PicoBrew Zymatic User manual

Zymatic
User Manual
V15-0730

Important Safety Information
• Exercise common sense while operating the Zymatic.
• Always use the keg cozy to shield the hot metal of the keg.
• Close supervision is needed when used around children.
• Allow machine to fully cool before removing or replacing
parts.
• Do not operate with a frayed cord or broken plug.
• Test the GFCI circuit breaker on the plug before every brew.
• Do not remove step filter from the Zymatic unless in pause
mode or brew cycle is completed.
• The step filter and contents may be hot when removing
from the machine.
• Do not immerse or soak the machine.
• Make sure all hoses are connected before starting a
brewing, rinsing or cleaning cycle.
• To avoid risk of electrical shock hazard do not disassemble
the Zymatic. There are no user serviceable parts inside.
• Various surfaces can get extremely hot during the brewing
cycle, use caution when handling the keg, hoses and
components.
• Do not remove the hose clamps, hot liquid spray may result.
• Do not remove the keg attachments while brewing.
© 2015 PicoBrew Inc. Zymatic® is a registered trademark and KegSmarts is a trademark
of PicoBrew, Inc. All other marks are property of their respective owners.
!

54
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Important Safety Information .................................2
SECTION 1 — Introduction to the Zymatic
1.1 Zymatic Components......................................6
1.2 How the Zymatic Works ................................. 10
1.3 Required Materials ...................................... 12
SECTION 2 — Setting Up Your Zymatic
2.1 Zymatic Setup............................................ 14
2.2 Zymatic Assembly ....................................... 15
2.3 Initial Rinse ............................................... 18
SECTION 3 — Brewing on your Zymatic
3.1 Selecting/Crafting a Recipe............................. 22
3.2 Preparing Ingredients ................................... 29
3.3 Brewing ................................................... 33
3.4 Chill ....................................................... 33
3.5 Pitch Yeast ............................................... 36
3.6 Fermentation............................................. 37
3.7 Rack....................................................... 39
3.8 Carbonate ................................................ 41
SECTION 4 — Care and Maintenance
4.1 General Cleaning (after every brew).................... 44
4.2 General Maintenance .................................... 45
4.3 Deep Clean (every 3-4 brews)........................... 46
SECTION 5 — Advanced Brewing Techniques
SECTION 6 — Menu Screens
6.1 Main Menu................................................ 50
6.2 Brew Menu ............................................... 52
SECTION 7 — Troubleshooting

6 7
SECTION 1
1.1 Zymatic Components
Please check to make sure you have all components before
continuing. If any parts are missing contact PicoBrew
immediately.
A - Zymatic
B - 6’ Power cord
C - USB cable
D - 25’ Ethernet cable
E - Diptube cleaning brush
F - Transfer tube
G - IN hose (gray ball lock)
H - OUT hose (black ball lock)
A
F
B C D
E
H
G
I - Step filter lid
J - 2 Mash screens (1 large and 1 small)
K - 4 Hop cages and lids
L - Adjunct compartment
M - Adjunct screen
N - Step filter
I
J
K
L
M
N

8 9
SECTION 1: HOW THE ZYMATIC®WORKS - CONTINUED
O - Foam trap (with spindle and felt washer)
P - Needle-less syringe
Q - Package of PBW
R - Dishwasher tablet
S - Bottle of antifoam
T - 2 Cleaning tubes
U - Keg cozy
Included, not pictured:
‒ Plastic hose wrench
‒ 4 small white nylon washers
‒ 4 silicone bands
‒ Keg seal
‒ Airlock
‒ Pico Pale ingredient kit
O P Q R S
T U

10 11
1.2 How the Zymatic Works
Heat
To heat the wort up to temperature, the Zymatic will bypass
the grain and hops in an area of the Step Filter called the Pass
Through. The Pass Through is the narrow area between the
Mash Compartment and the Adjunct Compartment. When
wort is heating up, it passes directly to the bottom of the step
filter, where it circulates through the drain and back into the
keg. The wort flow is controlled by the stepper (fluid) arm,
which is located above the step filter lid, in the Zymatic. The
Zymatic has been calibrated to keep the water level in the
bottom of the step filter below the grain and hops, so they are
only incorporated when the recipe calls for them.
Mash
Grains go in the mash compartment, where water is filtered
through the top and bottom mesh filter screens and
recirculated through the keg and Zymatic. This circulation
allows for temperature control.
Boil
Hops are boiled in cages in the Adjunct Compartment.
Each cage corresponds to a timed addition to the boil. The
cascading motion caused by the Adjunct Compartment
mimics manually adding hops to a boil pot. When a new hop
addition is added, the cascading motion allows the previous
addition to continue to boil, as well as the new addition
1 2 3 4

SECTION 2: SETTING UP YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
12 13
1.3 Required Materials
Before Your First Brew
1. Zymatic (A)
(assembled with power cord (B), IN hose (G), OUT hose
(H), and plastic hose wrench)
2. Step filter lid (I)
3. Step filter (N)
4. Small mash screen (J)
5. Adjunct screen (M)
6. Corny keg
7. Keg seal
8. 1 gallon of water
During Your Brew
1. Zymatic
2. Step filter lid (I)
3. Adjunct compartment (L)
4. Hop cages (K)
5. Step filter (N)
6. Adjunct screen (M)
7. Small and large mash screens (J)
8. Foam trap (with spindle and felt washer) (O)
9. Anti-foam (S)
10. Keg cozy (U)
11. 5-gallon corny keg
12. Keg seal
13. Water (amount varies by recipe)
14. Recipe kit (grains, hops, yeast)
Post-Brew
1. Yeast
2. Airlock
3. Sanitized water or alcohol
4. 5-gallon corny keg (with wort)
5. Ice (optional)
6. 5-10 gallon bucket (optional)
Rinse
1. Zymatic
2. Step filter (N)
3. 2 large containers for water
4. 1 gallon of water
5. 2 cleaning tubes (T)
Miscellaneous
1. Sampling from the Sampling Port
(a) Needleless syringes (P)
2. Keg Cleaning
(a) Diptube cleaning brush (E)
(b) Pro Brewers Wash (Q)
(c) Racking/transferring
(d) Transfer tube (F)
3. Non-WiFi Internet Connection
(a) Ethernet cord (D)
4. Firmware Updates
(a) USB cable (C)

SECTION 2: SETTING UP YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
14 15
SECTION 2
Setting Up Your Zymatic
2.1 Zymatic Setup
A - On/Off switch
B - OLED display
C - Control knob (twist to scroll, press to select)
D - White nylon washers
E - Inline filter
F - OUT (black) hose connects to OUT post of keg,
controls flow into step filter
G - IN (gray) hose connects to IN post of keg, controls
flow into keg
H - Drip tray
I - Step filter
A
I
H
G
F
B C
D E
2.2 Zymatic Assembly
Set the Zymatic on a sturdy, level surface. Peel off any
remaining white protective film from all surfaces.
Insert the white nylon washers into the flare nut fittings on
the ends of each hose. This prevents the hoses from pumping
air or leaking.
1. Match the BLACK hose to the BLACK sticker and the
GRAYhose to the GRAY sticker.
GRAY
“IN hose”
← Front
BLACK
“OUT hose”
Back →
1
2

SECTION 2: SETTING UP YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
16 17
2. Hand tighten by screwing the flare nut onto the Zymatic,
then use the black plastic wrench to tighten further.
3. Keep the black plastic wrench and extra nylon washers
with this manual in case they are needed for any repairs
or replacements.
Remove red plug from the stepper arm. During plug removal
exercise caution so as to not yank or pull on stepper arm.
Plug the power cord into the back of the machine and into
an outlet. The Zymatic requires at least a 15 amp outlet
(standard in most houses). Do not overload the outlet with
other appliances that will use more than 15 amps.
If you are using Ethernet, plug the Ethernet cord into the back
of the machine. If you are using WiFi, skip this step. WiFi set
up will be completed upon the initial startup of the Zymatic
with on-screen instructions.
3
4

SECTION 2: SETTING UP YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
18 19
2.3 Initial Rinse
Before you start your first brew, you need to run a quick rinse
cycle using an empty bucket, your keg, and the cleaning wand.
Step filter set-up:
1. Place the smaller of the mash screens into the mash
compartment, so that it rests on the bottom ledge of
the step filter. This is the false bottom that the grain
will sit on.
2. Place the adjunct screen on the other side of the step
filter (the adjunct compartment), also resting on the
bottom ledge.
3. Place the lid on top of the step filter, ensuring that the
holes are aligned correctly. The indented (beveled) side
of the center hole should be facing up.
Slide step filter into Zymatic. There should be a little
resistance as the drain slides into place and the step filter
presses against the back of the Zymatic. Do not excessively
force step filter into drain. The step filter will stick out of the
machine by about an inch to allow for easy removal. If you
are having issues sliding step filter into place please contact
[e-mail] for assistance.
Switch on Zymatic. Scroll and click through menus. Follow the
on screen instructions if you are using WiFi.
Fill your keg with approximately 1.5 gallons of clean, hot tap
water. Place the keg either on the floor or on the counter next
to your Zymatic.
Connecting your keg to the Zymatic: Connect the black ball
lock to the keg post labeled OUT, and the gray ball lock to the
keg post labeled IN. Lift the outer ring of the ball lock, place it
on the appropriate keg post, let go of the outer ring and press
down firmly. The ball lock will click when it fits into place.
In the same manner, attach a cleaning wand to the GRAY ball
lock. Allow the gray hose to sit in an empty bucket.
1
4
5
2
3

21
SECTION 2: SETTING UP YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
20
A welcome screen will appear on the OLED display. Press the
control knob once to get to the menu. Select “Clean/Rinse.”
Then, select “Rinse” and the Zymatic will begin the initial
rinse cycle.
Once the rinse cycle completes, the Zymatic returns to
the main menu. Remove your step filter and dump out any
remaining water.
Disconnect the keg from the machine. To disconnect the
ball locks, pull up on the outer ring of the ball lock, and pull the
ball lock off of the kegpost. Dump any remaining water out
of the keg.
6
7
8

22 23
SECTION 3
Brewing on your Zymatic
3.1 Selecting/Crafting a Recipe
NOTE: If you prefer to use metric units in the recipe crafter,
change the option on the “Settings” tab in your picobrew.com
account. This adjusts all recipe measurements except text in
recipe notes.
Selecting a recipe
Login to your PicoBrew account, click the Community tab, and
choose “Recipe Library.”
Find the recipe you wish to brew by searching for the recipe
name or beer style in the “Search by Name” field. You can also
find recipes by author using the “Search by Author” field. Click
the recipe name to view recipe details and notes.
When you find a recipe you want to brew, click “Copy to My
Brewhouse” at the top of the recipe. The recipe will appear in
your Brewhouse and transfer automatically to your Zymatic.
Crafting a recipe
Login to your PicoBrew account, click the My Recipes tab and
choose “Craft Recipe.”
Recipe Name: Enter the name of your recipe. This will be
shown on your OLED display during your brew and if you
choose, shared with other users in our Recipe Library. Recipe
names cannot be longer than 20 characters, and can contain
only alphanumeric characters, single quote (‘), period (.), dash
(-), or underscore (_). Accented characters (such as è and ü) are
not allowed.
Recipe Type: Choose Beer or Sous Vide.
BJCP Style: Choose the style of beer you wish to create. If
you’re unsure about the beer styles offered, check http://
www.bjcp.org/2008styles/catdex.php for descriptions.
Finished Beer: Input the desired amount of finished beer.
This is the amount of drinkable beer you will have after
fermentation and racking. The default amount is 2.5 gallons.
To increase or decrease this volume, please contact info@
picobrew.com for assistance.
Tasting Notes: A description of the recipe. This field will
auto-fill while you create your recipe with a description of
the color, bitterness, and body. If you wish to give a different
description, click on the field and enter your own.
OG: As the recipe is crafted, the Original Gravity (OG) will
update depending on the amount of fermentables selected.
The OG is shown in the Vital Statistics box in the upper right
hand corner of the Recipe Crafter page. You can also input the
OG and your recipe will scale accordingly.
FG: A general prediction of the final gravity of your beer
based on the given OG and yeast attenuation. Fermentation
time, temperature, and other variables are not taken into
account here.
1
2
3
1
2

SECTION 3: BREWING ON YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
24 25
IBU: Calculated IBU (International Bittering Units) is based
on the hop types, amounts, alpha acid% (AA%), content,
and given time. The recipe crafter uses a Tinseth calculation
that is modified for the Zymatic’s boiling system based off
laboratory IBU testing. This field does not require editing,
but if you wish to input a specific IBU, select hops being used,
input the AA% and the time. Change the IBU number in the
Vital Statistics box to your desired IBU level and the recipe
crafter will scale accordingly.
SRM: The calculated Standard Reference Method (SRM) is
based on the color points of the malts selected. Use the pint
glass located to the left of the Vital Stats box as a visual aid.
As malts are selected, the pint glass changes color.
ABV%: A prediction of the alcohol by volume of your finished
beer. The actual ABV % is a calculation of the OG and FG.
Fermentables: Enter all grains, extracts and sugars that will
be used in your brew.
The maximum grain weight the step filter can hold is 9
lbs and the recipe crafter will produce a warning message
if you exceed the 9 lbs limit, although it will still attempt to
calculate. The only time a finished recipe should exceed 9
lbs is if you are adding sugar/extract to the keg and wish
to calculate the gravity including the addition. If you are
adjusting a recipe that wasn’t created for the Zymatic (for
example, a 5 gallon batch recipe), enter the recipe the way
that it appears (this will probably exceed 9 lbs, but will be
adjusted) and then enter the desired OG for the recipe into
the OG field. The recipe will adjust itself to match the OG and
keep the correct ratios of grains. If your desired OG exceeds
1.060, you need to select the High Efficiency Multi-Step
program under Mash Profile. Adjust the IBU levels in the
same manner.
Hop Type: Select the hops you are using.
Amount (oz): Input the desired amount of hops (max 1.5 oz
per compartment). If you are adjusting a recipe for a larger
batch, you can choose to scale to the correct IBU amount
afterward.
Alpha Acid %: This field will auto-fill with the average AA%
for the hop type you select. If you know the AA% of the hop
type (generally printed on the bag of hops), you can edit
this field.
Time: The time (in minutes) that you would like to boil each
hop. You may input the same time for different hop types. If
you do, you need to combine them in the same cage. You are
limited to four timed additions.
Adjuncts: Adjuncts is an optional field where you can select
ingredients which do not fall under fermentables or hops—
e.g. spices, wood, flowers, etc. These do not impact the
schedule—this section is for recipe notation only.
If you don’t see the adjunct you’d like to use, select “Other,”
and note the ingredient in the Notes section at the bottom of
the page.
Water Type: Do not used distilled or reverse osmosis water
(excessive foaming may result). If you are using tap water, be
sure it is water that you would be willing to drink.
3
4
5
6

SECTION 3: BREWING ON YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
26 27
Amendment: You can choose between Calcium Carbonate,
Calcium Chloride, Calcium Sulfate, or Magnesium Sulfate,
which are the most common types of amendments. If you are
not amending your water, just leave the field blank.
Amount: Amount of each amendment. You can make specific
notes about the amendments in the Notes section.
Mash Type: Choose between Single Step Infusion or High
Efficiency Multi-Step mash. If you choose Single Step
Infusion, you can adjust the mash temperature and time (we
do not recommend using less than 60 minutes for a single
step infusion).
The High Efficiency Multi- Step schedule will increase
your OG without changing your grain load. Notice that you
cannot change the temperature and time if you select High
Efficiency Multi-Step. Choosing a High Efficiency Multi-Step
schedule will run the following steps:
• Dough In at 102°F for 20 minutes
• Mash 1 at 152°F for 30 minutes
• Mash 2 at 154°F for 60 minutes
• Mash Out at 175°F for 10 minutes
(typical schedule)
The High Efficiency Multi-Step schedule is longer than a
typical brew—from start to finish, it takes approximately 5
hours to complete.
Boil Type: The only choice is Normal Single-Temp Boil. This
means that all hops will be boiled at 207°F by default.
If you are a high altitude user—use the ADVANCED edit tool
in the recipe crafter to change the boil temperature to 203°F.
You may also want to check boiling temperature guidelines
from your area for an accurate temperature assesment.
Temperature: 207°F is the default. We do not recommend
changing it unless you are an advanced user or plan on
brewing at a high altitude. The Zymatic is designed to
operate at temperatures below the boiling point of water.
Temperatures above 207°F may result in machine damage.
Time: The time will auto-fill to be the same as the longest
boiling hop. If you want to boil your wort before adding
hops, extend this time so that it is longer than your longest
boiling hop. Adding extra time will result in circulation of the
boiling wort through the pass-through area before the first
hop addition.
Yeast Name: Select your yeast. The yeast list includes yeasts
from Fermentis,White Labs, and Wyeast.
Range AA%: Range of attenuation given by the yeast
manufacturer.
Expected AA%: Defaults to the average attenuation
from the range. If you know your attenuation will be closer
to the end of one of the ranges (due to closely controlled
fermentation temps, yeast starters, etc.), this is an editable field.
Range Temp: The range of fermentation temperatures for the
yeast strain given by the yeast manufacturer.
Pitch Temp: Defaults to the average temperature within the
range. If you know what temperature you will be pitching your
yeast, enter the temperature here.This field will dictate what
temperature the batch will chill to if using a separate cooling
apparatus such as chiller or bucket methods.
Fermentation Type: Select either Normal Primary or
Advanced/Custom and either Ale or Lager. Normal
Primary fermentation will default to a typical ale or lager
fermentation schedule.
The Advanced/Custom fermentation option allows you to
input Names, Temperatures, and durations for custom steps.
These fermentation steps are used by the PicoBrew
KegSmarts system for automatic fermentation management.
8
7
9
10

SECTION 3: BREWING ON YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
28 29
3.2 Preparing Ingredients
NOTE: Proper cleaning and sanitizing of brewing equipment
is a CRITICAL part of the brewing process.Without it, you risk
the introduction of bacteria and contaminants into your beer.
• Cleaning: All equipment that comes into contact with
beer must be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed prior to
brewing. Unscented dish soap is effective, but must
be thoroughly rinsed off before brewing.
• Sanitizing: All equipment that comes into contact
with beer after it has been brewed needs to be
sanitized. We recommend using Star-San, or a
similar food-grade sanitizing solution. Generally, all
equipment should be soaked in a diluted sanitizing
solution for about 10 minutes before use. Kegs
should be filled with a diluted sanitizing solution, and
left to soak for about 10 minutes.
Fill your keg with the amount of water listed in your recipe.
Use a gallon jug and measuring cup or a scale (8.33 lbs water
= 1 gallon of water) to measure your water.
Accurate water measurement is important to ensure the
best results for your brew. Water measurement errors are
one of the most common problems brewers encounter. If you
use a scale to measure your water, don’t forget to tare it to
your container before adding water!
Name: Input the name of your fermentation step. You may
have up to 5 fermentation steps.
Temp: Input the temperature required for the fermentation
step.
Days: Input the number of days the fermentation step
will take.
Hours: Input the number of hours the fermentation step will
take (in addition to, or in lieu of the Days section).
11
12
Any other notes you would like to add should go in the notes
section. We encourage lots of detail—this is a great place to
note dry-hopping and anything that was not already covered
in the recipe crafter.
If you plan on using the Advanced Recipe Control Program
Editor for your recipe—please note that here! Changes made
to the Advanced Recipe Control Program Editor are not
reflected on the recipe page so noting this in the Notes field
is especially critical and helpful for those downloading your
recipe from the library.
Note that any temperatures listed in this section do not
automatically adjust if the units change between Imperial
and Metric.
Save. Click the Save button when recipe crafting is complete.
This will sync and upload to the Zymatic automatically.
If you run into any issues selecting or crafting a recipe,
visit “Troubleshooting” under the “Support” tab of your
PicoBrew account.
1

SECTION 3: BREWING ON YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
30 31
To insert the black keg seal, start by inserting one end and
firmly pressing around the edge of the seal until it has been
pushed into place. Do not put too much pressure on the
center of the seal as it may fall into your keg.
Assemble the foam trap. Place a few drops of antifoam on to
the felt washer. Place the spindle on top of the felt washer
(long side of spindle pointing down). Insert the assembled
foam trap into the hole in the keg seal.
Measure (and grind, if necessary) your grain. Place the
smaller of the mash screens into the mash compartment, so
that it rests on the bottom ledge of the step filter. Pour grain
into the mash compartment on top of the small mash screen.
Level the grain with your hand. Do not compact. Place the
large mash screen on the top ledge of the step filter so it
rests over the grain.
Measure hops and place in appropriate cages. Secure lids.
Secure with silicone bands if lids feel loose.
Place the adjunct screen in the adjunct compartment of the
step filter, resting on the bottom ledge. Place each cage into
the adjunct compartment, on top of the adjunct screen, with
the longest boiling hop going into the first compartment (the
one with the notch).
4
3
25
6
7

SECTION 3: BREWING ON YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
32 33
Place the lid on the step filter, ensuring the holes are aligned
correctly. The indented (beveled) side of the center hole
should be facing up.
Slide the step filter into the Zymatic. The step filter will
protrude slightly over the drip tray.
Connect the black ball lock to the OUT keg post and the gray
ball lock to the IN keg post of your filled keg.
On the Brew Menu, press the selector knob and scroll to your
recipe to begin the brewing cycle!
3.3 Brewing
Your brew will require little to no work on your behalf for
the next few hours. Be sure to read through the recipe
notes to see if any sugar, kettle finings, or any other special
ingredients need to be added to the keg during the brew. We
recommend that you do not add Irish Moss directly to your
keg. You may add Irish Moss to your shortest boiling adjunct
compartment or use other finings such as Whirfloc or Super
Moss which can be added directly to the keg.
While your Zymatic brews, you can watch its progress online.
Login to your PicoBrew account, click the Sessions tab and
choose “Brewing”. Click your active session to view session
data with current wort and heat loop temperatures. You may
add notes to your Brewing Data graph by clicking a data point,
adding, and saving text.
3.4 Chill
After your brew finishes, you need to chill the wort and then
pitch your yeast. Chilling your wort beforehand is vital, as high
temperatures will kill the yeast, resulting in no fermentation.
We recommend chilling overnight but there are a variety of
other chilling methods that could be used.
10
11
(Beveled hole)(Hop Cage #1)
8
9

SECTION 3: BREWING ON YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
34 35
Chilling Overnight
After your brew is complete, the Zymatic will pause and
beep to alert you to prepare your chilling set up. Pressing the
control knob once will silence the alarm.
The next screen will give you an option to Begin the Chilling
Process or End the Brewing Session. Choose End the Brewing
Session.
Detach the hoses from the keg and gently pull off keg cozy.
CAUTION: The keg will be extremely hot!
Leaving the foam trap in place, let your keg sit for 10-12
hours, undisturbed. Once your wort has chilled to room
temperature, you may pitch your yeast. Replace the foam
trap with a sanitizer filled 3-piece airlock.
Ice Bucket Chill Method
In order to run the ice bucket chill, you will need two 5-10
gallon buckets, a long handled spoon, and about 10-15
pounds of ice. This process takes about 45 minutes.
After your brew cycle completes, your Zymatic will pause and
beep to alert you that it is time to chill the wort. Pressing the
control knob once will silence the alarm. A second press will
begin the chill process.
While the Zymatic is paused, remove ball locks, carefully pull
off your keg cozy, and reattach the ball locks.
CAUTION: The keg will be extremely hot!
Fill both buckets or large containers about a third with cold
water and half the ice. Carefully place the keg in the ice bath.
Select “Continue” and the Zymatic will begin the chill cycle.
1
Monitor the ice bath. As it warms, switch to the second
bucket in the same manner. Occasionally stir the ice water
with a long handled spoon to ensure the wort is chilling
uniformly.
After the Zymatic has indicated that the wort has reached
pitching temperature, it will continue to circulate wort for 10
more minutes to ensure all wort is the same temperature.
The Zymatic will then drain the remainder of the wort.
Once the chill cycle is complete, you may remove the ball
locks and pitch your yeast.
There are a variety of other wort chilling methods that one
could use—a copper coil chiller, a plate chiller, etc. Find the
method that suits you best. Consult the brewing videos and
forums for help and advice.
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
5
8
7
6

SECTION 3: BREWING ON YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
36 37
3.5 Pitch Yeast
Yeast comes in either dry or liquid form. Both types of yeast
can be used to ferment your wort. If you are using liquid
yeast, be sure to take it out of refrigeration when you start
your brew to give the yeast time to warm up. Prepare yeast
following manufacturer’s instructions. Dry yeast usually does
not require any preparation, although some brewers prefer to
proof their yeast.
After your wort is chilled to pitch temperature, remove the
keg seal and pour in your yeast. Your keg may have a large
head of foam depending on the chilling method used. This is
normal; give your keg a few swirls to incorporate the yeast
fully into the wort. Replace the keg seal.
Sanitize your airlock and fill with sterile water (or liquor) to
the fill line. The airlock keeps the keg properly sealed against
any wild yeast or bacteria, while still allowing it to release CO2
as the beer ferments.
Insert the airlock into the keg seal hole until it feels snug.
Carefully place your keg in a temperature controlled area,
such as a garage or closet or fermentation chamber such as
the KegSmarts system. Fermentation can take anywhere
from a week to several weeks depending on the brew. Make
sure to read your recipe for fermentation specifics.
Ales generally ferment at between 64°-70 °F (18°-21°C), while
lagers generally ferment between 49°-55°F (9°-13°C).
3.6 Fermentation
For best results, ensure your keg stays in a temperature
controlled area where it can sit undisturbed for a few weeks.
The exact temperature range depends on what yeast you’ve
selected, and what beer you’ve brewed.
As your beer ferments, CO2 is released through the airlock.
During the first few days of fermentation, you will likely see
the water in your airlock bubbling. This is a sign of active
fermentation.
The bubbling will slow down or completely stop when
fermentation is nearing completion (on average, 10 days).
OPTIONAL:
If you have a hydrometer, use it to take a gravity reading after
the recommended fermentation time is over to make sure the
beer has fermented completely. Take an initial reading, then
wait two days and take another reading. If the gravity reading
has not changed, fermentation is complete. If the gravity
continues to drop, your beer is still fermenting. If your beer did
1
2
3

SECTION 3: BREWING ON YOUR ZYMATIC®- CONTINUED
38 39
not ferment to the desired gravity ( a condition referred to as
“stuck fermentation”), you may have fermented in an area that
was too cool, or pitched with weak yeast.Try either moving the
keg to a warmer area or pitching more yeast.
Once fermentation has completed, you may either rack your
beer right away or keep it in cold condition (refrigerator
temperature), and “cold crash” for a few days to drop the
yeast out of suspension and give your beer a bit more clarity.
If you are looking for more precise fermentation control,
PicoBrew also offers a smart kegerator called KegSmarts,
which monitors fermentation temperatures and keg weights
in order to track the fermentation process. To learn more
about KegSmarts, visit http://www.picobrew.com/store
3.7 Rack
NOTE: It is CRITICAL that all equipment used in the racking
process is both cleaned and sanitized. Check Section 3.2 for
more information on cleaning and sanitization.
The racking process consists of transferring beer from the
fermenting vessel to a serving vessel. This is an important
step because it removes beer from the yeast cake that
formed in the bottom of the keg fermentation. If beer is
left on the yeast cake for too long (4 weeks or more) after
fermentation is complete, off flavors will result.
To rack your beer via the transfer tube included with your
Zymatic, you need a CO2tank and regulator to pressurize
your keg, as well as a separate 2.5 or 5-gallon serving keg.
Your regulator will allow you to control the amount of CO2
coming out of the tank. Attach a gray (IN) ball lock to the hose
on your regulator if it does not already have one attached.
Ensure that all parts that may come into contact with your
beer are sanitized before starting.
If you do not wish to rack with CO2and a transfer tube, you
can use a siphon—just be sure to avoid any trub or yeast that
has settled at the bottom of your keg. Siphons are available
at your local homebrew shop.
Consult the brewing videos at www.picobrew.com/about/
brewingvideos if you have further questions about how to
rack or bottle your beer.