noob question (How to Stop Fermentation)

Want to know how to stop fermentation when alcohol content reaches a specific point.

Based on the amount of sugars you start with in your wort and the type of yeast. The yeast will consume a certain amount of those sugars and it will give you a certain ABV

You can take your carboy, and put it in a refrigerator...or cool it down to under 40F some other way. This will cause the yeast to go dormant and stop producing alcohols. While this works, there are several bad things about it:

1. When you bottle, and warm the beer back up you risk having bottle bombs due to all the extra sugars still in the beer.

2. After alcohol production, there are many chemicals and other byproducts left from the yeast activity. After the yeast has consumed the sugars, it will "clean up" after itself and you will be left with a cleaner tasting beer. If you prevent the yeast from doing this, you run the risk of off-flavors.

3. Depending on the style, you may be left with an overly-sweet beer. You haven't let the yeast consume all possible sugars in the beer so your beer may not be true to the style you're brewing.

Well you can KILL the yeast like the wine makers do w/ (dont quote me on this) CAMDON TABLETS. But why would you want to do that?
JJ

It would be easier to adjust the recipe for the alcohol level you are shooting for.

Here in Utah they regulate beer to 3.2!! not sure how they do it but the brewery around put out some damn good beer.

Are you sure that's not 3.2 ABW (alcohol by weight)? You may be correct but I've heard of other states limiting certain stores from selling beer above 3.2 ABW, which equals about 4 ABV (alcohol by volume) I believe. Not a significant boost but a little more reasonable.

It really wouldn't surprise me if Utah actually was a 3.2 ABV limit. The last time I was there, a shot in Utah isn't a standard one, and I believe just recently they legalized sidecars to mixed drinks...as long as it's not one of the base spirit in the drink


Anyways, I too would just retool your beer style.

Utah is 3.2% all over. As to getting a certain percentage of alcohol, why do you want to stop it? The yeast are.... unstoppable!!! :rockin: The easiest way to adjust for alcohol content is to adjust the fermentables in your recipe.