optimum ale ferm. temps.

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roymullins

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been placing thermometers around the house trying to determine the best place to sit the primary fermenter for a nice long time... temp fluctuates of course- from about 64-68 throughout the day/night... thinking this will be OK- any thoughts? I am trying my damnest to control temps. better thanks to the advice of many on here- before I put it in the garage and didn't worry about- hot, cold or otherwise- and I have had some off-flavor issues...
 
I think 62 to 64 is what most people shoot for as a general temp range. 68 is a little on the high side but not too bad if that's the best you can do. Keep in mind the first few days of fermentation will have a higher internal temperature by about 4 or 5 deg.
 
62-64 is even better! I have a spot for that- I thought that might be a little low...
 
Fermentation creates some heat, so at 62 outside, the beer can be as high as 67/68. If you can do 62 to 64 your set.
 
I use US-05 in most of my beers and I find that two days at 60-62 then ramping it up to about 64-66 is perfect.
 
An easy way to control temp fluctuations is to place the fermenter in a water bath, like a swamp cooler.

If you want, since you're already in the mid 60's, a couple of frozen pop bottles might be enought to keep your temps down in the lower 60's.
 
I love brewing this time of year you can put them almost anywhere in your house,I got a beer i just made in a corner close to a heater around 66 to start, then will move it to basement stairs @ low 60's for primary fermentation,then I will move it back up closer to mid-high 60's to dryhop for a week. Low cost manual temperture control.:D. Using a smaller carboy in a tote,helps too.
I could lager pretty easily in my basement this time of year with a swamp cooler,but I still managed to do it successfully in the middle of summer-just had to change out frozen bottles more often. Never fluccuated more than 5 degrees.
 
jonmohno said:
I love brewing this time of year you can put them almost anywhere in your house,I got a beer i just made in a corner close to a heater around 66 to start, then will move it to basement stairs @ low 60's for primary fermentation,then I will move it back up closer to mid-high 60's to dryhop for a week. Low cost manual temperture control.:D. Using a smaller carboy in a tote,helps too.
I could lager pretty easily in my basement this time of year with a swamp cooler,but I still managed to do it successfully in the middle of summer-just had to change out frozen bottles more often. Never fluccuated more than 5 degrees.
Click to expand...

Did you notice any fvissues with a 5 degree temp fluctuation?

To the op, I try to keep my fermentor at 62-64 for a cleaner fermentation, then raise the temp a few degrees after a week. Ambient temp is immaterial.
 
OK... how the heck do you keep your fermentor at 62-64? Mine swings between 63 and 70 due to who is home, (the wife turns the heat up) and what is going on outside... without some kind of device to specifically control temps.- how does one keep their temps so f-ing constant?
 
roymullins said:
OK... how the heck do you keep your fermentor at 62-64? Mine swings between 63 and 70 due to who is home, (the wife turns the heat up) and what is going on outside... without some kind of device to specifically control temps.- how does one keep their temps so f-ing constant?
Click to expand...

Water bath is the least expensive way.
Water temperature fluctuates much less than air temperature.
 
OK... I have just bottled after three weeks in a primary bucket in the low-mid 60's... now to wait a couple of weeks for carbonation... I am tempted to move them to a warmer spot to allow for carbonation but I hesitate because I fear that rise in temperature... any thoughts? now that it is in the bottle is it safe to warm it up a bit or shall I leave it in the low-mid 60's to carb... ?
 
More them somewhere warmer than low 60's. About 70 or so is good. They will carb in the low 60's, but it will take longer.A little warmer won't hurt at all.
 
From what I've seen, you WANT to raise your bottles up to 70-72* for carbonation.

When seaching around this site for that same answer, most people quoted or linked to this: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f35/bottling-tips-homebrewer-94812/

You COULD leave them cooler, but just know that it will take longer to carb and waiting is hard enough! (as I still have yet to crack into my 1st batch)

:mug:
 

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