Every now and then, we'll have users reporting that their beer is coming out TOO SWEET.
Generally speaking, using iGulu Brew Kits can help you reduce the possibility of an overly sweet beer, since the ingredients and brew parameters are all automatically set.
On some occasions though, users may have their iGulu unit in the basement or garage, where there are temperature fluctuations that would effect the fermentation stages of a beer.
If your beer is coming out too sweet, try moving the iGulu unit indoors to a more stable temperature environment, such as the kitchen.
Below are some common issues that would result in an overly sweet beer, more commonly experienced by more advanced brewers who use Master Mode, and are trying to make their own signature brews.
1. Insufficient Fermentation:
- Insufficient yeast: Not adding enough yeast or using old/inactive yeast can lead to incomplete fermentation.
- Low fermentation temperature: Yeast ferments most effectively within a specific temperature range. Too low temperatures can slow down fermentation.
2. High Gravity Wort:
- Excess sugar in the wort: Using too much malt extract or sugar can result in a wort with a high gravity, which can make it difficult for yeast to fully ferment.
3. Wort Oxygenation:
- Insufficient oxygenation: Sparging or mixing the wort with air before fermentation helps yeast grow and release enzymes necessary for fermentation.
- Excessive oxygenation: Over-oxygenating the wort can lead to the formation of off-flavors and premature yeast death, potentially leaving unfermented sugars.
4. Yeast Strain Selection:
- Low attenuation yeast: Some yeast strains are less efficient at fermenting sugars, leaving a sweeter beer.
5. Wort or Beer Composition:
- Unfermentable sugars: Certain complex sugars (e.g., dextrins) present in malt are not fermentable by yeast, contributing to sweetness.
- Fructose or lactose: Adding sugars like fructose or lactose to the wort can add sweetness that yeast cannot ferment.
6. Overpriming:
- Adding too much priming sugar: When priming beer for carbonation, excessive sugar addition can result in bottle bombs or a sweet-tasting beer.
7. Residual Maltotriose:
- Insufficient mashing temperature: Maltotriose is a complex sugar that can survive fermentation if the mash temperature is not high enough. This can contribute to sweetness.
8. Equipment Issues:
- Fermentation tank leaks: Air entering the iGulu tank can lead to oxygenation and potential yeast death, halting fermentation.
- Hydrometer malfunction: An inaccurate hydrometer reading can give a false impression of incomplete fermentation.
Do you have mix for good old British Bitter?