Fermentation

In England’s East Midlands, the brewing trailblazer Thornbridge has rescued and is continuing to use a vital piece of British brewing heritage—an original Burton Union system. More than just a museum piece, the technology lends a suppleness to the ales that course through it.

In the never-ending quest for quality, brewers turn to specialized instruments to build a better understanding of their raw materials, their processes, and their beer.

Fermentation has been around for billions of years, but only recently did a new type emerge—lager fermentation, conducted by an organism that didn’t exist for much of Earth’s history. Here is its story... starting from the very, very beginning.

In this extended bonus clip from his video course, Urban Artifact cofounder and COO Bret Kollman Baker explains how to dial in acidity, sweetness, and a carefully managed fermentation for a fruit beer that excels.

From lower-strength versions to higher-gravity ones that need a bigger yeast pitch and more time, Third Eye co-owner and head brewer Kelly Montgomery details their approach to fermenting award-winning milk stouts.

Neutrality has long been a goal of lager fermentation, but some brewers are taking steps to coax more character from their yeast. From strain selection to variable pressure and temperature, here’s how they’re adding complexity, flavor, and nuance to today’s craft lagers.

The lager-brewing tradition is full of received wisdom and rules of thumb about how long it’s supposed to take to condition a beer. In reality, however, there’s no magic formula.

Brewers don’t make beer, yeast do—but they also make a lot more yeast. Here’s a look at some of the specialized gear that brewers use to propagate and ensure consistent pitches from batch to batch.

From our Illustrated Guide to Homebrewing, here’s an introduction to fermentation—and an explanation for why you might want to leave it alone for a while.

The quality of your beer hinges on the yeast and handling it properly—but it need not be difficult. From our Illustrated Guide to Homebrewing, here’s what you need to know about types of yeast and how to manage them so that your fermentation goes to plan.

These cool customers have co-evolved with us as brewers and drinkers, traveling and prospering while producing some of the world’s most popular beers. Behind these yeast strains and their important differences, there is a unique genetic story.

Aficionados view Gabe Fletcher of Alaska’s Anchorage Brewing as a master of modern barrel-aged barleywine, epitomized by the highly sought-after A Deal with the Devil. Here, he lays out his philosophy and methods developed over the years.

Tracking what’s happening inside your fermentors in real time is the best way to know when you have an issue with your yeast, what’s causing it, and how to fix it—ideally, without losing beer. These data curves help demonstrate how.

Live Oak founder Chip McElroy and head brewer Dusan Kwiatkowski explain why shallower horizontal tanks have a treasured place in their fermentation cellar.

Altstadt head brewer Craig Rowan shares advice on sanitation, pitching, and fermentation control for a great Munich-style helles—tips that could apply to virtually any type of lager.

Russian River cofounder and brewmaster Vinnie Cilurzo explains how choosing the right yeast and ensuring a healthy fermentation can help you reduce the risk of hop creep.

We found this digital hydrometer to be a snap to use, encouraging more diligent monitoring of our fermentations.

Even homebrewers who consistently ace their ales can get intimidated by the prospect of fermenting a lager. Here, Josh Weikert demystifies what makes it different and shares advice from some pros.

Sam Tierney, head brewer at The Propagator—Firestone Walker’s innovation brewhouse in Venice, California—separates conventional wisdom from cool science when it comes to brewing great lager. Proper technique is the key.

An American beer scene still dominated by IPA is enjoying a renaissance of small-scale lager brewing—the ground is fertile for combining the best of both. We don’t care what you call it—IPL, cold IPA, hoppy pilsner, whatever—as long as we get to drink it.