What temp should i ferment my Ale at?

From what i gather from the search it seems i should do about 62-64.But I'm thinking about just making a temp controlled fermentation chamber with an old reptile cage thermostat.What would be the ideal temp to ferment at,and should it stay constant or would it be beneficial to change it a little during the fermentation?

EDIT....If it matters I'm going to be brewing a porter.Duh.

that depends on the yeast and style of beer. I tend to ferment most of my ales at 68 when using wyeast 1056 american ale yeast or any of the english yeasts.

It's a honey porter from Midwest and i will be using Munton's dry yeast.If i should get a better yeast let me know,i should have checked before i got it.

I would go with a liquid american ale yeast strain or an english strain. Toss that pack of muntons in the garbage. I am partial to the wyeast 1056 for the american ale strain or the 1968 London ESB.

Would i have to make a starter with the liquid?

Now that I'm looking at yeast,What's the difference between a propagator and an activator?

Addicted said:

Now that I'm looking at yeast,What's the difference between a propagator and an activator?

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Propagator vs. Activator is really just a difference in yeast cell count in the package. Propagator has around 25 billion cells and needs a starter for sure. Activator is supposed to have 100 billion cells, and may not need a starter. Even so, a lot of people still make a starter with an Activator pack.

If you really want to pitch liquid yeast without a starter, your best bet is with an Activator pack. The lower the gravity of the beer, the more likely that pitching without a starter will be just fine. But as you go up in gravity, a starter is going to be beneficial.

As far as fermentation temps go, each yeast strain has an ideal temp range, so look at the yeast you plan on using and go from that. In most cases it's going to be between about 62-70 for an ale yeast, but just a few degrees in one way or the other can make a big difference depending on the strain. Also, keep in mind that during active fermentation your beer will be upwards of 5 or so degrees warmer than the ambient temp. So if you stick your fermenter in a 65 degree room, don't be surprised if your fermentation gets going and you're really at 70+ inside your fermenter.

Also, keep in mind that during active fermentation your beer will be upwards of 5 or so degrees warmer than the ambient temp. So if you stick your fermenter in a 65 degree room, don't be surprised if your fermentation gets going and you're really at 70+ inside your fermenter.

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Thanks,that one saved me some trouble.I would have set up a fermentation chamber at the exact temp i wanted.I would have been pretty surprised to find a much higher temp in the fermenter!

Ok,now I'm thinking it might be a good idea to start fermenting at a higher temp and lower it once it Get's going?

Don't think so much!

I know you want to make the best beer, but the only way to do that is through trial and error with YOUR system.

Drop to ferment temps and pitch that sucker.

I prefer to think a lot before starting something new that i Don't know a whole lot about.

I feel you.

I think you are close though. My recommend is fermentation temps or lower for pitching. 62-64 is fine for ferment. Pitch at 70, you're cool. Pitch plenty of yeast. I've been having good luck with low fermentation temps lately. Just decreases the chance for off flavors imo.

I guess imo it's just an art more than a science. Can't tell you how to paint a picture. Just trust your gut and have fun!

Cool,Thanks Man.I'm just trying to make sure i do this the best i can from the start.Tomorrow I'm going to get an old "Big" mini fridge i have and mate it with one of the many reptile cage thermometers i have,hopefully i can get a nice stable environment for fermentation.

Hoosier said:

I would go with a liquid american ale yeast strain or an english strain. Toss that pack of muntons in the garbage. I am partial to the wyeast 1056 for the american ale strain or the 1968 London ESB.

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People make good beer with many yeast strains. Don't throw things out, experiment with them.

Addicted said:

Ok,now I'm thinking it might be a good idea to start fermenting at a higher temp and lower it once it Get's going?

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Not a good idea. This will stress your yeast and they will kick out more off flavors (diacetyl). Like the previous poster said, get it down to fermentation temp and pitch away.

Yeast companies say to keep it above 70 until fermentation begins because this will help the yeast grow at a faster rate, but this is not ideal for your beer's flavor.

Setting my temp control (johnson's analog) about 2 degrees below my target fermenting temperature seems to get me a degree withing where I want to be. I judge the fermentation temperature with a wireless "outdoor" thermometer placed right against the carboy. It may not be exact, but I've been getting pretty damn good yeast performance with this method. After the vigorous fermentation is complete, I bump the temp controller up to the target fermenting temp to keep the yeast from dropping out.

The target yeast temp will be dependent on the yeast strain used. ALl I could find on the Munton's is "Temperature range: 59°F - 75°F." So shoot for mid to low 60's and you should be fine.