Fermenation Temps for US-05 with Long Primary?

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blackcows

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After several years I have finally put together a fermentation chamber and based on many posts I have read here I think I will begin to do longer primary fermentation and no secondary. I may still secondary on occasion but will try and avoid it. A few questions:

1. When is temperature control no longer important? In other words is there a point that I should just move it to my basement that is usually about 75 to 80 and call it good?

2. What would be the suggested temperature for US-05 from start to finish?

3. If I did decide to secondary would the answers to the first two question change?

Thanks in advance.
 
Way to get on the no-secondary wagon!

US-05 lists at 59F-75F but over 70F I've found it blasts out esters. I made a Pale Ale at 72F this summer as my basement heated up and could have sworn I threw in some Belgian yeast. It was not bad, and my friends loved it, but it was far from a clean fermentation. I'd stick around 65F.

Dave
 
I always stay below 70 but work real hard to stay below 65. A closed room in my cellar stays below 65 all winter long.
 
For actual active fermentation I keep US-05 in the low to mid 60s and have always had great results. I've never tried any higher than that, so I can't speak to the 70 degree range.

I would be very comfortable moving a carboy to a room with temps in the 80s once active fermentation is complete. I actually used to do that every now and again when I had a ferm chamber that only held one carboy. Generally speaking, fermentation temperature control is most important early. Now there's the aging temperature question and I'm pretty sure higher temps accelerate staling, oxidation, and the like, but I doubt a couple weeks will make a huge difference. If it were me, I'd just bottle it or keg it at that point, but there are plenty of threads on that topic and I'll assume you've read them and made your choice.
 

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