Expert: John Snyder - 7/21/2006

Question
Hi. Thanks again. Does the 2-3 weeks of conditioning you describe have more to it than just dry hopping? I suppose the chemestry is way over my head. And I suppose the 6 month aging at the lower temps is for the higher alcohol, mashed, complex, and perhaps darker stouts and so forth, but likely not for my light pilsner made from extract? You're saying that I can age mine at even warmer room temps for a month or two. Great! That solves the storage problem in that time frame.
The reason I once asked about clarifiers is that I worry a little about active yeast getting into my system. I look after my health in other ways and that was one reason I got away from brewing years ago (the other was that, even with give-aways to friends, I was drinking too much beer). It seems nobody ever thinks about that. When you buy any kind of beer, it has been filtered or pasturized to take care of that issue, but for reasons of commercial storage, etc. I have heard from non-brewing sources that, as you imply, yeast live and finally croak-off after a while.  Would 2 months of aging, as above, render them kaput, do you think? I plan to use the gelatin per your suggestion to try to get most of the yeast out of suspension and firmly onto the bottle bottom (should I use more than the 1/2 teaspoon per 5 gallons that the catalog calls for?) Of couse, it would be nice to have clear beer, too.

But that remains to be seen...

Thanks,  -Jim S.
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Followup To

Question -
Hi.  Thanks, but I'm trying to sort out your answer. Maybe I should just get down to the particulars.
I brewed several 5 gallon batches in the mid-80s and only recently decided to get back to it in perhaps a smaller capacity. I discovered More Beer in Concord California and love their website and catalog. A lot of exciting developments have happened in  the intervening years. I have made 3 batches of about 100 ounces each in wide-mouth glass gallon jars and am happy with these but am still adjusting the hops to get that perfect balance (for me). These three used Safale-04 which has medium attenuation and high flocculation and is noted, as an English yeast, for fast fermentation and its ability to form a compact residue at the bottom of the bottle. This has been my experience. One week ago I boiled up a double batch and divided it between this yeast and Cooper's yeast, which has low attenuation(I like sweeter beer). The temp range is the same. The Safale, after three days, became dark and mostly clear with a thick (3/4 inch)deposit at the bottom, while the Cooper's had remained (even at a week) much lighter and opaque, with less activity as is evident with the airlock and surface bubble clusters, and also has less than half that sediment(sediments were equal 3 hour after pitch). Today I decanted both into new carboys but dry hopped only the Safale (to be bottled in a week) but left the other to see if it was really past the initial flurry or not(I don't want to dry hop and have a further brisk ferment scrub out the aroma). I tentatively plan to hop in another week and bottle in one more for the Cooper's.
So, per your answer, what comes next? When does fermentation truely end for a home brewer who does not filter or pasturize? I mean, priming the bottles just brings on renewed fermentation. Could you spell out the timeline in a little more detail? It's been taking me 60 days from pitch to consumption to age things to my liking(often at room temp, which is 68 to 80+ degrees). I am led to believe that "aging" is the total time from pitch, but I often think of it as the time post-bottling, after a week at 70 degrees to get the carbonation up. I have exact temp control in a little Igloo 56 qt frig(I bought a portable thermostat with sensor) that I use to brew and store bottles, but this is not big enough for as much beer as I will soon have on hand.
Thanks,  -Jim S.
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Answer -
Let me back up,now that I know what process you are using.I was describing a process,for a brewer that micro-brews.

Aging actually begins after primary fermentation is completed.

General time line:Ale

1----Primary Fermentation
 2-6 days after pitching when the bubbling rate drops off dramatically(1-5 per minute).The krausen will have started to settle back into the beer

2----Secondary fermentor-Conditioning Process
     2-3 weeks
 more than 6 weeks may require addition of fresh yeast,at bottling for good carbonation
 
3----Priming
2 weeks to carbonate at 65-75F,for yeast to consume the priming sugar

4----aging in bottle
1-2 months room temperature
6 months at 40-55F

hope this addresses your questions.Your temp range of 68-80+ is ok.  

Answer
The condtioning period is very important.This process is a function of the yeast.Many different compounds are produced by the yeast,beside ethanol(alcohol) and CO2.Many of those compounds formed are detrimental to beer flavor and stability.It is doing this time that the yeast reduces these compounds.Yeast also produces fusel alcohols during primary fermentation.These give harsh solvent-like tastes to beer.During the conditioning period these alcohols are converted by the yeast to more pleasant tasting fruity esters.Yeast starts to flocculate and settle out,and the beer starts to clear.High molecular weight proteins also settle out,greatly smoothing the taste of the beer

Beer begins to deteriorate,right after bottling.The fastness of this drop in flavor, aroma,and rise in winey,harsh and oxidized taste etc,is dictated by the temperature at which it is stored.

That is the reason the difference in storage time by temperature.At 32-36 degrees,beer can be kept for at least 1 year,before noticible taste changes

As far as your worry about brewers yeast affecting your health,not true.Brewers yeast is a great supplier of B complex vitamins,and the mineral chromium,all of which is good for human health.

The "croaking"of yeast cells has a detrimental affect on the fermentation process.In addition the dead cells then excrete compounds that alter beer flavor.

Don't increase the clarifier,above the recommended dose,as you can remove some compounds that favor beer flavor.The clarifiers main purpose is to compact the yeast,to keep it from transferring at decanting.

Beer clarity is also enhanced by a good wort boil,and cold break at cooling.

Hope this info is helpful.Any further info desired i will be glad to supply.

         John