secondary temps

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Brewno

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This is from another thread

question:
hoppedup said:
from forum searching, i see it mentioned for some ale yeasts to be ok at 70-74F ferment temps, altho best to be lower.

any specific details on acceptable range for the american ale 1056 dried yeast? i can probbaly keep it at 70F in the basement, but if there is no benefeit or possibility of issues at 74F, id feel alot better, cause when i go to work for the day i usually turn up the 'stat a bit.

answer:
74 will be ok, but 70 will be better...
generally you are looking at a cleaner, smoother better tasting beer if you stay near the bottom of the suggested temperature range for the yeast. I would leave the temp set at 70 for the week it is in the primary, if possible.

It got me thinking about my secondary. I used the same yeast (wyeast 1056 American Ale smackpack) and had my primary at 72-75 degrees. It was in the coolest place in my house during this heatwave we've been having. There may have been a day or two it hit 76. I never tried to bring the temp down on the fermenter because the wyeast pack said 70 -75 degrees so I thought it was ok.
After reading the above I'm second guessing now.

However that's not my question. The above post raised another question. What about my secondary. It's become even hotter around her and is expected to get worse. My basement thermometer is reading a steady 76-77 and the stick on thermometer on the carboy has remained at 74. How important is the range while in the clearing stage? Should I get the wet towel going?



Thanks

Tommy
 
I'd get the bucket and wet towel going. It may clear better at lower temps? You should be able to drop it to 70deg. pretty easily.
 
Exo said:
I'd get the bucket and wet towel going. It may clear better at lower temps? You should be able to drop it to 70deg. pretty easily.

I already had the carboy in a tub/basin and since I also already have it covered with a black T- shirt to protect it from light I used that. I just filled the basin with water and wet the T-shirt.
Simple enough.

It's hot. even upstairs with the A/C on it only gets to 76-78 deg.
The basement seems to stay at a steady 75-77 and the carboy itself reads 74 daily. But then again that could be more of the glass than the contents.

Tommy
 
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