How to Use a Beer Stack Fermente?

A beer stack fermenter is a popular choice for home brewers and small-scale breweries. It's designed to simplify the brewing process by allowing brewers to ferment, clarify and transfer their beer in one vessel.

Craft brewery equipment

In this guide, we will take you through how to use a beer stack fermenter step by step.

Step 1: Clean and sanitize

The first step in using a beer stack fermenter is to ensure that it is clean and sanitized. Even if the fermenter is new, it's essential to clean it thoroughly to remove any dirt, dust or debris. Once the fermenter is clean, sanitize it with a food-grade sanitizer to remove any bacteria or wild yeast that might affect the quality of your beer.

Step 2: Add the wort

Once the fermenter is sanitized, it's time to add the wort. Make sure that the wort is cooled down to the appropriate temperature before adding it to the fermenter. The temperature of the wort should be around 68°F to 72°F (20°C to 22°C) for ale and around 45°F to 55°F (7°C to 13°C) for lager. It's also essential to ensure that the wort is oxygenated to provide the yeast with the necessary nutrients to ferment.

Step 3: Pitch the yeast

After adding the wort to the fermenter, it's time to pitch the yeast. Make sure that the yeast is at the correct temperature and in good condition before adding it to the fermenter. Follow the manufacturer's instructions when adding the yeast, and be careful not to over-pitch or under-pitch.

Step 4: Fermentation

Once the yeast has been added, seal the fermenter and allow it to ferment for the required period. The length of the fermentation period will depend on the beer style and the specific yeast strain used. During the fermentation process, the yeast will consume the sugars in the wort and produce alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Step 5: Clarification

After fermentation is complete, the beer will need to clarify. The conical shape of the beer stack fermenter allows the yeast and other sediment to settle at the bottom of the vessel. Once the sediment has settled, you can drain the beer off the top of the sediment using the included valve. It's essential to be careful when draining the beer to avoid disturbing the sediment and affecting the clarity of the beer.

Step 6: Dry hopping or additional flavorings (optional)

If you want to add additional hop aroma and flavor to your beer, you can dry hop in the fermenter. Dry hopping involves adding hops to the beer after fermentation is complete, allowing the hops to infuse their aroma and flavor into the beer. If you decide to dry hop, make sure that the hops are sanitized before adding them to the fermenter.

Step 7: Carbonation

Once the beer is clarified, it's time to carbonate it. The simplest way to carbonate your beer is to transfer it to a keg or bottling bucket and add priming sugar or force carbonate it using a carbon dioxide (CO2) tank. If you are bottling your beer, make sure that the bottles are clean and sanitized before filling them.

In conclusion, using a beer stack fermenter is a straightforward process that can help simplify the brewing process. It's essential to ensure that the fermenter is clean and sanitized before adding the wort and yeast. Once fermentation is complete, the conical shape of the fermenter allows for easy clarification and dry hopping. Finally, carbonating your beer can be done by either adding priming sugar or force carbonating it using a CO2 tank. Is it very simple? Contact us for your own beer stack fermenter!