Fermentation temps in the first few days

I have a kinda strange question. I live in Texas, so brewing in the Summer is going to be an extreme challenge. My A/C just can't keep up in this old house with such little insulation when it's 110 outside. With work and everything going on, I can't keep adding bottles of ice at a fast enough rate because I won't be home. If I brew on a day when I have the next two or three off, and keep the temp nice and low during that time (which is when most fermenting seems to go on anyway), will my beer turn out decent?

My theory is that in the first few days, most of the fermenting happens. So if after these first few days the temp gets up to around 80, I will have minimal bad flavors produced because the rate of fermentation has slowed down so much. If anyone has any idea what the beer will turn out like, please let me know. Other wise, I guess I'll have to find an old fridge or freezer and rig up a thermostat to keep it in the 60's. Definitely not ideal, as I may have to move out of this big house into an apartment soon, and then it would be a waste.

Well I can tell u I do just this. I have not got around to makin a ferm chamber yet so this is what I do. I use the cold water bath with ice bottles during the crazy fermentation time once the krasen falls I stop keeping temps low. I have aged beers at room temp for a couple of weeks to a mouth or two at normal room temp and had no problems yet I think the only time fermentation temps really matter are during high fermentation rates on normal ales I could be wrong but I'm going to continue my process for now hope this helps Chopps

The only time I've had offer flavors have been during summer months when I've had a hard time controlling my fermentation temperatures. I think the only way to find out if keeping the beers at warmer temps after primary fermentation work is to just give it a try. However, I would recommend trying to keep the temps as low and stable as possible. I would try and find a fridge or chest freezer so you can build a fermentation chamber. You could try using a swamp cooler.

@Joey: You give me hope! Thanks man!

@Daybis: I use a swamp cooler right now .. but like I said, I just can't be around enough to keep replacing ice packs/ ice bottles/ whatever. I guess I can just work on my method, try it out once 110 hits, and hope for the best! I appreciate the advice.

Thanks again for the replies, but I gotta ask ... do you guys experience TEXAS heat? Does it reach 110 in GA and MS? I've never been.

HappyDrunk said:

Thanks again for the replies, but I gotta ask ... do you guys experience TEXAS heat? Does it reach 110 in GA and MS? I've never been.

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yeah man, i'm in austin & getting ready for the summer myself. even recently its been upwards of eighty in the house on some days & i've been concerned about the beer in the other room too. i've decided that i'm brewing saisons for the summer until i can get a fridge rigged with a thermostat.

from what i've read, there's some strains that like the upper eighties...perfect for a texas summer indoors (provided you leave the thermostat set at 85).

good luck.

I've never drank, much less thought about brewing a saison. I gotta go find some to see if I like it. Definitely seems like a good idea with the weather we get around here. Do you have any good brands to recommend?

I know from myself, higher temperature means a faster brew, which can be both a good and bad thing. The good meaning its quicker to bottle, the bad being the full flavour doesn't really come out, unless the beer is drunk slightly warmer than chilled, just enough so it feels cold on your throat. And I've done a brew with it reaching 41 degrees celcius, don't know how that compares.. but I know I shiver when its 70f, the main one I had fear for was my pilsner, it reached that incredibly high temp, am kinda surprised the yeast didn't die. No amount of ice packs around my brew tub could cool it by more than about 2 degrees, but here I am enjoying one right now.

Whyst 1187 which is used by many brew pubs ferments extremely fast and is known to go from brew to drinking in 7 days.

HappyDrunk said:

I've never drank, much less thought about brewing a saison. I gotta go find some to see if I like it. Definitely seems like a good idea with the weather we get around here. Do you have any good brands to recommend?

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this is what i'm brewing next. i've read good things about the temperatures it can deal with. only on my sixth batch so i'm still working off recipes/kits. good luck.

Find an old fridge on craigs list for 50 bucks or maybe on the side of the road for free, clean it up and use it as a fermentation chamber.

@dbhokie: I would, it's just that if I am going to move in a few months, I don't want to deal with it.

@antony: That looks like a good one. Did you get the extra yeast it recommends? Also, I meant a commercial brand saison I can get at the store to see if I even like it.

@SoberJi: Where the hell do you live?! That's around 106 .. no? Did the A/C break?

I live in Arizona and my house is never cooler than 75. I just brewed my first 5 gallon batch (which happened to be my first AG as well) after upgrading from the Mr Beer kit SWMBO got me and am using the swamp cooler method. I started out with ice water in the rubbermaid tub halfway up the side of the fermenter and swap out 1 or 2 frozen 2 liter bottles twice a day and am hovering around 62 on my fermentation. If you are having a hard time with cooling, add more frozen 2 liter bottles is my suggestion until you can get a fridge or freezer with a temp control. That's my plan at least and so far it seems to be working well. I will know more in a few months when the house is 80+ constantly.

HappyDrunk said:

Thanks again for the replies, but I gotta ask ... do you guys experience TEXAS heat? Does it reach 110 in GA and MS? I've never been.

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It gets very hot here during the summer. It gets very hot and humid and the biggest issue with the heat around here is the lack of wind or a breeze.

@Oclairbrew: I can keep it at proper temps when I am off work. The problem arises when I am working. I get home a lot of times and it's 80+ in the house during the summer! I just started brewing though, so this is the first summer I will have to deal with this problem.

@Daybis: I still don't think you have the kind of heat I get here in Texas! Either way man, good luck. Best thing I've found so far is to look into saison styles that can ferment at higher temps as antony suggested, keep rotating a LOT of frozen bottles, or find an old fridge and rig a thermostat. Have you been brewing long? If so, what did you do? Judging by your first post, I am guessing you found an old fridge or have a real nice swamp cooler set up.

I leave the house around 6am and put a fresh ice bottle in before I leave, I get home around 6pm or later and swap out for a fresh bottle and have only gone up by a degree or two. Not sure how it will go this summer when it will always be 80+ in the house, but I am encouraged with what I am doing now.

I use the ice bottles plus have it sitting in water with a tshirt with a fan blowing when I'm trying to keep it cool in the summer

HappyDrunk said:

@dbhokie: I would, it's just that if I am going to move in a few months, I don't want to deal with it.

@antony: That looks like a good one. Did you get the extra yeast it recommends? Also, I meant a commercial brand saison I can get at the store to see if I even like it.

@SoberJi: Where the hell do you live?! That's around 106 .. no? Did the A/C break?

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Australia, it gets insane here at times.. even using cold refrigerated water the temp still skyrocketed in about 6 hours. But it tastes nice enough, perhaps a little scratchy although I think that will smooth itself out

HappyDrunk said:

@antony: That looks like a good one. Did you get the extra yeast it recommends? Also, I meant a commercial brand saison I can get at the store to see if I even like it.

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do you have a spec's or other decent place that has imports/micro brews? saison dupont should be readily available at specs. i've picked one up there and at a few local good liquor stores.

i hadn't brewed mine yet. i've got a belgian blonde in my spare room & will be working on the saison next. hope to get a fridge by june...

Yeah I have a specs less than a mile away from my work! I've just never been looking for a saison I guess. I'll get one tomorrow for sure.