If you are like me the hardest part about homebrewing is waiting for the beer to ferment. It can seem like ages before you get to bottle and then actually drink it! So, I thought it would be a good idea to break down how you can ferment your beer in 7 days.

The key to doing this is to have your brewing process dialed in to be exact and you need some extra brewing tools.

First, you need to make sure you are using clean and appropriate water for homebrewing. If you are using tap water for example that will have some extra chemicals in it. Those could cause some slight off-flavors in your brew which may take a little longer than 7 days to ferment out.

Next, you need to make sure your temperature is on point. Now, this does range depending on the yeast you are using. For example, with our standard Mr. Beer yeast, we have found that the ideal range is right around 72 degrees. It does well a little warm and ferments fast. So check the recipe you are brewing, what yeast it is, and make sure you can hold that temperature consistently during the brewing process.

Regarding temperature, you also need to make sure that your wort is at the proper temperature as well before you pitch your yeast. This will help the yeast propagate and fermenter better.

Another factor that will help is that you need to make sure all of your brewing equipment is thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.

So if you have all the steps in the brewing process down to a science then you need something to check your brew so you know when it is done.

There are a few things you can use for this. I have some people use the Tilt which connects to an app on your phone to let you know once your beer is done. But if you don’t feel like spending the money you can also use a good old fashion Hydrometer.

When you first make your wort and before you pitch your yeast you will take a reading and this is your original gravity. As the yeast eats the sugars in your wort the gravity will decrease.

The way to know that your beer is done fermenting is that your gravity will not change within a 24 hour period. So for example, if you want to ferment for 7 days, you will take a gravity reading on day 6 and if that reading is the same on day 7 then your beer is done and ready to bottle.

With the proper equipment and a dialed-in brewing process, you can ferment a beer in 7 days.

A little side tip for you.

If you brew your beer in 7 days and you try one after carbonating and conditing and it tastes a little off, then it needs to condition longer. If you have any off-flavors in your brew we recommend letting the bottles sit at room temperature for an additional 7 days and then try one and see how it tastes. Repeat this process until the off-flavor in your beer is gone.

Cheers

Robert