Open Fermentation

[SEBC]

Is anybody fermenting non sour beers via open fermentation and letting fermentation complete in open fermenter without sending to a secondary conditioning tank before transferring to a Brite tank? If so, can you please describe your process and what style of beers and yeasts?

Mike D
Scorched Earth Brewing Co
mdallas@scorchedearthbrewing.com

[dick murton]

You are pretty much describing traditional open fermentation systems, used for centuries, and still widely used in the UK at least in small breweries. However, you need to use a top fermenting / cropping yeast to provide a reasonable degree of of protection against airborne contaminants. Many of the micros, possibly the majority will rack into cask directly from the FV. However, many will also transfer to a settling tank, and may add auxiliary finings to help yeast and particularly protein settling in the settling tank, prior to racking into casks.

If you want to use a bottom fermenting / cropping yeast, then covered vessels are virtually essential.

Beer types - I have produced anything from 2.5 % milds to 11%+ barley wines in open FVs. Basically any style that uses a top fermenting / cropping yeast should be possible.

[SEBC]

Thanks

Dick

Thanks so much for the reply.