Right Temperature?

So i have been having some trouble keeping my fermenting temperatures down, and keep ending up with a mouth wash alcohol taste that stays in the back of your mouth, for what seems like forever. I just picked up a Johnson fridge thermostat and i was wondering what temp to set the thermostat to? I plan to be brewing up an amber ale.

Depends on the yeast (not the brew/recipe)... I would set the controller to no more than the middle of the temperature range for the yeast. I would also fix the sensor to the side of the fermenter in order to get it to maintain the temperature. IF you have a thermowell in the fermenter, you could send the sensor probe down there.

I tape my probe to the side of the fermenter covered in bubble wrap. I would set it 65-68 range

It's all very yeast-strain dependent, of course. But for American style ales I typically find a temp in the low to mid 60's is best - perhaps 63-65. Enkamania's recommended temp range is very frequently used by homebrewers to frequently good effect, and it does make a vigorous fermentation more certain. I personally would only go that high with most American strains if I were uncertain about yeast health and viability, as it doesn't always lend itself to a perfectly clean flavor profile.

The temps noted are fermentation temps, bear in mind. The beer itself can get a fair amount warmer than ambient temperature during active fermentation. I wouldn't complain about an ambient temp of 60F for most american ales if the yeast is healthy (i.e. from a large, active starter) though 63 is perfectly fine as well. If you do what the previous posters recommend and set a probe to track the beer temperature, then I would go up to at least 63.

If you're having the alcohol burn taste, try something simple.
Bulk age your brew in a carboy, in a closet or basement for 2 weeks, then bottle.
I do a lot of "big beers" and i do my bottling in my basement and, let the bottles sit for 3 weeks at the same temp then transfer to the fridge for 2 weeks.
That taste you're describing will mellow out with time.
If it's the yeast stress flavor, then I recommend fixing 1 room of your living space to stay at a consistent temp. I have several fans rigged up to the thermostat in my basement..
Either way, aging your brew will help.

+1 for all the "depends on the yeast" comments. I go online and lookup the yeast I'm using, find the manufacturers site. Usually a .pdf you can download or just check the range on line. I go near the middle of the range, maybe 1 degree colder than the middle number. Make sure you have a good temp controller that's keeping the temp consistent.
I often use the S-05 dry yeast, at around 67F.
Cheers,

Sorry guy, the yeast I'm planning to use is wyeast 1332. The package says to ferment at 65-72F. But I've had people mention that my room temp should be colder than my fermentor to account for the internal temp of the fermentor. So would 5 or so degress colder work?

Dirk7728 said:

Sorry guy, the yeast I'm planning to use is wyeast 1332. The package says to ferment at 65-72F. But I've had people mention that my room temp should be colder than my fermentor to account for the internal temp of the fermentor. So would 5 or so degress colder work?

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I'd tape a piece of foam insulation to the side of my carboy and slip the temp probe between the carboy and insulation so the probe reads the carboy temp not the ambient temp. If you have a digital controller with a 1 degree differential I'd set it to 67 ( for an average ferment temp of 66). If you have an analog controller with a 3 degree differential I'd set it at 70 degrees, because the fridge won't shut off til the temp hits 66 and it will probably drop another degree after it does shut off.

Dirk7728 said:

Sorry guy, the yeast I'm planning to use is wyeast 1332. The package says to ferment at 65-72F. But I've had people mention that my room temp should be colder than my fermentor to account for the internal temp of the fermentor. So would 5 or so degress colder work?

Click to expand...

I've started Wyeast strains 5-10F lower than the listed temperatures. Each time the yeast has gone to town and done a great job. 5F lower shouldn't be any issue at all. Just make a starter and add some yeast nutrient to the sort boil (for the brew).

BTW, my last brew used 1335 and it peaked at 66F.

From my experience, a mid sized gravity beer with the proper amount of pitched yeast will ferment at 3* hotter than ambient temp in a 5-6 gallon carboy. So if I want it to ferment at 65*, I set it at 62*. Big beers will ferment hotter so I'll drop it another degree or two and small beers won't produce as much heat so I set those 2* off. I also typically tend to ferment at the lowest side of the yeasts recommended range, the beer turns out cleaner.

This last comment is slightly misleading. I know this is an old post, but I wanted to comment for future readers.

They type of yeast can have a large impact on the fermentation temps. I have a belgian wit fermenting with an OG of 1.06. The ambient temperature is being held between 62 and 64. The internal temperature is about 70. That is a 6 - 7 degree difference...

When I first started brewing my default ambient temp was 65 - 68. I never really paid attention to the type of yeast or the variation it may have on temperature. If I were to ferment at an ambient of 68 with this brew I would have a very different beer.