Best yeast energizer for beer brewing

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.

Yeast Energizer Brand	Pros	Cons
LD Carlson Energizer	Contains essential nutrients like vitamins, amino acids, and minerals that help yeast thrive and ferment vigorously. Suitable for stuck fermentations.	More expensive than basic yeast nutrients, which might deter hobbyists or casual brewers.
Wyeast Nutrient Blend	Specially formulated to improve yeast activity and fermentation efficiency. Perfect for high-gravity beers.	Requires precise dosage; too much can lead to off-flavors, making precise measurement crucial.
Fermaid K by Lallemand	Offers a balanced blend of nutrients that supports yeast health and promotes consistent fermentation, recommended for wines and meads.	Not specifically tailored for beers, which might limit its appeal to beer brewers.
Brewcraft Yeast Fuel	Easy to use with a simple dosing system, enhances fermentation speed and completeness. Ideal for novice brewers.	Limited availability in some regions, which can make it difficult to source consistently.
White Labs Servomyces	Improves yeast sedimentation and increases cell viability. It's also known to reduce diacetyl and fusel alcohol production.	Premium priced product, reflecting its specialized application and high efficiency.

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!).

What are the ingredients of yeast energizers?

Energizers are usually found to be composed of:

• Vitamin B
• Dimmonium phosphate
• Tricalcium phosphate
• magnesium sulphate
• yeast hulls 

Is an energizer the same as yeast nutrient?

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.

Leave a Comment biotin, cider, fermentation, honey, hydrogen sulfide, mead, yeast energizer

How to make jelly bean beer

Did you know you can use Jelly Beans as the sugar for the secondary fermentation? 

It's an amusing exercise to make Jelly Bean beer. The effect on the beer flavoring is interesting as I found that different coloured jelly beans produce different flavours...

First up I would suggest if you are making a 'fancy' beer where you've paid for a more specialist beer kit and you have a pretty sweet hop combo in mind that you don't try to make jelly bean beer with that particular brew.

This is because the bean will likely over power any hop subtleties you might be going for!

However, if you're doing a run-of-the-mill beer kit then while you are doing your normal bottling routine, you may want to have a crack at making beer with jelly beans.

The jelly bean is a substitute for your normal sugar so acts as the carbonation agent in the 2nd fermentation that occurs during bottle conditioning.

First, a wee caution.

It is very easy to over carbonate with jelly beans!

In my personal experience, you should not put more than three beans in one 750 ml bottle. Any more and you will probably get a classic gusher situation when you open the bottle.

So what are the best colours to use? First up, do not use the black ones if you like green beer that tastes pretty horrid!

In my experience, black jelly beans are usually aniseed-based so are not really a complementary flavour for beer.

That said, it hasn't stopped people from adding aniseed to beer...

Instead, for this home brew enthusiast, oranges, reds and yellows seem to be fairly fun flavours to carbonate with. That flavour is a sweet sugary taste - albeit one that doesn't overwhelm the whole beer itself.

Greens, blues and purples will be OK but the colour of your brew might be a bit off-putting! Maybe if you were making an ale rather than a lager then the colour wouldn't be too bad.

So yes, despite what you may have heard, you can successfully make home brew with jelly beans, just add them when doing your bottling.

Your results, however, may vary!

Did hear about the guy that brewed with Mackintosh lollies?

1 comment bottling beer, fermentation, home brew, jelly beans, sugar

⇒ How do I tell if my beer fermented properly? (I really want to drink it)

How to tell if my beer brew has fermented?

Fermentation is the name of the game when making beer.

If you don't have fermentation taking place, you simply don't have beer.

You have just have a 23 liter bucket of watery malt.

Homebrewers can face fermentation stage issues and a common problem is that fermentation has not begun. A typical sign is that there are no bubbles coming through the airlock.

But is no bubbles in the airlock really a sign of a lack of fermentation?

The first thing to bear in mind is that it can take at least 15 hours of your Earth time before the CO2 bubbles start gurgling through the airlock. 

So don't go drowning your sorrows just yet if the bubbles haven't started. If you think that your beer hasn't started brewing there's some problem-solving you can do. 

If you are using a glass fermenter you can look for a dark scum that rings around the water level mark. You can probably see it through the standard white fermenter drum as well.

Or check for signs of foam or the krausen as it is affectionately known. Give it 20 - 48 hours before you start to worry.

If using a plastic drum you might be able to see through to check for the scum. Another trick is to take out the airlock and try and peek through the whole to identify scum or foam.

Also, did you firmly seal your fermenter? If not, the CO2 is possibly passing out via the lid and not the airlock meaning the pressure build-up is not sufficient for gas to pass out the water trap.

We're going to assume your fermenter is in a warm place and not in some shed where the temperatures are approaching zero degrees centigrade. Your yeast will go to sleep if this is the case.

You could also check the gravity by using a hydrometer.

I'll assume you know how to use one.  The beer has usually finished fermenting if the final gravity reading is  1/3 to 1/4 of the original gravity. This, of course, means you took an original reading when you first prepared your beer.

You did do that right?

If you have the same reading 24 hours apart - that's your final reading and an indication that the fermentation is finished. 

Don't bottle your beer just yet, let it mellow for a bit longer.

The longer the better your brew will probably be. If you are a beginner brewer, trust me on this. Let you brew rest up just a little bit longer than you may have the patience for.

Brewing is a game of patience, and those who wait are rewarded with good-tasting, clear beer. 

So why weren't there any bubbles in the airlock? 

That's a fair question to ask.

It could be that there was a leak that allows the CO2 to escape (to teach you to suck rotten eggs, those bubbles in the airlock are carbon dioxide gas, the by-product of fermentation).

You may have not tightened the drum enough or possible not screwed in the tap properly.

It's a good idea to check this is the case before you worry too much.

• If you didn't see any signs of fermentation it could be that it's too cold to brew.
• Is your batch of beer in a warm enough place?
• If you're brewing during summer months, it's probably not too cold.

If you've left your beer in a cold place in the shed, then it may be too cold. If it's too cold to brew in your 'man shed' - say it's the middle of winter, you might want to bring your brew inside the house.

You could consider wrapping it in blankets or old sheets (I do this all the time just because that's what I learned to do at University in the cold, windy town of Palmerston North, NZ. This is a handy trick and will help to keep the chill off your beer. I think this trick works best if the beer is already warm enough to brew. 

Maybe leave it in the laundry if it's a warm place?

When I brew in winter I will often leave the fermenter our the warm kitchen or living room at least overnight so that the fermentation process has a decent chance to start. My wife hates that but still drinks the beer so go figure. 

Some brewers like to use heat pads (try the Mangogrove Jacks one) or panels to keep the beer at a consistently warm temperature. If you do wish to use a pad, you'll need to be able to store your brew close to a power socket so the heat pad can operate.

Yeast issues?

Another more serious reason for beer failing to ferment is yeast failure.

This may occur if the yeast has become dry. This is why you will hear a constant refrain from expert beer users to only use fresh ingredients.

In the case of a beer kit brewer, this means do not purchase old stock as the yeast could be too old (I do suspect however this is a bit of a housewives tale - as stock should rotate fairly regularly). 

However, in our experience, we haven't had this problem with a beer kit yet. 

A key trick is to add (pitch) the yeast at the appropriate temperature - if using a beer kit you will be well off to generally follow the temp instructions - you especially do not want to add the yeast if the solution is too cold as it may be hard for the yeast to get traction - and whatever you do, don't add yeast to boiling water (if that's what you are using to mix everything together) - as that will almost certainly kill the yeast and ruin any chance of your beer successfully fermenting.

So in summary here are some problem-solving tips:

• Check for leaks that allow the CO2 to escape - tighten the fermenter drum
• Look for foamy residue - if you see it, you're OK
• Look for scum residue - if you see it, you're OK
• Make sure the temperature is appropriate for the kind of beer you are making
• Consider using a heat pad to ensure a consistent brewing temperature

Image credit to Quinn Dombrowski via Creative Commons Licence

1 comment beer kit, fermentation, problem solving

How to properly store and condition your bottled homebrew

Proper storage and conditioning of homebrew beer - for better tasting beer

You've done the hard work.

You've prepared a nice wort, added some hops, maybe used a yeast energizer and a beer enhancer and it fermented well. You let it ferment in the drum for a good amount of time.

Then bottling day came and you got your golden brew safely away under the cap.

Now what?

It's time to bottle condition your beer and that doesn't mean you hide it under a blanket in an old swap-a-crate box and forget about it for a few weeks. 

Well actually you can do this, but if you want great tasting beer there are a few things to think about when storing and conditioning beer. 

I'm gonna assume you bottled, left a good level of space in the bottle neck and you've capped the beer and are ready to place the beer somewhere safe. 

First with the warm and then with the cold

When you are bottle conditioning, you are adding a second addition of sugar to your beer. This is so that the second round of fermentation can take place. 

The yeast still present in the beer will eat the sugar and convert it into more alcohol and CO2 - this gas is what carbonates the beer. 

So, just like when you did the first round of fermentation, the yeast does its best work at a warm temperature. So, to properly store your beer so that it is carbonated, the beer needs to be kept warm for a few days. 

The ideal temperature range is between approx 18 - 25°C for 5 to 7 days. 

After a week or so, you can leave them in a much cooler place with a temperature range between approx 8 - 12°C. This will allow the beers to condition quite nicely. 

This thing about the correct temperature is real. 

Let me tell you a story. 

In the middle of a New Zealand winter, I bottled a lager beer and left it in the shed for about a month. It was cold and the sun didn't warm the shed at all. It was actually colder in the shed than outside. 

When I went to crack open the first beer, I did not hear that usually reassuring hiss of gas as it escapes from the bottle. 

The silence was brutal. 

My beer was flat. 

So I opened another bottle and had the same result. And again for a third.

I wondered if I had destroyed my beer somehow but then more sensibly I asked my self 'had fermentation actually occurred'?

It had.

What I had done was wrap the fermenter in plenty of old painting sheets which kept the beer warn enough to allow the first round of fermentation to occur. 

For the bottled beer, the problem was the freezing cold. They had sat in the shed naked as the day they were bottled and bitterly cold. The yeast became inactive and no fermentation occurred. 

The solution was to bring the beers inside where it was warmer.

I placed them in the living room and gradually they warmed up. After two weeks I opened a beer and boom, I was rewarded with the sound of CO2 releasing from the beer. The yeast had appreciated the warmer temperature, came out of hibernation and got to work on the sucrose. 

Problem solved!

Conversely, it is unwise to store beer in too hot a place. For example, don't leave it in a hot attic room all summer. The beer will simply get cooked and probably taste like mouldy cardboard. 

Treat your yeast with temperature love

Two important things that can help with proper conditioning of beer:

1. Don't be afraid of the dark

Like a vampire, you should embrace the darkness. 

Beer does not like sunlight at all. Especially if you are using recycled green beer bottles. If your beer is exposed to too much light, it is said to be 'light struck' or 'skunked'. 

The UV light causes yet another chemical reaction in the beer - the hops are broken down by the light and they form a new compound when mixed with the proteins in the beer - giving off a horrid smell just like a skunk can do.

2. How long do I let beer condition for?

You have to let your beer condition. The rule of thumb is that your beer is probably drinkable after one week but is only beginning to get close to its best tasting at three weeks. 5 and 6 weeks is even better.

If you've ever found a forgotten beer in the shed that's had three months of conditioning, you probably really enjoyed it right? 

That's just proof you need to give your beer time to mature. 

When you are ready to drink your beer, remember it is best served chilled. This reduces the chances of foam pouring out from the top of the bottleneck. This is why placing beers in the fridge overnight works best for serving homebrew. 

Some points to ponder about bottle storage

• It's really good to have a storage place where the temperature is maintained at a steady & consistent rate.
• Ales are happy with lower temperatures
• Lagers are happy with higher temperatures
• The middle of your house is probably cooler than nearer the outside. That could be a factor where you store beer.
• If you find your beers are in too hot a place, move them! Seriously, if you leave your beers in an area where it is too hot the yeast produces a really volatile ether (I think) which makes the beer taste like methylated spirits or petrol. I know this occurs from my owner personal experience - I had TWO fermenting drums wrapped in sheets in my shed in a NZ summer and they cooked and the end result was I had to tip my bottled beers out (I didn't realise what had happened until after conditioning but put two and two together). 

Leave a Comment bottle conditioning, bottling beer, fermentation, skunked beer, yeast

↣ How long can beer be left in the primary fermenter?

Is there a risk of leaving beer in the primary fermenter too long?

As a general rule of thumb, one can leave the beer in the primary fermenter as long as one needs.

There is no set maximum time limit, though there are a couple of slight risks to keep in mind.

Many brewers simply follow the beer recipe or instructions on the malt kit and leave their wort to ferment for around a week to ten days. This usually allows enough time for the first stage of fermentation to have completed.

And technically that's OK, and it's time to bottle.

But the mystery and muscle of brewing beer are that there is a whole range of chemical processes happening in that wort you're fermenting.

Sure the yeast may have produced enough alcohol to make a good drop of beer but there are still a few things that happen.

The longer you leave your beer, the more chance the yeast has to get rid of smells and other leftovers from the fermentation process.

A great example of this is the presence of acetaldehyde in the wort. This chemical forms at the beginning of the fermentation process. It tastes like sour green apple and is not really conducive to a good brew. Giving your beer batch time to work through this will mean a better tasting beer.

Wort left for a long time is harder to carbonate when bottled, is this true?

It possibly could be, depends on your circumstances.

If the beer has been left in the fermenter over winter, for example, the yeast could have become quite dormant so the bottled beer will need to be warmed for the yeast to come 'back to life'.

A trick some brewers have found is that when it comes time to bottling a long-settled wort, give it a small stir up 2 days before you bottle. It causes the yeast to mix back into the beer (it will have settled at the bottom of the fermenter). If you move the fermenter into a warmer place, then your bottled beer with have a shorter carbonation time.

What's the best way to get rid of  'apple taste' from brewed beer?

Let the yeast take the time to convert it into ethanol (alcohol).

So leaving your beer for longer than the recommended instructions on the tin of the beer kit is pretty much a smart move. Frankly, given the benefit to the beer and thus the kit manufacturer's reputation, I do not know why they don't frame the time as a minimum.

That said, when I followed Te Aro's brewing instructions for their Obligatory ale, I made damn good beer.

Exceptions aside, the longer you condition your beer, the greater reduction in acetaldehyde that will occur and the beer your beer will take.

Stout beers have even more to work through so they can happily take longer in the primary.

Another benefit of leaving the beer in the primary for longer is that there is a greater chance that your beer will clear more sediment, thus giving you clear beer. 

Many-a-brewer likes to see their lager look like a lager - that classic light yellow / orange combo. Sure, some wheat beers can be a bit hazy.

At the end of the day this comes down to personal preference as the beer taste is not generally affected.

It's also important to consider the role temperature can play in brewing. If you want a short fermentation period but it's cold, then you may have to simply allow more time because the yeast slows down the alcohol production process when chilled. 

What about leaving beer in for extra long times like 3 - 6 months?

Many brewers have reported leaving batches for months and suffered no issues.

I'd reason though that the beer was stored in a cool place - a beer wort left in a hot environment is sure to fail as the yeast would probably get cooked.

The lid was probably screwed on very tightly as well and the beer must be kept out of the light. Put a sheet over it!

My mate Julian did a beer after 8 months once (a chilli one, go figure) - it tasted fine after bottling. 

There is an issue that can happen called 'autolysis'

This is when the yeast cells die, giving off some potentially 'off flavors'. These could be hydrolytic enzymes, lipids, and metal cations that can contribute to off flavor.

If you've made a healthy batch with a quality yeast, pitched at a good temperature and brewed in a stable environment, then the risks of autolysis are quite low. 

If you are quite concerned about this, you could counter by racking your beer to a secondary, thus removing the yeast cake from the equation.

It's important to note, the same process begins again when the beer is bottle conditioned - more sugar is added to the beer for the yeast to eat - this is because CO2 is the by-product of fermentation and is trapped in the beer.

Most beers strongly benefit from being bottle conditioned for three weeks before consumption and even then they usually start to become pretty drinkable at the 5 week mark.

If you have placed a lot of hops in your beer, remember that their effect reduces over time so once a well hopped beer has reached optimal drinking time, you may as well drink them!

Extra for experts: How to increase the alcohol level in homebrew - amylase can help with attenuation.

1 comment acetaldehyde, autolysis, ethanol, fermentation, temperature

Why are there no bubbles in the airlock?

If you're a new brewer, you might be pretty keen to see some bubbles in the airlock after you've made your first beer. That's what all the best brewing guides tell you to look for right?

We can also imagine your concern when you check your beer the day after you've brewed and hear and see no bubbles. 

And you'll have asked yourself:

 Why are there no bubbles in the airlock? 

That's a fair question to ask and there are often some simple answers which should arrest any concerns.

It could be that there was a leak that allows the CO2 to escape from the fermenter. 

To teach you to suck rotten eggs, those bubbles in the air lock are carbon dioxide gas, the bi-product of fermentation and so could easily escape if the fermenter is not properly sealed.

You may have not tightened the drum enough or possibly not screwed in the tap properly. It's a good idea to check this is the case before you worry too much about a lack of bubbles.

If you didn't see any signs of fermentation it could be that it's too cold to brew.

Is your batch of beer in a warm enough place?

If you're brewing during summer months, it's probably not too cold and your beer will ferment just fine and the bubbles will share in your beer making joy. 

If you've left your beer in a cold place in the shed, then it may be too cold for fermentation to begin. If this is the case then you might want to consider moving your fermenter inside to a warmer place.

If you insist on keeping the fermenter in your man shed, you could consider wrapping it in blankets or old painting sheets like I do. 

This is a handy trick and will help to keep the chill off your homebrew. 

You've checked and you have no leaks, so is no bubbles in the airlock really a sign of a lack of fermentation?

The first thing to bear in mind is that it can take at least 15 hours of your Earth time before the CO2 bubbles start gurgling through the airlock.

So don't go drowning your sorrows just yet if the bubbles haven't started. 

If you think that your beer hasn't started brewing there's some very easy problem solving you can try. 

Look for the scum

You can look for a dark scum that rings around the 'water level' mark. It's easy to see with a glass fermenter but you should still be able to see it with a plastic drum. 

If the scum is sticking to the side, at the top of the water line, you can be pretty confident that fermentation is underway and your beer will be just fine! 

You can also check for signs of foam. A nice foam at the top of the water line also indicates that fermentation is taking place. If you have to open the drum to do this, make it quick and try not to sneeze in it. 

So I'm pretty sure fermentation has not occurred. What happened?

Give it 20 - 48 hours before you start to worry about a lack of bubbles or signs of fermentation. 

Then you may wish to consider other things that could have occurred. 

When you pitched the yeast, did you add it to a wort that was at the right temperature? If your wort was too hot and not cooled properly, your yeast may have died due to the heat. 

If you think you killed your yeast, you can always re-pitch with another set. 

Was your yeast fresh? If you were using an old packet, the yeast may have lost its spark and not have enough viable units to begin fermenting. If so, add a fresher yeast.

Did you rinse out the sanitizer? 

As an expert beer brewer, we KNOW you carefully sanitized the fermenter and all the equipment you used. But did you rinse it off it was the kind that needed it? If you cleaned with bleach, you need to rinse otherwise the residue could have killed your yeast.

How much water should I add to the airlock?

Give it a fair amount of water, at least half full. Brews that cause a bit of gas pressure can draw water back into the fermenter - if this happens simply refill the airlock. Fun point, some brewers get so freaked out about bacteria and contamination they use vodka instead of water.

Do I even need to use an airlock?

Airlocks are designed to allow the release of CO2 from the fermenter in a manner that prevents oxygen and bugs or bacteria entering the beer. So from that perspective, it is wise to use an airlock. 

You can of course decline to use them, after, all beer was made well before plastic was invented! 

You just need to keep your gas exit point clean - when I once broke an airlock (snap!) I simply used a paper towel stuffed into the hole - gas could still escape but no spiders could get in ;) 

Leave a Comment air lock, fermentation

Using heat pads to keep beer at correct brewing temperature

How to use a heat mat to keep homebrew warm

If you know a thing or two about beer making, it's how crucial temperature management is

It's kind of like how Goldilocks thought the porridge was too hot or too cold, it's only when the beer is made at the right temperature that you get one that tastes just right.

If you live in a cool climate, it's winter or you just don't' have the right place to brew your beer, then a heat pad could be what you need.

Heat pads or (panels) are electric heaters for fermenters and carboys that maintain the temperature so that your beer will brew as you want it. One does not use these units for necks, or shoulders but your cat might want to sleep on one....

Using a heat pad means you can brew all year round.

And the best thing about them is that they are to easy to use, you plug them in, place it under your fermenter and away you go.

Most units have a thermal regulator so that the pad doesn't overheat the wort. Generally speaking, this means you are able to keep your brew to 5-20 degrees Fahrenheit above room temperature.

Kenley reckon that when you’re making beer, mead, wine, cider or kombucha home brewing is part art, part science and part luck. So you can improve your chances of making a good beer by using their fermentation pad to create a consistent brew temperature throughout the brewing cycle.

At 12in (30cm) in diameter, this round heating mat is big enough to accommodate your standard carboy letting.

The bottom-up heating mimics and enhances the natural heat created by active yeast, giving you a better brew sooner. Check out the price on Amazon.

Don't like the black? Try the Propagate Pro in blue.

• Flexible and easy to clean heating mat, it includes stick on LCD Temp Strip 
• Built-in temperature regulation it will keep your brew, at the perfect temperature. 
• Voltage: 120 VAC 50/60hz 
• Wattage:25-Watts with a 6 foot long chord.

If you're wondering how well the unit does the job. Check out these reviews from people who have used it with success.

"Perfect for keeping the chill off during fermentation. I love mine"

"When I first began brewing Kombucha I couldn't get a good batch very quickly. It was taking over 3 weeks to ferment. After a little reading about what the problem could be, I realized the temperature was too cool. Bought this warmer and it did the trick. Perfect batches of Kombucha in about 10 days."

"This was great for maintaining a constant temp for fermentation of home brew. We used a sweatshirt to wrap around the top of the carboy."

"This little gem solved my problem of holding my fermentation to a specific temperature. I added a temperature controller to make this a plug-in and forget it operation.

"This product is super simple and works great!!" 

If these haven't warmed your heart, then nothing will make you check the price on Amazon.
Just be wary that if you are ordering outside of the US, you'll need to ensure the unit has the correct plug for your needs.

These units can also come in a 'wrap' format, where the wrap goes around the fermenter, not underneath.

Pads have also been known to keep a dog's sleeping area warm!

Leave a Comment fermentation, heat mat, heat pad, heat wrap, temperature

Is plastic or glass better for fermenting beer?

I saw on the 'net there had been some debate on NOT using plastic fermenters because of the risk of beer infection.

I thought this was a subject worth investigating further.

All I ever use is plastic fermenters and having only ever had one incident of infection which occurred to two different fermenters used in the same batch, I could be confident that I've never had an infection caused by using a plastic fermenter (what would the odds have been?!)

So what's the argument from the naysayers?

The reasoning is that given plastic is more easily scratched than glass those scratches can harbor bacteria so, the risk of infection is greater.

This seems a reasonable argument right?

And the simple solution would be to not scratch the plastic as you are cleaning and sanitizing right?

Given my experience and the fact, there are millions of plastic fermenters safely and happily in use around all corners of the globe, then there is nothing much to worry about.

That's provided of course that you follow a proper cleaning process before you add your beer wort for primary fermentation. 

Any decent beer brewer will tell you that the number one key to beer making success is by adopting methodical cleaning and sanitization practices every time you make beer.

We've covered this need before, but our favorite trick is to use sodium percarbonate and not being shy about using boiling water to kill bugs.

Home brewers around the world often swear by the ability of PBW to get their brewing gear brew ready.

So, to be clear I don't see the threat of infection as a reason to not use a plastic fermenter.

Sure, if they get too old or scratched you might totally want to replace one but on a cost basis when compared to glass carboys, they are a lot cheaper, indeed a check on Amazon shows that a carboy is generally roughly twice the price.

Indeed, if you are new to home brewing, the use of a plastic drum is a great way to start where you don't have to worry about damaging the glass!

Oxygen and beer aging

Aging beer is perhaps a reason that you may wish to use something other than a plastic fermenter. The reasoning here is that it's a bit easier for oxygen to enter the beer via plastic than it is beer.

If you weren't aware, other then when first mixing the wort, beer is best brewed with minimal exposure to O2 - and it's the same when bottling your beer as well.

That said the difference in permeability between glass and plastic arguably negligible when you consider most oxygen exchange is occurring through the bung and airlock.

ALSO, if you are trying to mimic the effect of a barrel-aged beer using oak, then some brewers do consider that some oxygen will help!

What you could do is do your primary fermentation in plastic and then if you intend to age a stout or whatever for a long time, you can transfer it to a secondary glass carboy.

Also (2!) bare in mind that by making such a transfer you create an opportunity for oxygen to enter the beer.

Whatever way you go, you totally need to keep your vessel free from a large amount of oxygen entering as it can assist with the growth of mould or other nasties and we really don't want that do we?

As you can see, it's a vicious cycle of contradictory information!

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