As we all know, beer is an alcoholic beverage mainly brewed through fermentation. We will provide a brief introduction to the primary fermentation methods used by small-scale beer equipment to brew beer, so that you can have a better understanding of how to brew high-quality beer.
1. Rapid fermentation:
By controlling the fermentation conditions, and while preserving the original flavor, the fermentation cycle is shortened, equipment utilization rate is improved, and output is increased. The process control conditions for rapid fermentation are as follows: increasing the temperature during a specific stage of the fermentation process, increasing the amount of yeast inoculation, and stirring.
2. Concentrated mash fermentation:
This method has been used in production since 1967. It involves using high-concentration wort for fermentation, which is then diluted to achieve the desired concentration for the finished beer. It allows for increased output without the need for additional or expanded production equipment. The original wort concentration is generally around 16°P.
3. Continuous fermentation:
In 1906, a plan for continuous beer fermentation was introduced, but it wasn’t industrialized until 1967. The main countries utilizing continuous beer fermentation technology include New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and others. However, the widespread adoption of this technology has been limited due to issues such as strain variability, contamination from other bacteria, and impact on beer flavor.
4. Cylindrical-conical fermentation tank:
This is currently the commonly used method in beer production and has been in use since 1966. Its main advantages include: shortening the fermentation cycle, reducing investment costs, easy recovery of CO2 and yeast, and facilitating automatic control. Currently, 1000L tanks are widely used, with the material typically being stainless steel.
