What temp for primary fermentation

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pellis007

pellis007

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So I brewed a 5 gallon batch of Caribou Slobber yesterday. I added a pound of brown sugar right before flame out, and my adjusted OG was 1.065. I used WYeast #1332 Northern Ale yeast and did a starter about 18 hrs prior to pitching. I pitched at about 78 degrees. The specs for this yeast say temperature range is 65-75 degrees. My basement ambient temp is 68 degrees and my primary is reading 72 degrees. I know this is in range but in that range, what should I be shooting for? I just put the primary into an evaporation bath with a fan trying to get the temp down to around 70. For the best results should I shoot for higher, lower or middle of that range? Thanks.
 
pellis007 said:
So maybe add some ice to my bath?
Click to expand...

Yep. That's what I do. I've got a stick if frozen water bottles in the freezer and I rotate them as needed to keep temps down.
 
That strain gets REALLY fruity above 70 degrees. I would have pitched at 63-64, and allowed it to warm up to about 66-68 degrees. Pitching at 78 is too warm, and then it's hard to get the temperature down. Yeast do great at being warmed up, but hate being cooled, so for next time try to get the wort cooler before pitching.

For now, a frozen water bottle in the water bath might do it.
 
Yooper said:
That strain gets REALLY fruity above 70 degrees. I would have pitched at 63-64, and allowed it to warm up to about 66-68 degrees. Pitching at 78 is too warm, and then it's hard to get the temperature down. Yeast do great at being warmed up, but hate being cooled, so for next time try to get the wort cooler before pitching.

For now, a frozen water bottle in the water bath might do it.
Click to expand...

I should have asked this question before I brewed. The packaged instructions said to pitch at 78 or lower. Once I hit 78 I got impatient..lol. Anyway...I added some ice packs to my water bath and I'm down to 67-68 degrees so far. It's the first 24 hrs of fermentation so hopefully I caught this in time. Thanks for all the input everyone. This forum has become my new favorite home:rockin:
 
It's been 10 days in primary. Krausen is starting to fall, airlock bubbles have slowed way down. SG was 1.020 tonight. according to my calculations based on the yeast I used and my OG of 1.065, my FG should end up between 1.018-1.021. Fermentation temp has been a constant 65 degrees since I moved it to a swamp bath on day 1. I'll take another reading in a couple days and if hasn't moved I'm going to rack to my secondary. Only reason is so I can free up my primary for another batch. I figure another 2-3 weeks in the secondary and another 2-3 for bottle conditioning, I'll be ready right before Christmas season! My Irish Red and my Cream Ale ought to be done around the same time. It's gonna be a nice holiday :rockin:
 
pellis007 said:
It's been 10 days in primary. Krausen is starting to fall, airlock bubbles have slowed way down. SG was 1.020 tonight. according to my calculations based on the yeast I used and my OG of 1.065, my FG should end up between 1.018-1.021. Fermentation temp has been a constant 65 degrees since I moved it to a swamp bath on day 1. I'll take another reading in a couple days and if hasn't moved I'm going to rack to my secondary. Only reason is so I can free up my primary for another batch. I figure another 2-3 weeks in the secondary and another 2-3 for bottle conditioning, I'll be ready right before Christmas season! My Irish Red and my Cream Ale ought to be done around the same time. It's gonna be a nice holiday :rockin:
Click to expand...

Instead of racking to a secondary, why not bottle it? If the gravity isn't moving, the beer is finished, and it's starting to clear, it can be bottled.

Racking risks certain things, like oxidation and possible infection (due to headspace when fermentation ends). Two weeks in a fermenter is plenty of time for Caribou Slobber, and I'd bottle it instead of racking it to a carboy.
 
That's an option I didn't even consider. The instructions mention 1-2 weeks primary, 2-4 in secondary, then bottle. If I bottle in 2 weeks, how long would you recommend bottle conditioning? I'll be going out of town next weekend, so by the time I get back to it, it will have been about 2 1/2 weeks, which I'm sure can't hurt.
 
pellis007 said:
That's an option I didn't even consider. The instructions mention 1-2 weeks primary, 2-4 in secondary, then bottle. If I bottle in 2 weeks, how long would you recommend bottle conditioning? I'll be going out of town next weekend, so by the time I get back to it, it will have been about 2 1/2 weeks, which I'm sure can't hurt.
Click to expand...

Bottle conditioning takes as long as it takes, generally 2 weeks or so at room temperature to carb up. Then the flavors start to meld and blend better, so that in a beer like that it probably is best at about 6-8 weeks after brewday.
 

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