wand.
• Siphon the wine from the current container into a clean, sanitised container. Leave the sediment behind. 
• Use a racking cane to reduce splashing. For clear wines, rack from the bottom up to avoid disturbing the sediment.

Fruit wine typically needs several months to a year of conditioning and clearing after fermentation is complete. During this time, yeast cells and solids settle out of the wine, producing a clearer final product. 

The length of conditioning time depends on the type of wine. Red wines generally require 6 months to 2 years while whites typically need 3 to 6 months.

By racking the wine periodically during this conditioning phase, you accelerate the clarification process and improve the final quality of the wine.

Bottling Fruit Wine

 After fermentation is complete and the wine is crystal clear and conditioned, it’s time to bottle your homemade wine. Follow these steps:

1. Sanitise all equipment, bottle and corks thoroughly with no-rinse sanitiser.

2. Stabilise the wine (optional). For long-term stability, add potassium sorbate to prevent refermentation. Mix the potassium sorbate in a small amount of the wine, then stir into the carboy.

3. Backsweeten the wine if desired (you will need to stabilise the wine for this). To make a semi-sweet or sweet fruit wine, determine how much residual sugar you want by adding a small amount of sugar to a sample and calculate how much sugar is needed. Dissolve the sugar in some of the wine to avoid clumping, then stir into the carboy. A full guide to back sweetening can be found here. 

4. Rack the wine into a clean vessel to leave behind any sediment.

5. Attach the bottling wand and bottle the wine. Leave 1-2 inches of headspace.  

6. Cork or cap the bottles immediately. Store the bottles on their sides for a minimum of 2 – 3 months. The longer, the better.

Stabilisation prevents refermentation that could cause the wine to become fizzy particularly if you are back-sweetening the wine. Potassium sorbate stops the yeast from reproducing so the level of sugar remains stable.

Back sweetening allows you to achieve the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity for your palate. The amount of residual sugar also impacts the wine’s mouthfeel and flavour.

So when bottling your fruit wine, take the time to sample it, stabilise and backsweeten as needed. These simple steps will transform your wine into something that is perfect for your palate.

The bottling process marks the transition of your wine into its final stage. With a little patience and care, you’ll soon be celebrating your work with a glass of your very own homemade fruit wine!

Fruit Wine Recipes

This is the bit you have been waiting for. From classic favourites to more adventurous vegetable wines, these recipes will guide you through crafting your own unique fruit wines at home with your own fruits.

Whether you’re seeking a crisp and refreshing summer sipper, a bold and robust winter warmer, or a unique gift for a special occasion, the following fruit wine recipes provide a diverse range of options to suit every palate.

Homemade Wine From Any Fruit

Lemon Wine Recipe – Fresh & Fragrant

Lemon wine brings to mind a drink that is refreshing and perfect to sip on...

Read More

Pomegranate Wine Recipe – Bright, Crisp Red Wine

Pomegranate is a peculiar fruit and when I was thinking about making a pomegranate wine...

Read More

Rosehip Wine Recipe – Wild, Delicate Rose Wine

Rosehips are the fruit of the rose plant and although they are bright red and...

Read More

Mango Wine Recipe – Tropical & Golden Wine

Mango is one of my favourite fruits. I love that tropical, sweet, juicy flavour and...

Read More

Quince Wine Recipe – Bright, Refreshing White Wine

Quince is not a great looking fruit, looking like a lumpy apple, pear hybrid. It...

Read More

Kiwi Wine Recipe – Fruity, Tropical White Wine

Kiwi fruit is surprisingly inexpensive and they are available year-round so they make a great...

Read More

Watermelon Wine Recipe – Fresh, Fruity & Refreshing

A watermelon wine is a tricky balancing act. You need to balance the delicate flavour...

Read More

Carrot Wine Recipe – Light & Delicate Root Wine

I know vegetable wines have a severe image problem but when you try this carrot...

Read More

Cranberry Wine Recipe – Bright And Fruity

Cranberries are tart, sour and rarely eaten raw, however, fresh cranberries when in season or...

Read More

Beetroot Wine Recipe

Beetroot wine is not as peculiar as it may sound. I think a lot of...

Read More

Parsnip Wine Recipe – Complex & Sherry-like White Wine

Out of all the country style wines parsnip wine is the one I had put...

Read More

Apricot Wine Recipe – Summery Pink/White wine

Apricots can either be a complete joy to eat or a little disappointing. It really...

Read More

Making A Braggot – Basic Braggot Recipe

Beer and mead. These two drinks are as old as history itself. Wherever there are...

Read More

Peach Wine Recipe – Summer In A Glass

If you are looking to make a sweetly scented, summery tasting wine then this peach...

Read More

Zesty Orange Wine Recipe

Orange wine is unique. Maybe not as popular as some of the other fruit wines...

Read More

Pineapple Wine Recipe – Tropical Tasting Wine

Pineapple is a tropical fruit but even so, it is available year-round in many places...

Read More

Blackcurrant Wine Recipe – Fruity, Dry Red

Blackcurrants are known as the “forgotten fruit” and it is easy to see why when...

Read More

Blackberry Wine Recipe – Juicy, Full Bodied Red

Blackberry wine is the first fruit wine I ever made. It is an easy choice...

Read More

Dandelion Wine Recipe – A Taste Of Sunshine

The much-maligned Dandelion may be a source of pain to many gardeners but to winemakers...

Read More

Raisin Wine Recipe – A Wine You Can Make Year Round

Dried fruits are great for making wine, especially when the winter comes around and fresh...

Read More

Cherry Wine Recipe – A Full Flavoured Red

Cherries make wonderful fruit wine with a great depth of flavour. Out of all the...

Read More

Banana Wine Recipe – A Wine You Need To Try For Yourself

Banana wine might sound odd, believe me, I was unsure of how this wine recipe...

Read More

Apple Wine Recipe – Simple & Rich Apple Wine

Apples are one of the fruits that can be easily gathered around the beginning of...

Read More

Elderberry Wine Recipe – A King Among Fruit Wines

Elderberries are one of the UK best fruits for making wine. Often referred to as...

Read More

Damson Wine Recipe – Rich & Perfect For Aging

Damsons or the Damson plum as the name suggests are a close relative to the...

Read More

Gooseberry Wine Recipe – Fantastic White Wine

Gooseberries may not be one of the cool kids in the world of berries. Often...

Read More

Simple & Easy Plum Wine Recipe

Plum wine is one of my favourites. Plums come in many different forms, sharp, sweet...

Read More

Elderflower Wine Recipe – Light To Medium Bodied

Elderflower wine has one of those flavours that is so distinct you cannot really compare...

Read More

Rhubarb Wine Recipe – How to Make A Delicious Rhubarb Wine

Rhubarb wine is actually a vegetable wine, although, rhubarb is a vegetable that is almost...

Read More

Blueberry Wine Recipe – Full-Bodied and Beginner Friendly

This blueberry wine recipe is the perfect choice for the beginning winemaker, it also produces...

Read More

Strawberry Wine Recipe: The Only Recipe You’ll Ever Need

Strawberries are one of my favourite fruits, how can you capture that taste in a...

Read More

Fiery Medium Ginger Wine Recipe

This Ginger wine recipe was one of the very first country wine recipes I ever...

Read More

Simple & Delicious Pear Wine Recipe

Country wines tend to be really simple to make and this Pear wine recipe is...

Read More

The post Homemade Wine: How To Make Wine From Any Fruit, Vegetable or Flower appeared first on Home Brew Answers.

If you’re a fan of fruit meads and have already tried something like my blackberry melomel, then blueberry mead is worth trying, the recipes are really similar and the flavours are great.. 

Blueberries, with their rich colour, natural sweetness, and acidity, make for an exceptional blueberry mead that captures the essence of fruit and honey in every sip. Just like its blackberry counterpart, blueberry mead offers complexity by because it is not just the fruit and juice but also the skins which offer complexity and flavour along with the richness of honey. 

So, let’s dive into the world of blueberries and mead-making to create a delicious blueberry mead.

Why Choose Blueberries for Mead?

In the realm of mead-making, fruit-infused meads are known as melomels. As with country wines where pretty much any fruit or even flower or vegetable is ripe for turning into wine there are no end to the various fruits or combinations for mead making. 

Blueberries stand out as a perfect candidate for melomel due to their key attributes. The dark skins lend colour and tannins which add depth to the finished mead. The acidity complements the mead’s overall character. Moreover, the fresh flavour of blueberries remains remarkably intact in the finished mead, making it a great choice for preserving a glut and enjoying blueberries in a unique way.

Balancing the Blueberry Melomel

Creating a harmonious blueberry melomel involves some use of wine additives that will ensure a well-rounded and clear final product. 

Just like traditional meads, we still employ yeast nutrients, acids, and tannins. Additionally, to extract the maximum juice and flavour from the blueberries, we use pectic enzyme, which breaks down the fruit’s structure and prevents potential issues with haze.

The presence of pectin in fruits like blueberries can cause haziness, but pectic enzymes break down pectins. By breaking down the pectin, we can enjoy a crystal clear mead that compares with any grape wine without any cloudiness.

To achieve a balanced flavour profile, we can incorporate tannin and mixed acid, similar to the approach in fruit wines. Tannins impart a pleasant astringency and bite, while acids add a bright, zesty note, avoiding a flat and lacklustre finished mead. By adding these components at the beginning and, if necessary, at the end of fermentation, we can fine-tune the blueberry mead’s taste and completely tailor it to your own preferences.

The Fermentation Process

When it comes to the fermentation process, mead makers may differ in their approaches to incorporating the fruit. Some prefer to add the blueberries after primary fermentation, as the vigorous fermentation stage can drive off delicate flavours. Others, like myself, opt to include the fruit right from the start alongside the honey. This allows the yeast to efficiently break down the fruit, extracting its juices and flavours from the very beginning.

I would suggest following this recipe and ferment the blueberries from day one until you get a feel for the process. You can always experiment with later additions during fermentation as you progress.

Blueberry Mead Recipe

To make this blueberry mead, follow this simple recipe that yields a gallon or 4.5 litres of blueberry melomel:

What You’ll Need:

• Small Fermenting Bucket
• Demijohn
• Syphon
• Fine Straining Bag
• Potato Masher
• Airlock & Bung

Ingredients

• 1.3 kg Blueberries
• 1.4 kg Honey
• 3 liters of boiled and cooled water
• Zest of 1/2 Lemon
• 1 tsp Acid Blend
• 1/8 tsp Wine Tannin
• 1 tsp Pectic Enzyme
• 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
• 1 Campden Tablet
• 1 Sachet Wine Yeast 

Method:

1. Sanitize the fermenting bucket and secure the straining bag. Add the blueberries to the bag and use a clean masher to gently break them down and extract the juice. Add the lemon zest and secure the bag.

2. Add the honey to the fermenter and pour enough boiled and cooled water to reach a total volume of 4.5 liters. Stir the honey thoroughly with a sanitized spoon before adding the acid, tannin, nutrient, and Campden tablet. Take a hydrometer reading to calculate the potential alcohol content of the mead. Cover the fermenter and let it sit overnight.

3. The next day, add the pectic enzyme, stir, and then sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the must. Cover the fermenter with an airlock and allow primary fermentation to commence.

4. After 24-72 hours, fermentation will begin. Let it ferment for around 7 days, then remove the straining bag with the remaining fruit and allow it to drain before discarding. Rack the mead to a sanitized demijohn and secure with a bung and airlock.

5. Allow the blueberry melomel to condition in the demijohn for 2-3 months before racking it to another sanitized demijohn and letting it age for approximately 4-6 months. Monitor the progress by taking hydrometer readings during this time to determine the finishing gravity.

6. After conditioning for up to 9 months, sample the mead and adjust with acid and tannin if necessary before bottling. This blueberry mead is delightful as it is, but if you prefer a sweeter mead, consider back-sweetening it using a suitable guide.

7. Bottle the mead and practice patience as you let it mature over time. The blueberry melomel will gracefully age in bottles for a couple of years, enhancing its flavours and delivering an exquisite experience with every sip.

In Conclusion

Blueberry mead, or blueberry melomel, offers a simple journey into the world of fruit-infused meads. Embrace the versatility of mead-making and explore the numerous possibilities of different fruits and flavours that are possible.

The post Blueberry Mead Recipe – Making A Blueberry Melomel appeared first on Home Brew Answers.

All grain brewing means controlling more variables, involving the mash, when you come to making your own beer. The effect of mash temperature on beer is one of these variables that will determine the flavour profile of the finished beer. 

Mash temperature is often stated as controlling the body of the beer but there is a bit more to it than that. In this article, we will look at mash temperature, what exactly is going on in the mash and how we can control the mash temperature to have an effect on the finished beer.

What Temperature Is A Typical Mash?

Most beers have a mash temperature between the range of 63C – 68C / 145F – 155F. A single infusion mash in this temperature range typically lasts for 60 – 90 minutes.

When you come to brewing an all-grain beer, your recipe will indicate the mash temperature. It will most likely fall into the range stated above because at this temperature we are activating enzymes in the malt that convert starches into fermentable sugars.

This range covers the ideal temperature to create as much sugar as possible in the wort and it does this by activating the two most important enzymes for starch conversion; alpha-amylase and beta-amylase.

In the most basic terms we can divide the two amylase enzymes into the following:

Beta Amylase – targets starch making a more fermentable wort 

Alpha Amylase – targets starch making a less fermentable wort

At a typical mash temperature range of 63C – 68C / 145F – 155F both these enzymes will be active but one or the other will dominate depending on which end of the mash temperature range you are mashing at.

What If Your Mash Temperature Is Too High?

If you mash in at a strike temperature that is too hot then you will have issues achieving proper conversion of starches to fermentable sugars. Enzymes will denature quite quickly, within a few minutes, at temperatures that are too hot. 

If the temperature of the mash is too hot the enzymes that extract sugar from the malt will in affect die. This will leave the majority of the starches intact and yeast won’t be able to ferment them. 

Amylase enzymes have a temperature range, between 60-71C / 140-160F in which they are active to break down molecules, in this case, starches.

If the temperature is too low they won’t become active until the temperature starts approaching that range. Above this temperature range and they denature and cannot be retrieved. 

What If Your Mash Temperature Is Too Low?

If the mash temperature is too low when making beer, it can result in a less efficient conversion of sugars from the grains, resulting in a wort with lower-than-expected sugar content and ultimately a weaker beer with less alcohol and less fullness in the body and flavour.

There may also be a lot of unconverted starch in the wort which will result in haze and stability issues in the finished beer.

Adjusting The Temperature Of The Mash

When we mash in the strike temperature is typically a few degrees above the intended temperature of the mash temperature.

This raised strike temperature allows for the temperature loss that occurs when the brewing liquor hits the grain and the mash tun which is cooler.

Stirring the mash and properly mixing the grain and water together helps to quickly equalise the temperatures involved to hit the intended mash temperature.

Monitoring the mash temperature quickly with a probe will tell you if you are too hot or too cold. If the temperature is too high after a few minutes then a very small amount of cold water stirred into the mash will prevent the enzymes from denaturing.

If you need to increase the temperature a small amount of boiling water can be added to boost the temperature.

Alpha Amylase & Beta Amylase During The Mash

Both amylase enzymes are created during the malting process. The presence of these enzymes is highest in base malts that are lightly kilned and make up the majority of the malt in a typical recipe.

The amylase enzymes are responsible for breaking down long-chain starches into smaller and simpler sugars that are suitable for being fermented by yeast. Amylase enzymes often work together because the temperature range they are activated at has a slight amount of crossover.

• Alpha amylase breaks down large, long-chain starch molecules into smaller and more soluble molecules which are more readily fermented but leave some unfermentable dextrins and sugars.
• Beta amylase, just like alpha amylase, breaks down starch molecules. Beta amylase breaks down starches into sugars that are readily fermentable such as maltose and glucose. 

In essence, these two enzymes work together with alpha-amylase breaking down starches which are then broken down further by beta-amylase into simpler sugars that are readily fermentable. 

What Temperatures Affect The Enzymes In The Mash?

There are numerous enzymes that can into effect during the mash and they all operate at different temperatures, dilutions and pH.

Our two most important enzymes, the amylase enzymes, that dissolve starches work in the following temperature ranges

• Alpha Amylase: 65 – 71C / 149 – 160F
• Beta Amylase: 60 – 65C / 140 – 149F

By shifting the temperature of the mash we can target either amylase enzyme knowing there is some degree of crossover. 

Other Enzymes In The Mash

There are also other useful enzymes to know about, other than the amylase enzymes.

Beta glucanase – target the glucan molecules or gums that are present in the mash. Wheat malt or lightly kilned lager malts have higher percentages of gums and these affect the viscosity of the mash. 

A mash step between 35 – 45C /  95 – 113F will activate beta glucanase which breaks down these gums and makes lautering much easier.

Protease, peptidase – target the proteins in the mash. The use of adjuncts or malts that are not as well modified will lead to higher protein levels in the beer. This causes haze and stability issues in the finished beer. 

A temperature rest around 46 – 55 C /  115 – 131F will encourage protease to break down the excessive proteins.

Target these enzymes will require a multi step mash that starts with the lowest temperature and gradually rises throughout the mash. Once these temperature ranges are exceeded the enzymes are denatured and will no longer be able to breakdown their target molecules.

You can take a look at this guide to step mashing and some of the regimes that will affect a beer by raising the mash temperatures throughout the whole mashing period.

The post The Effect Of Mash Temperature On Beer appeared first on Home Brew Answers.

One beer that seems to wax and wane in popularity is the Black IPA. Getting the balance of colour, flavour and hop aroma is a fine art and I think this black IPA recipe gets that balance right. A few key ingredients are necessary but try this recipe and you’ll be able to make your own black IPA even if it becomes so unpopular breweries stop making it.

When I first started home brewing black IPA was really popular, I even brewed a Black IPA commercially for a while when I was a professional brewer.

The difference between a black IPA and something like a hoppy porter is the roastiness imparted from the malt. Whereas a porter or stout uses plenty of roasted malt and grains we want to avoid the roasted, bitter quality when brewing a black IPA.

Adding Colour Without Roasted Flavour

To impart enough colour to make a black IPA we need to use highly roasted malts but most of these grains will introduce the kind of flavours you would find in a beer like a porter or stout. 

Fortunately, there are a few caramel malts that have the colour we need but impart less roasted quality. 

Carafa Special Type 3

Carafa Special III is the most notable of these. Carafa Special III is a crystal/caramel malt that has been de-husked before being kilned and this removes a lot of the bitterness associated with highly kilned malts. 

In other words, Carafa Special Type 3 is a malt that provides a lot of colour with a smooth, mild flavour. 

Using this in an IPA gives us a lot of the colour we want but doesn’t produce bold malt flavours that would otherwise compete with the hops we are going to use.

Sinamar Malt Extract

Many commercial breweries now use a malt extract produced by Weyermann. Sinamar is a malt extract that is filtered and made solely from Carafa Special roasted malt. 

There are no fermentable in Sinamar and it really just provides colour, this is why it has proved so popular with commercial brewers when making black IPA.I haven’t included this in the recipe below because it can be difficult for the home brewer to obtain.

Hops For A Black IPA

I like classic West Coast IPA-style hops in my black IPA. Pine, citrus and resinous varieties all seem to do well against the maltier base that a black IPA has.

I have tried to keep the hops simple with just one bittering addition at the start of the boil and then 3 additions at the end of the boil to steep or whirlpool for 20 minutes.

I have used Amarillo, Simcoe and Cascade as aroma hops and dry hopped moderately to get these to show through. You can always substitute these with your favourite varieties but keep in mind that you will want assertive bitterness to really get the idea that this is an IPA rather than a hoppy dark beer.

The post Black IPA Recipe – Brewing A Classic Black IPA appeared first on Home Brew Answers.

Step mashing or multi-rest mashing is a method of all-grain brewing where the mash is taken up through multiple steps from lower temperatures to higher temperatures.

What is the purpose of step mashing and when is it suitable to perform a step mash? In this article, we will cover these points and learn how to use this technique to refine our homebrew beers.

What Is Step Mashing?

Step mashing or multi-rest mashing is the process of combining the malt we are using for a recipe with water at varying temperature steps.

Unlike a basic infusion mash where we combine grain and water at a set temperature of around 64-66°C and leave the mash. A step mash would involve separate steps starting for instance at 50°C then rising to 65°C and then onto 75°C.

The method of raising the temperature of the mash is through either direct heat if your mash tun can be heated or through additions of boiling water of set quantities that raise the mash to the required temperature.

Why Would You Need To Step Mash?

Step mashes sound like a lot of work compared to a single infusion mash so why would you bother?

The truth is that step mashes almost always have a better yield and efficiency than single infusion mashes. They also give the brewer the ability to control which enzymes are activated throughout the mash and this has the consequence of altering the body and mouthfeel of the finished beer.

Enzymes are present within the malt and grains used to mash. These enzymes are responsible for breaking down various parts of the malt, for example, amylase enzymes break down starch into fermentable sugars.

As you progress through a step mash enzymes are activated according to the temperature and thickness of the mash. Protein-degrading enzymes are activated at lower mash temperatures, the next step activates starch-degrading enzymes and each step leads to an optimal period for each enzyme.

What Enzymes Are In The Mash?

Enzymes are types of proteins that facilitate chemical reactions. An easy-to-understand example is the enzymes present in fruit that lead to them ripening and eventually overripening.

Malting barley utilised the enzymes in the grain to get it ready to grow a sprout before turning it into a plant. 

The enzymes are still present when the brewer comes to mash them and depending on the temperature of the mash we can decide what enzyme to target.

The most common enzymes we can target in a step mash are the following:

Beta Glucanase

Temperature range: 35 – 45°C (95 – 113°F) 

Glucans are the gummy components of the grain. A rest at this temperature is good to break down gums in unmalted adjuncts.

Protease / Peptidase

Target range: 46 – 55°C (115 – 131°F)

These two enzymes target protein molecules. A protein rest aids head retention and breaks down protein in malts that are less modified such as pilsner malt. Typically leads to better yields in high adjunct mashes.

Beta-Amylase

Target range: 60 – 65°C (140 – 149°F)

Targets starch and converts to maltose which is the favored sugar for the yeast to ferment. This leads to a more fermentable wort and less residual sweetness in the finished beer.

Alpha-Amylase

Targets starches and breaks them down into a variety of sugars and dextrins. Typically leads to a slightly less fermentable wort and a residual sweetness in the beer or more full-bodied.

Target range: 65 – 71°C (149 – 160°F)

There are other enzymes in the mash but when performing a step mash those listed above are the most commonly targeted by a rest at each step.

Typical Step Mash Schedules

Below are some typical examples of step mash schedules that a brewer may use to make a certain style of beer or to alter the body and fermentability of the finished beer.

Light-Bodied Beer

First Step: Protein rest at temperature 50C for 30 minutes

Second Step: Saccharification rest at 64C for 30 – 40 minutes 

Third Step: Mash out, increase temperature to 75C for 5 – 10 minutes to decrease viscosity before sparge.

Medium Bodied Beer

First Step: Protein rest at a temperature of 50°C for 30 minutes

Second Step: Saccharification rest at 64°C for 10 minutes

Third Step: Increase temperature to 68°C for 30 minutes 

Fourth Step: Mash out, and increase the temperature to 75°C for 5 – 10 minutes to decrease viscosity before sparging.

Full-Bodied Beer

First Step: Protein rest at temperature 50°C for 30 minutes

Second Step: Saccharification rest at 69°C for 30 – 40 minutes 

Third Step: Mash out, and increase the temperature to 75°C for 5 – 10 minutes to decrease viscosity before sparging.

High Adjunct Mash

First Rest: Mash in at 40C which will target both protein and beta-glucanase to break down gums. Rest for 30 minutes.

Second Rest: Increase temperature to 50°C and rest for 30 minutes

Third Rest: Saccharification rest at 65°C for 45 minutes

Forth Rest: Mash out by increasing temperature to 75°C which will decrease viscosity and then begin sparge.  

Increasing The Mash Temperature In Steps

A multi-rest mash requires that the temperature of the mash is heated at each specific step. If you can directly heat the mash tun then this isn’t a problem. You simply apply heat and stir the mash to avoid creating hot spots. 

If you cannot directly heat your mash tun you will need to add infusions of hot water to increase the temperature through each step of the mash.

Calculating Hot Water Addisiotn For A Multi-Rest Mash

After your initial infusion which in a step mash is likely to be the temperature of your protein rest you will need to add additions of hot water to increase the temperature

The equations below will allow you to calculate your additions.

Initial Infusion:

If you are using Fahrenheit, Pounds and Quarts then you’ll need to change the constant of 0.41 to 0.2

Strike Water Temperature Tw = (0.41 / R)(T2 – T1) + T2

• Wa = The amount of infusion water to add
• Wm = The total amount of water in the mash
• T1 = The initial mash temperature (temperature of dry grain for initial infusion)
• T2 = The target mash temperature
• Tw = the actual temperature of the infusion water
• G = The amount of grain in the mash
• R = The ratio of grain to water in the mash

Mash Infusion To Increase Temperature For Each Step

 Wa = (T2-T1)(0.41G + Wm) / (Tw – T2)

While this may seem confusing there is plenty of free software online and brewing calculators that will perform these calculations automatically. These equations really just show you how to go about increasing the temperature of the mash. 

Is It Necessary To Perform Multi-Step Mashes

In practice, multi-step mashes are more work and they take a long time so is it worth doing these as a home brewer?

In most cases, a single infusion mash is all that is required. Modern malts are typically well-modified. A step mash will likely have high yields and efficiency but on such a small scale it is not going to equate to very much.

The main reason why you would consider using a step mash then would be the following:

• Recipes with large amounts of unmalted adjuncts
• Recipes such as continental lagers use moderately modified malts. A multi-rest mash will result in better yields than single infusion mashes.

The only way to tell if a step mash is worth the extra effort is to give it a try yourself. The added technique to your brewing process you might actually enjoy the practice and it is fun to experiment with.

The post Step Mash – A Guide To Multi-Rest Mashing appeared first on Home Brew Answers.

Lemon wine brings to mind a drink that is refreshing and perfect to sip on a warm evening. 

The trouble with making such a drink is that lemons are, of course, really acidic and require a lot of dilution to bring about a fermentable and palatable must. 

Lemons are 5 times more acidic than oranges and twice as acidic as grapefruit. When it comes to making wine with them this acidity needs to be diluted down so the yeast has a chance to do its thing. 

When you ferment this the body of the wine can be a little lacking and we can end up with a dry and insipid wine rather than fruity and refreshing.

Boosting Body

To make the lemon wine fuller flavoured we can either combine the lemons with other fruits or spices to give more flavour or we can use something like grape concentrate or raisins to add not only the body but sugars too.

If you want to make a lemon wine without any other fruit then the simplest avenue for most winemakers is to use plenty of raisins in the must to give you more complexity than just lemons alone.

Getting The Flavour From Our Lemons

Most of the flavour in lemon is not in the flesh of the fruit or juice but in the zest and the oils within the peel.

This means we need to peel the zest from our lemons but carefully avoid as much of the white pith as possible.

The pith of the lemons is the most bitter part of the fruit. If we have a lot of pith in the lemon wine then we are going to end up with a bitter finished wine.

Along with the pith, we will use the lemon flesh itself. The best way to do this is to completely cut away the skin and then slice each segment out leaving the membrane between each lemon segment behind.

This method of segmenting the lemons may seem laborious but it is the best way to leave behind as much of the bitter parts of the lemon as possible and therefore end up with a much tastier wine.

What You’ll Need To Make Lemon Wine – Makes 1 gallon / 4.5 litres

• Large Stock Pot
• Small Fermenting Bucket
• Demijohn
• Syphon
• Fine Straining Bag
• Potato Masher
• Airlock & Bung

  Lemon Wine Ingredients

• 8 Lemons
• 4 litres Water
• 950g White sugar
• 400g Golden raisins
• 1/4 tsp Wine Tannin
• 1/2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
• 1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
• 1 Campden Tablet
• 1 Sachet Wine Yeast (Lalvin R2 or Gervin GV5 are good types of yeast)

Thoroughly scrub the lemons to remove any wax, take 4 of the lemons and use a peeler to take the zest off the lemons leaving behind all the pith. It is only the outermost skin we want.

Remove all the skin and pith from all the lemons and then cut the segments of all 8 leaving behind all the membrane and pith.

Roughly chop the raisins and add them to the straining bag along with the zest and segments of the lemons as well as any juice that may have escaped.

Secure the bag around the opening of the fermenter and heat up 2 litres of water to a boil along with the sugar stirring to dissolve. Pour the boiling sugar solution into the fermenter over the fruit and stir to combine. Add the remaining cool water then add a Campden tablet, cover and leave overnight.

The following morning add the pectic enzyme wait for a further 12 hours. Take a hydrometer reading and then add the yeast nutrient and yeast. Cover the fermenter and fix an airlock to start primary fermentation.

During primary fermentation give the bag with the lemons in a squeeze a couple of times a day. After 5 days remove the bag after draining it into the fermenter.

After another 2 days rack the wine into a sanitised demijohn. Attach a bung and airlock and leave to finish fermentation and begin clearing. 

After 30 days rack the wine in a newly sanitised demijohn and leave to condition for around 60 days. After this time the wine should be clear and ready to bottle.

Before bottling, sample the wine and back sweeten if desired. This guide on stabilising the wine and sweetening will help.

Once bottled leave in a cool dark place for at least 6 months before sampling.

The post Lemon Wine Recipe – Fresh & Fragrant appeared first on Home Brew Answers.

The difference between ale and lager is primarily due to the type of yeast used for fermentation.

When first approaching brewing as a complete beginner it is difficult to categorise exactly what we want to make. When we say beer though there are really two types; ale and lager. 

The primary difference between ale and lager is the result of the type of yeast and the typical fermentation temperature. 

Ale & Lager Yeast Are Different

Ale and lager differ due to their fermentation but within each type, there is an infinite range of colour, bitterness, aroma and flavour.

When making beer there are two types of yeast used. Ales are fermented with a top-fermenting yeast that forms a dense head on top of the fermenting ale.

Lager on the other hand utilises a bottom-fermenting yeast where the yeast collects at the bottom of the fermenting vessel. These two types of yeast are either top cropping or bottom cropping.

Lager and ale use different types of yeast which ferment in different ways and these distinct strains of yeast prefer different conditions in which to ferment the beer. The primary difference is the temperature at which lager and ale yeasts prefer.

• Ale yeasts (saccharomyces cerevisiae) which are top-fermenting prefer warmer temperatures around 18 – 22°C / 64 – 72°F or around room temperature.
• Lager yeast (saccharomyces pastorianus) which is bottom fermenting prefers cool temperatures around 10 –  13°C / 50 – 55°F which is higher than a refrigerator but cooler than room temperature.

That is not to say that there are no strains of ale or lager yeast that fall outside of these temperature ranges but these are not typical. For instance, you could ferment a beer with lager yeast at an ale temperature and get results. There is still the distinction that the lager yeast is a completely separate strain from ale yeasts.

What Does Lager Actually Mean?

The term lager does not really describe the yeast used. The term “lager” really means that the beer has been stored or conditioned for a period at lower temperatures.

Although not all beer we would call lager goes through this extended period of conditioning the fact is that when beer is fermented at lower temperatures the yeast takes longer to do the job. Lager fermentations at cool temperatures tend to take 2 or 3 times longer than ale fermentations at warmer temperatures.

When we look at these temperatures it becomes apparent that for home brewers, ale is more suited to the beginner brewer who hasn’t got the means to cool a fermenting vessel. 

What Do Ales & Lagers Have In Common?

When we think of lager we tend to think of pale, cold and subtle flavoured pilsners more than dark, robust Schwarz beer.

The truth is that both lager and ale can range in colour from really pale to incredibly dark, using a variety of dark, roasted malts. 

Bitterness from hops can also vary widely in both ale and lager. The most common lagers we see typically have low bitterness but that is not to say that all lagers are like this. 

When we look at the most common beer styles we tend to see a narrow range of beers with a limited degree of variety within that style. 

Pilsner and Helles are types of lagers that are very pale, delicately hopped, clean and crisp tasting.

Beers such as stouts or IPAs some of the most common styles of ale and quite far removed from pilsner so we tend to see a large gap between ale and lager.

When you look at some of the less common ale and lager styles however you see the ingredients of ale and lager can be used interchangeably the only real difference between the two are the type of yeast used.

While we try to define beers there is clearly lots of crossover and the possibility of hybrid-style beers. Whether you class a beer as a lager or an ale is of no importance unless it tastes good.

The post Ale vs. Lager – What Is The Difference? appeared first on Home Brew Answers.

Once you have packaged your beer, whether in bottles or in a keg the wait is nearly over. It is still missing one thing though and that is carbonation. 

Just how long does it take to carbonate beer and what is the quickest way for getting the fizz in your brew?

Carbonating Your Beer

The are a couple of ways of carbonating your home brew and there is also the type of vessel you are carbonating your beer in which could be a bottle, keg, or barrel.

These methods will have some influence over how long it will take to get sufficient carbonation in your beer but you also have other factors such as temperature to consider. Let’s split up the variables first by whether you are bottling or kegging your beer.

How Long Does It Take To Carbonate Bottled Beer?

Bottled beer typically takes 1 – 2 weeks to carbonate and usually, 2 weeks is preferable for full carbonation.

If you have bottled your beer the most common way of carbonating it is to add priming sugar which then ferments in the bottle. The bottle is sealed so the carbon dioxide created by this fermentation goes into solution creating the fizz.

The speed at which bottled beer carbonates is mainly affected by temperature. 

If you bottle your beer and then store it in a cool garage, for example, you will not achieve a good carbonation in 2 weeks if at all because the fermentation in the bottle will struggle at low temperatures.

Commercial breweries often have bottle conditioning rooms that are temperature controlled at around 22°C. At this temperature, bottles will carbonate as quickly as possible but not be at too high of a temperature which could create off flavours. 

Once your beer has carbonated in the bottle you should move them to a cooler area or cold storage which is best for flavour stability and prolonging shelf life.

How Long Does It Take To Carbonate Beer In A Keg?

Beer can be carbonated in a keg in a much shorter time than bottles. In fact, you can carbonate a beer in as little as 3 days but a more hands-off approach may take around a week or two.

The real difference between carbonating in a keg rather than a bottle is that, most often, we are force carbonating the beer rather than relying on yeast to referment priming sugar in the keg as you would in a bottle.

Although you can add priming sugar to a keg a carbonate the beer using fermentation most brewers prefer to force carbonate with external CO2.

What Is Force Carbonating?

Force carbonating means we are using pressurised CO2 which is supplied in a cylinder. This is connected to the keg with tubing and keg connections and the pressure exerted from the pressurised CO2 and the temperature allow the gas to diffuse into the beer.

Carbonating in a keg means we can cool the beer down in a refrigerator, keeping the beer cold allows more CO2 to be absorbed faster than at warmer temperatures.

The pressure of the CO2 coming from the cylinder into the keg will affect how much carbonation is added to the beer and also how quickly. The pressure, measured in PSI can be adjusted with a regulator attached between the gas cylinder and the keg.

Carbonating In A Keg

A set-and-forget approach to carbonating in a keg involves placing the keg in a refrigerator or kegerator where the beer is to be served. 

Cooling the keg makes carbonating more efficient. Use a carbonation chart to calculate the pressure needed to carbonate the beer to the desired level of carbonation. This involves setting the regulator to a certain PSI according to the temperature.

Wait around 1 – 2 weeks for the beer to carbonate before serving.

Force Carbonating In 3 Days!

If you want to carbonate your beer really quickly, in as little as 3 days, then more intervention is needed.

This method involves chilling the beer down as low as possible (1-5°C) and then setting the pressure regulator on the CO2 to between 30 – 40 PSI. 

At this much higher pressure and low-temperature gas is much faster at diffusing into solution. This can be aided by rocking the keg to speed up the process. 

This can result in a beer being carbonated in 3 days or even less. 

It is important to dial back the pressure after force carbonating and vent the keg to avoid over-carbonating the beer. Once you are happy with the carbonation, set the PSI to serving pressure and allow the beer to settle after all the rocking or shaking.

The post How Long Does It Take To Carbonate Beer? appeared first on Home Brew Answers.

It doesn’t matter whether you are fermenting beer, wine, mead (or even vegetables), fermentation temperature control is one of the most important variables to getting the best quality in the finished brew.

Fermentation temperature and yeast management are possibly the most important aspects of brewing good beer or wine with fermentation temperature being of utmost importance.

If the fermentation temperature is too cold then the yeast goes dormant and won’t complete the fermentation. On the other hand, if the fermentation temperature is too hot the yeast will become stressed, creating all sorts of byproducts that cause off flavours and fusel alcohols that taste like solvents.  

Way too hot and the cell walls of the yeast become permeable and alcohol which is toxic to yeast will kill the yeast.

Typical Fermentation Temperature Ranges

Depending on what you are brewing and the particular yeast strain that is in use will dictate the ideal fermentation temperature range. Typically you will be looking at the following temperatures:

Ale: 60–75°F (16–24°C)

Lager: 45–55°F (7–13°C)

Wine: 60–80°F (16–27°C)

Important Points For Fermentation Temperature

One of the things we need to think about is the pitching temperature. This is the temperature of the wort or must when you come to pitch the yeast.

Depending on the strain of yeast you are using this can vary in range but it is important that the temperature is not too high.

It can be tempting to pitch yeast as soon as possible but if the wort is not cool enough and still cooling the yeast will produce a compound called diacetyl. Diacetyl is produced during all fermentations but is reabsorbed after primary fermentation during the conditioning phase. If too much diacetyl is produced by warm temperatures during the start of fermentation then the yeast will have a hard time removing it later on leaving your beer or wine with a buttery flavour and mouthfeel.

Primary Phase Temperature

After pitching yeast there is a lag phase where the yeast reproduces to sufficient levels. Then comes the most active phase of fermentation where the yeast is producing large amounts of CO2 and converting sugars to alcohol. 

All this activity produces heat. Fermentation is an exothermic reaction and the temperature in the fermenter can be as much as 10F higher than ambient temperatures.

You need to be aware that even though the ambient temperature may be within the ideal temperature range for the yeast, the temperature within the fermenter may be slightly higher.

Cold Temperatures

Fermentations that are too cold can also be problematic. 

It is widely held that fermentations on the cooler side of the ideal range for a particular yeast strain will produce more clean, neutral flavours with fewer esters. 

If the fermentation temperature is too low yeast will behave sluggishly, even starting to shut down completely. 

Colder temperatures also encourage flocculation which means the yeast may settle out of suspension before they have finished a complete fermentation.

Cooling Too Soon

It is particularly common when brewing lager and ales to crash the beer after fermentation. The timing of this step is important if you lower the temperature of fermentation to soon the yeast may not have enough time to reabsorb byproducts from the initial fermentation.

A diacetyl rest is used when fermenting lager where the temperature of fermentation is raised in order to allow the lager yeast to clean up diacetyl which would otherwise give off a butter taste and mouthfeel.

Controlling Fermentation Temperature

We know that we need to keep fermentation temperature within a set range according to what we are making, ale, larger or wine.

The best way of controlling fermentation temperature will be dictated by ambient temperatures and whether we need to heat or cool the fermenter in order to stay within the ideal temperature range.

Cooling Fermentation

The most common need, particularly if fermenting an ale or wine in a centrally heated house is to keep things cool.

Cool Area / Fermentation Chamber

The simplest way to do this is to keep the fermenter in a cool cupboard that isn’t directly heated. What we do need to be aware of though is we maintain a consistent temperature throughout a 24-hour period. Swings of temperature from warm to cool will stress the yeast.

Water Bath

Another way to control fermentation temperature is to immerse the fermenter in a water bath. A builders trub is a cheap container for a water bath. The extra mass of the water bath takes longer to heat and cool which prevents temperature swings throughout the day and night. 

You can also add ice to the water bath which will keep the temperature of the fermenter lower than ambient temperatures.

Temperature Controlled Refrigerator

If you have more funds and space available the most precise and efficient option is to convert an unused fridge into a temperature-controlled fermentation chamber.

If you have a fridge large enough for your fermenter then a temperature controller can be used to control the internal temperature of the refrigerator.

A temperature controller such as this one can be set to cycle the power on and off for the refrigerator according to the temperature you set.

The added benefit of an automatic temperature controller attached to the fridge is you can also add a heating device inside the refrigerator to have even more control and accuracy of the fermentation temperature.

Heating Fermentation Temperatures

If you require warmer temperatures for your fermentation, such as fermenting in an unheated garage then you will need a device to heat the fermenter.

Heating Belts

Heating belts, which are adjustable bands that plug into the mains to produce heat can be slipped around the outside of the fermenter.

These heat belts produce a set amount of heat which can only determine how much the fermenter is heated by how high or low it is placed on the fermenting vessel. The lower the position the more the belt will heat the vessel, the higher it’s placed a smaller amount of heat will transfer through to the fermenter.  

There is very limited control with a heat belt unless you use a dedicated temperature controller with the belt plugged into this. In this method you get much greater control.

Heating Mats or Pads

Heating mats or pads are devices you place the fermenter on which then transfer heat into the fermenter.

Heatings mats work in a very similar fashion as heating belts. Most don’t have built in thermostats or controls so again there is not much precision in their use unless you use a seperate temperature controller.

Temperature Controlled Refrigerator

Again, the most efficient method of controlling your fermentation temperature is a refrigerator. Of course, using a refrigerator to warm a fermentation doesn’t make sense. 

In the case of heating a fermenter we need to place a heat source in the fridge connected to a temperature controller. Heat sources could be a storage heater, lightbulb or even a heat mat. The refrigerator acts simply as a insulated box which keeps the heat in.

The added benefit of a refrigerator fermentation chamber is you can easily heat and cool at various points of fermentation and then cold crash the fermenter when you want to get the brew ready for packaging.

The post Fermentation Temperature – How To Control Temperature & Why It’s Important appeared first on Home Brew Answers.

It can definitely be frustrating to spend time making wine, waiting months for it to ferment and condition only for it to be hazy or cloudy.

A slight haze in wine isn’t a major problem but it can be annoying. Certain wines may be more prone to having a haze or cloudiness so what can we do about it?

In this article, we will cover what to make sure our wines ferment with much less chance of forming a haze and also how to clear a cloudy or hazy wine if it just won’t clear.

Clear Your Wine Starting With The Basics

All of the recipes here on Home Brew Answers suggest the use of pectic enzymes. Particularly with fruit and floral wines you are introducing pectin which is present in all fruit, vegetables, and plants to some degree.

Pectin is what causes jam to set and form a gel. When there is a lot of pectin in wine it will cause a haze. Pectin haze won’t affect the flavour of wine but it will cause a haze or if there is a lot of pectin such as an apple wine it will be quite cloudy.

Pectic enzymes will break down the pectin which will prevent a haze from forming and has the added benefit of breaking down the fruit you are fermenting which will lead to better extraction.

• Add pectic enzymes at the start of each wine fermentation.
• Add pectic enzyme at any point of the fermentation to clear a pectin haze if it was not added at the start of fermentation.

If you still have a haze in the fermented wine then it may be caused by something else.

Testing For Pectin Haze

If you have used pectic enzyme but still have haze in the finished wine that you think is caused by pectin then you can perform a simple test.

To test for residual pectin you will need methylated spirit or methanol. 

Add a 50ml sample of the wine to 200ml of methylated spirit. If a powdery substance appears in the wine then there is residual pectin in the wine.

If there is residual pectin, treat the wine with further pectic enzyme a little at a time until the haze subsides.

Excess Starch Causing Cloudy Wine

The next most common cause of hazy or cloudiness in wine is starch in solution.

Starches are present in vegetables and fruits and unlike simple sugars aren’t broken down by yeast.

If there is excess starch in your wine and it is causing a haze then the simplest way to deal with it is by adding an enzyme called amylase.

Amylase is an enzyme that breaks down complex carbohydrates into simple sugars. If you have ever brewed beer before you may be familiar with amylase enzymes as these are present in the malted barley and convert the starch or carbohydrates in the grain into fermentable sugars.

• If you are making wine with ingredients you know are high in starch then treat the wine with amylase.

Follow the directions that come with the amylase enzyme and add small amounts, wait 1 or 2 hours for signs of clearing before adding small amounts more until the wine is clear.

Yeast In Suspension

After conditioning, you will be aware that yeast will begin settling out. After racking you will likely end up with a slightly hazier wine due to picking up some of the yeast lees and they will stay in suspension for a week or two. 

In most cases, time will ensure yeast settle and flocculate but sometimes less flocculant yeast strains will cast a haze for a long time.

• If you want to speed up flocculation a two-part fining will be adequate before stabilizing and bottling. This page on wine finings should give you some more information on using wine finings and how to go about it.

Protein Haze

Protein in your wine can cause issues with clearing and is more noticeable according to the temperature of your wine.

If you notice your wine takes on a haze, particularly at lower temperatures, protein is likely to be the cause.

If this is the case then a two-part fining solution like that described above is your best option.

Other Causes Of Haze

If your haze problems are not caused by one of the above issues then the most likely culprit is going to be biological. Wild yeasts and microorganisms that cause spoiling in wine can also be the cause of unwanted haze. 

Unfortunately, there is not much you can do about the causes of biological contamination and may find a sample of the wine is unpalatable. If you think you have a spoiled wine the best thing to do it wait, try samples and if there are no improvements over a longer time period it may be that the wine is destined for the drain.

The post Clearing a Hazy Or Cloudy Wine appeared first on Home Brew Answers.