2.4 Fermentation

Following the boil, the wort is run into a vessel called the hopback (Figure 8, Step 6), where the hops settle and the wort is strained and transferred into a fermentation vessel. Next follows rapid cooling to a temperature at which yeast can be added (approximately 16–17°C). When the yeast is added to the wort the actual process of fermentation begins.

As a chemical equation, this would be written as:

The time needed for fermentation varies between breweries, but at Hook Norton it is around one week. Following completion of fermentation the beer is transferred into a new tank, sometimes referred to as a conditioning tank or, at Hook Norton, casks.

You will learn about the process of conditioning and storage in Week 4 and see how it further impacts on the finished beer.