I have a Brewer's Best Summer Ale kit that says to ferment at temps between 64-72 degrees. If my ferment room is at 75 degrees during this heat wave, is it ok to ferment in? I'm reading on this forum that people have fermented at temps as high as 80 degrees.
Ferment temp
- Thread starter CaptKaos
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MultumInParvo
Well-Known Member
Capt Kaos. You're right, people get crazy on fermentation temps, but that is normally in Belgians and other beers.
What you want to do is keep temps down just a little. But don't worry, you don't need to invest in anything crazy. Put an old t-shirt on your fermentor and keep it wet. The evaporation will cool your fermentor down.
For a summer ale you're probably best around 680-70 and the t-shirt will get you there.
Oh yeah, and Ann Arbor is awesome. Hope the art fair didn't slow you down too much this week.
What you want to do is keep temps down just a little. But don't worry, you don't need to invest in anything crazy. Put an old t-shirt on your fermentor and keep it wet. The evaporation will cool your fermentor down.
For a summer ale you're probably best around 680-70 and the t-shirt will get you there.
Oh yeah, and Ann Arbor is awesome. Hope the art fair didn't slow you down too much this week.
What about increasing temperature by reaching end of fermentation?
I read that it is recommended to start fermentation at low and end at higher temperature because of diacetyl rest.
When would be appropriate time to increase temperature, 7 days should be enough (if overall time is 14 days)?
I read that it is recommended to start fermentation at low and end at higher temperature because of diacetyl rest.
When would be appropriate time to increase temperature, 7 days should be enough (if overall time is 14 days)?
Paramecium
Well-Known Member
The more precise you can make your temp control the better. You can just let it go but depending on the beer style and the yeast used, you can end up with all sorts of off flavors. Like Multum said, a t-shirt will work to at least keep it down a bit. Stick it in the coolest part of your house if you can. Like many of us you may decide the best way to go is a ferm chamber of some sort. If you want to be able to repeat batches and control the temp more precisely that's the eventual way to go. Or you can brew for the season, belgians, saisons and other beers that like warm temp in the summer, colder stuff in the winter.
Just put up a batch of amber ale yesterday. The basement was at 72F. That could be a bit too warm. So I put the fermenter into a basin of water, added a T-shirt around the fermenter and setup a box fan to blow acrossed it. Temp inside the t-shirt is 62F.
My first try with a evaporation cooler. so not bad.....mike
My first try with a evaporation cooler. so not bad.....mike
This. Fermentation temp is right up there with pitching enough yeast when it comes to limiting off flavors in your beer. Ferment too warm and you'll get phenols and even fusel (hot) alcohol.
CaptKaos
Well-Known Member
Not to be a downer but I can't stand this town. Yes, I am very happy the Art Fair is over. Wanna buy my house? It is walking distance to Main St on the west side.
Just to answer to myself about diacetyl rest, maybe someone will find it helpful..
It is recommended to allow beer to finish at higher temperature for last two days. That"s more important to lagers than to ales since fermentation temperature for ales is in range of diacetyl rest, but it is still good to keep it at higher temp. for few more days so yeast can reduce diacetyl.
Source:
http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/Diacetyl_Time_Line.pdf
