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06-21-2011, 03:17 PM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Memphis, Tn
Posts: 28
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Some basics
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Hello all -
*
Sort of new at brewing and love it.* But, as with anything, I HAVE to know the inner-workings and the why/how*of what I am doing.* 'Just becuase'* doesn't cut it for me. So....
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Fermentation - simplisticly speaking, yeast eats sugars.* By-products are CO2 which escapes and alcohol.** Good so far?** If one lets his brew go to full attenuation, are all the sugars eaten and all the yeast dies?* After attenuation, if I added more sugar or more yeast, would fermention begin again?* (adding one or the other, not both).
*
Carbonation - currently, I am adding priming sugar before bottling.* CO2 is obviously created and can't escape, so it carbonates my beer.* But that process is not fermetation, correct?* What happens to the priming sugar during this process/conditioning?* How much does the priming sugar affect taste?* (am I also backsweetening with a priming sugar?)
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06-21-2011, 03:27 PM
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#2
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bay City, MI
Posts: 755
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The bottling sugar is fermenting and creating c02 which has no where to go so it goes back into solution.
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06-21-2011, 03:28 PM
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#3
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Memphis, Tn
Posts: 28
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Is the fermentation in the bottles not changing my gravity and alcohol content?
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06-21-2011, 03:33 PM
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#4
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Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: "Detroitish" Michigan
Posts: 36,048
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Supergravi
Is the fermentation in the bottles not changing my gravity and alcohol content?
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The FERMENTATION of 5 ounces of priming sugar in the bottle only adds .003 gravity points to your gravity. So that alcohol content increase is really negligible. But it is fermentation nonetheless.
__________________
Revvy's one of the cool reverends. He has a Harley and a t-shirt that says on the back "If you can read this, the bitch was Raptured. - Madman
I gotta tell ya, just between us girls, that Revvy is HOT. Very tall, gorgeous grey hair and a terrific smile. He's very good looking in person, with a charismatic personality... he drives like a ****ing maniac! - YooperBrew
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06-21-2011, 03:37 PM
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#5
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Fort Worth, Tx
Posts: 283
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It is affecting your gravity and ABV but only a tiny bit. It is probably with in the margin of error of you hydrometer. If you really what to know the inner workings of brewing go buy "How to Brew" by John Palmer and read it cover to cover. Then you will want to read more books. And more books. And More.
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06-21-2011, 03:37 PM
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#6
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Memphis, Tn
Posts: 28
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Awesome. That's what I wanted to know. So, the yeast really never dies - just goes dormant?
Last edited by Supergravi; 06-21-2011 at 03:40 PM.
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06-21-2011, 03:37 PM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Bay City, MI
Posts: 755
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Once again I was beaten to the punch, by revvy.
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06-21-2011, 03:46 PM
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#8
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Memphis, Tn
Posts: 28
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Great stuff, guys. Thanks. Just ordered the book. This stuff is addicting!
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06-21-2011, 03:52 PM
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#9
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Junior Member
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Memphis, Tn
Posts: 28
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One clarification: the yeast goes dormant after attentuation correct? - does not die or breakdown. Attenuation is when there are no longer sugars to consume?
Chemically speaking, what does stabilizing do? I know it stops the yeast, but what is chemically happening? Can fermentation be reactivated after stabilizing with something like sorbate?
Last edited by Supergravi; 06-21-2011 at 03:59 PM.
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06-21-2011, 04:59 PM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Montrose, MN
Posts: 564
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Quote:
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One clarification: the yeast goes dormant after attentuation correct? - does not die or breakdown. Attenuation is when there are no longer sugars to consume?
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The yeast does go dormant, but it does die eventually when it runs out of energy reserves. This can take weeks or months depending on how well it was treated.
Quote:
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Chemically speaking, what does stabilizing do? I know it stops the yeast, but what is chemically happening? Can fermentation be reactivated after stabilizing with something like sorbate?
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I have never seen any reason for one to use any kind of stabilizer in a beer. When the yeast is done consuming what it can, what you are left with is the flavor, body, and sweetness of the beer. You can adjust all of those things by recipe formulation, mash temp, yeast selection, etc...
No need to ever use a stabilizer.
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