615
edits
Changes
m
no edit summary
On a homebrew scale a fair amount of attention has been paid to the topic of oxygen permeability in different fermentation vessels and closures <ref>[http://www2.parc.com/emdl/members/apte/GingerBeer.pdf Raj Apte's oxygen permeability table]</ref> <ref>[http://www.mocon.com/assets/documents/PPS_Article_highq.pdf Better Bottle closure study]</ref> <ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boLqmFIzUZ0&list=PLibE2BjPG_8H0IZe4fS2FD4uidCFhgzBn&index=4 Dan's video discussing airlocks and fermenters]</ref>. It has been suggested that sealing a glass carboy with a wooden dowel or chair leg can result in similar oxygen permeability as a wine barrel. Although this was quite a clever idea for replicating oxygen exposure, this is not recommended as it can lead to breakage of the glass carboys <ref name="Mad Fermentationist Oak">[http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2007/02/8-homebrew-barrel.html Mad Fermentationist $8 homebrew barrel]</ref>. While micro-oxygenation may be an important part of some spontaneous production it may be getting too much attention in homebrew carboy conditions <ref name="Mad Fermentationist Oak">[http://www.themadfermentationist.com/2007/02/8-homebrew-barrel.html Mad Fermentationist $8 homebrew barrel]</ref> (see comments) relative to other controls such as temperature, microbes, and time. See the [[Barrel]] page for discussions on the barrels available to homebrewers.
Regarding fermentation temperature, commercial producers looking for balanced acidity and flavor/aroma complexity prefer cooler fermentation temperatures in the range of the high 50s to low 60s F (~13-18 C) <ref name="Spontaneous Sour Hour">[http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/membersarchive/sourhour2015_05_wildfriendship.mp3 The Sour Hour Episode 11 with Rob Tod and Jason Perkins from Allagash, Jean Van Roy from Cantillon, and Vinnie Cilurzo from Russian River]</ref> (~1:14 in) (3 Fonteinen had temperature controlled cellars, highlighting the importance of aging temperature. Unfortunately this temperature control failed and resulted in the rbewery nearly going out of business <ref>[https://www.lambic.info/Brouwerij_3_Fonteinen lambic.info 3F]</ref>). This temperature range allows slow and balanced fermentation by the diverse array of microbes present. Warming the fermentation too much results in enhanced production of acidity which is out of line with what the lambic producer is aiming for. This can be used to the advantage of the brewer when producing certain non-lambic inspired spontaneously fermented beers (see below, Alternative applications of spontaneous fermentation).
===Blending (and Dumping)===