Beer Brewing: Does Your Beer Fermenter Taste Bitter? Don't Worry!

In the modern beer brewing process, conical fermenters have become the standard configuration of craft breweries around the world due to their high efficiency, hygiene, and easy operation. However, many brewers find that the liquid has a more obvious bitterness or even astringency when using conical tanks for fermentation, especially during the mid-to-late sampling or fermentation liquid discharge process, which often raises doubts: Is there a problem with the process or a defect in the equipment? This article will systematically analyze the reasons for the bitterness of the fermentation liquid in the conical tank, and provide coping and optimization suggestions to help you brew high-quality beer with pure flavor and harmonious taste.

Overview of conical fermentation tank:

Conical fermentation tank is a closed stainless steel fermentation container with a conical bottom, which is widely used in the primary fermentation and post-ripening process of beer. Its design advantages include:

It is conducive to the sedimentation and discharge of yeast and solids;

It is easy to achieve CIP cleaning and sanitation requirements;

It can perform multiple sampling, feeding, temperature control and pressure control operations;

It supports high-sealed fermentation and reduces oxidation and contamination risks.

Bitterness source analysis:

Bitterness during the fermentation process in a conical tank may usually come from the following aspects:

Hop residue: In the early stage of fermentation, there are hops that have not been fully filtered in the wort. The soaking time is prolonged during the fermentation process, resulting in excessive release of bitter substances;

Accumulation of yeast metabolites: Some yeast strains will produce bitter metabolic byproducts such as higher alcohols, aldehydes, sulfides, etc. under high pressure or high temperature;

Yeast autolysis products: If the yeast is not discharged in time in the late fermentation, autolysis will occur, which will release bitter and protease substances, affecting the taste;

Different positions for clearing/discharging: The sedimentation area at the bottom of the cone contains more yeast, dead cells, proteins, and hop residues. The fermentation liquid collected from this position is obviously bitter;

Incomplete CIP: If the tank is not cleaned thoroughly, especially if the residues in the dead corners of the cone are not completely removed, bitter contamination may also occur.

Response strategies and operational suggestions:

For the above problems, brewers can make adjustments and optimizations in the following aspects:

Improve the front-end filtration system: strengthen the wort clarification process to avoid hop residues from being brought into the fermentation tank;

Control fermentation parameters: such as temperature, pressure, pH, etc., select suitable yeast strains, and reduce the production of bitter metabolites;

Regularly drain yeast: timely remove precipitated yeast in the late stage of main fermentation to avoid autolysis reaction;

Optimize sampling position and sequence: It is recommended to take samples from the middle and upper part to evaluate the flavor of the wine, and avoid judging the overall quality based on the liquid deposited at the bottom of the cone;

Strengthen CIP cleaning: Use high-efficiency spray balls and appropriate alkaline cleaning agents to ensure that there is no residue on the cone and maintain hygiene standards.

The bitter taste of the fermentation liquid in the conical tank is not a systemic defect, but a manifestation of some unoptimized details in the brewing process. By strengthening equipment management, optimizing operating details, strengthening training and monitoring the fermentation process, this problem can be completely avoided, and high-quality beer with pure flavor and rich layers can be continuously brewed. As a professional beer equipment manufacturer, we are always committed to providing customers with advanced, stable and easy-to-use system solutions to help every brewer realize his or her dream of craftsmanship.