blackcows

Recipes 

After many years of brewing I have finally gathered up the equipment to control fermenation temps, now that I can control them I need to know how I should control them.

I have probably brewed 50 batches of beer with no temperature control, sometimes I used ice but most of the time I relied on the weatherman to let me know when we might have a couple of cool days to brew and off I went hoping the beer didn't ferment to warm and give me off flavors. In the winter I used a coat to make sure the beer didn't get too cold.

I know that each yeast has a temperture range, in the past I usually just looked at the high and hoped to stay under or close. Now that I have temperature control how do I know where to set the temp within the suggested range? During fermentation is it set it and forget it or do I change temp during fermenation?

Thanks for the help.

Huff360

Recipes 

I like to start on the lower side of the recommended range. Just as you pass high krausen bump the temp up 1 or 2 degrees. Wait a day and bump up another 1 or 2. I continue that process till I reach the upper limit of the recommended range and then give it a day or two and pretty much all activity is complete.

I used to be a "leave it in primary for a month" guy, but with this process I rarely ever leave it in primary for more than 2 weeks. Straight to keg, and drink. Haven't seen any issues from the short conditioning time.

AmandaK

Recipes 

I also do a version of this. Normal ales I keep at around 64, then bump to 66, then to 68 over the course of a week.

Except for Belgians and lagers, obviously. Those are always a bit weird. I had to jump my saison with 3724 up to 90* for 10 days to get it down to FG!

__________________
BJCP Certified Beer Judge
On deck: Dopplebock, Pliny, Munich Helles, Big Brew Day CAP
Fermenting: #69 Nelson Saison, #72 3711 Cider Two, #76 West Coast Bitter
Souring: #32 Lambic 2.0, #49 Lambic 3.0, #60 3763 Flanders Brown, #61 WLP665 Flanders Brown
Conditioning: #38 Golden Sour, #58 Hooch Cider, #67 Schwarzbier, #70 3711 Cider, #71 Kolsch
Drinkin': #16 Lambic 1.0 (Drunk Monk BOS), #52 Rye Saison, #56 Saison-Brett, #57 BGSA, GUEUZE!, #65 Maibock

blackcows

Recipes 

I travel for work, if I were going to be gone during a ferment should I err on the high side or low side for fermentation?

duboman

Recipes 

If you choose the middle of the yeast's range you can very rarely go wrong IMO

__________________
Nothing Left to do but smile and drink beer.....

The Commune Brewing Company-Perfecting the "art" of beer since 2010

theBFG

Recipes 

I typically shoot for the low range (I also travel for work) and assume that whatever I have the cooler set to, the beer is probably 5* warmer (I tape the probe to the carboy and insulate it with a towel). When I come home I bump the temp up after a few days towards the higher end. Hope that makes sense/helps!

Phunhog

Recipes 

I start a couple of degrees cooler then after 48 hours set it at what ever temp I am going to ferment at. Today I brewed a Rye Pale Ale and will ferment at 68 with WL001 so I will start it at 65 degrees.

__________________
Check out my nanobrewery!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Two-Trees-Brewing-Co/102323289804018