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/* 7. Don't Use Plastic Fermentors */
==3. Cool the Wort Quickly==
[[Cooling]] your beer quickly will increase the fallout of proteins and tannins that are bad for your beer and will also reduce the chance of infection. An immersion A [[Wort Chillers|wort chiller ]] is a relatively inexpensive early investment that will improve the clarity and quality of your beer. Cooling is particularly important for full batch boils.
==4. Boil for 60-90 Minutes==
[[Boiling]] your [[wort]] performs several important functions. It sterilizes your wort, vaporizes many undesirable compounds, releases bittering oils resins from the hops and coagulates proteins and tannins from the grains so they can fall out during cooling. To achieve all of these noble goals you need to boil for at least 60 minutes, and for lighter styles of beers a longer boil of 90 minutes is desirable.
==5. Control Fermentation Temperature==
Though relatively few brewers have dedicated fermentation refrigerators, there are simple methods you can use to maintain a a constant temperature for ales during fermentation. The best technique I've seen is to pick a cool, dry area in your home and then wrap the fermenter fermentor in wet towels and place a fan in front of it. Wet the towels every 12 hours or so, and you should get a steady fermentation temperature in the 66-68F range. Most brewing shops sell stick-on thermometers that can be attached to your fermentation vessel to monitor the temperature.
==6. Switch to a Full Batch Boil==
As mentioned above, [[Boiling]] your [[wort]] provides a large number of benefits to your beer. However if you are only boiling 2-3 gallons of a 5 gallon batch, then you are not getting the full benefits of a 60-90 minute boil. The purchase of a 7-12 gallon brew pot and (highly recommended) outdoor propane burner (which will make the spouse happy as you now brew outside) are great intermediate steps for moving to [[All Grain]] brewing and the full boils will improve your beer.
==7. Don't Use Plastic Fermentors==
Glass carboys (or stainless) fermentors offer significant advantages over the typical plastic bucket. First they are much easier to clean and sterilize [[?]]. Second, glass (or stainless) provides a 100% oxygen barrier, where plastic buckets are porous and can leak oxygen if stored for long periods. Third, plastic fermentors often have very poor seals around the top of the bucket and can leak in both directions making it difficult to determine when fermentation has actually completed. A 5 gallon glass carboy will do the job better, and is available at a very reasonable price from most stores.
==8. Make a Yeast Starter==
While pitching directly from a tube or packet of liquid yeast is OK, your beer will ferment better if you make a yeast starter first. Boil up a small amount of dried malt extract in a quart of water. Cool it well and then pitch your yeast into it 2-3 days before you brew. Install some foil or an airlock over it and place it in a cool dark location. When brew day comes, pitching your starter will result in a quicker start and less risk of infection or off flavors.
==9. Make Long Term Purchases==
You may have started brewing with something really simple, but if you enjoy brewing and think you might stay with it, then you are best off making long term purchases rather than a series of short term purchases. For example, early on I bought a 3 gallon pot, then a 5 gallon pot, then an 8 gallon enamel pot and finally a 9 gallon stainless. It would have been much cheaper to jump to the 9 gallon stainless after the 3 gallon pot. Similarly I've had several sizes of immersion chillers, finally settling on a two stage 3/8" diameter copper coil. If you instead make long term purchases (a good pot, a good chiller, glass carboys, a nice mash tun/cooler) you will save a lot of money in the long run.
==See Also==
* [[Processes]]
[[Category:IndexGlossary]]
[[Category:Processes]]
