How to Know When Fermentation Has Finished

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Portrait of Emmet Leahy

Emmet Leahy is the Chief Operating Officer and lead product developer at Clawhammer Supply, a small scale distillation and brewing equipment company. He loves the process of developing new equipment for making beer at home just as much as he does using it to brew his own beer. He's also passionate about teaching people how to use distillation equipment to produce distilled water, essential oils, and with the proper permits, fuel alcohol and distilled spirits.

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96 Comments

  • T
    Comment Author: tom

    Did a mix of corn syrup and yeast a month ago, can I still run it?

  • C
    Comment Author: Crystal

    We made 10pound sugar 1 cup yeast in a garbage can. it has sat for 6 days, starting to bubble. Not sure when we should still it? tried tonight and can taste some shine.
    How many days should we wait to still our shine?

  • B
    Comment Author: Bill

    i want to use 5 gallon buckets for mash. I have a 5 gal still pot. What do I do for the breather for fermenting? Do I need a separate type bottle or something? I have plenty of 5 gal. Buckets

  • LW
    Comment Author: Layle Willis

    I have had 5 gal of sugar wash happily bubbling away for 9 days. the temp is 72 deg. the bubbles are about 20-25 seconds apart. next batch will keep the temp. a little warmer. cant wait to make a for real corn mash.

  • C
    Comment Author: Charles

    I started mash of 50 lbs sugar and 50 lbs of ground corn. I used brewers yeast. I tested mash it was 20%. After 2 days the 2 30 gallon batches of mash taste like vinger. I have 2 five gallon batches that were sytarted same day these are down to 15% after2 days. I wonering if larger batches died?

    Charles