Fermenting

The wort is pumped to the fermentation tank through a chiller (a heat exchanger) to lower the 200-degree wort to approximately 68 degrees. Ale yeast works best at warm temperatures, and it is very important to maintain the proper temperature. Uinta has about 1,520 barrels of fermentation space.

The yeast is added (pitched) into the wort and fermentation begins (yeast eats sugar). Fermentation takes 2 to 3 days depending on the original sugar content of the malts.

We most often use an ale yeast, which is a "top fermenting" yeast. That means the yeast ferments through the beer and comes to rest at the top of the brew. Ale is fermented at higher temperatures and hence ferments at a faster rate than lager beers, resulting in a full flavored and robust character.