Irwinator

Recipes 

I've been reading through the forum for a few weeks now to try to find answers to my questions. I'm about to start on batch #2 and I know that I fermented a little bit on the hot side for the first batch.

I see that there are a lot of threads on the subject of fermentation and temperature, but I was wondering about how critical it was to keep the temp in the required range for the yeast during the different stages of fermentation.

I'm guessing that it's more critical in the primary stages and less in the later stages. Am I thinking correctly, or are all stages equally critical?

fratermus

Recipes 

If there were a consensus, it would likely be that the first few days are most important to keep in the yeast's preferred temp range.

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Adequate Mousetrap brewhouse

Batch history | yeast slants | Suspending yeast

mnadamn

Recipes 

I would definatly agree with that statement. I dont know how much of a drop you are looking for, but if it is just a couple degrees, then I would take a rubbermaid tub and put your carboy in it, fill the tub with some water, and throw a t-shirt on top of it. If you need a bigger drop in temp and have ac, you can move your carboy closer to the ac vent or even over the vent in a box made from rigid insulation. The temp can then be controlled but adjusting how much of the box is over the vent. These are the 2 methods which I use before I can afford to build my fermentation chamber.

tdavisii

Recipes 

Some great brews have been made with no temp control. On the other hand if you are really worried go to craigs list and buy a 50 dollar fridge of freezer and get a temp control.

mmb

Recipes 

For ales I try to start cool in the swamp cooler (65) and then as fermentation ends I'll let it ramp up to room temperature (68 - 70). As fermentation ends the yeast start to get lazy on the harder to process compounds in the beer and the boost in temperature helps keep them active. At the beginning of fermentation is when you want to keep your temperatures cool because during the reproduction stages the yeast through off a bunch of different compounds that you want them to clean up during the end of fermentation. Keeping temps down can help to limit the amount of undesirable compounds and byproducts of fermentation.

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White Dog Aleworks and Drafthouse

Throckmorton

Recipes 

... if you don't have the ability to use a fridge. I found this when I started brewing 7 years ago. I fell out of the hobby and restarted recently. I now live in the south and this thing is a must. It's not too expensive to make either. All the supplies can be found at Home Depot or Lowes.

http://home.elp.rr.com/brewbeer/chiller/chiller.PDF

Deacon1856

Recipes 

I built one of the things in the above poster's response. Works like a charm. I can get the thing into the 50's...no small thing here in sweltering KY!

cuinrearview

Recipes 

I use a rubbermaid tub with ice bottles rotated as needed. I've brewed at temps from 62 all the way to 72 in my 75 degree house this summer. I can keep temps +/- 1 degree of any temp. I want switching out bottles two times a day with this method, even at high krausen. This is the single most important thing I've done to produce better beer.

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Looking forward to brewing some beer

tomc

Recipes 

Hey thanks. I was thinking about buying another fridge but this looks like it'll be fine for ale fermentations. If I can find the "2-inch thick extruded polystyrene" , I may have a weekend project.

Ah, available at Lowe's $22.

Pyrenus

Recipes 

I can't find 2" thick in my area. I'm thinking of gluing two 1" thick slabs together.