Ambient Temperature Range for Bottle Conditioning Ales

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

xinunix

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2009
Messages
69
Reaction score
1
I have a bunch of beer bottled at various stages of the conditioning process and I am wondering what temps I should be targeting.

I have an ale that spent 3.5 weeks in the primary and then went to bottle. I kept the bottles in my chest freezer with ambient at approx. 68/70 for the first 10 days. However I just brewed a batch tonight and had to put the primary back in the chest freezer and took the ambient temp back down to approx. 62 to maintain an ideal fermentation range. I am assuming that is too cold for the bottles at only 10 days old. My house stays around 73, will I be ok to have these finish the final 10 days at that temp or is that too warm?

I also have some bottles from older batches that I have had "in storage" for almost 2 months. I don't have room for all of the bottles + primary in the chest freezer.

So, should I
1) keep the 10 day batch at room temp (73) and leave the other older beers in the chest freezer at 62
2) move all bottles to room temp at 73
3) keep the 10 day batch in the chest freezer at 62 and store the older beers at room temp
4) go ahead and refrigerate all of the older beers and do one of the above with the 10 day bottles

Thanks!
 
73 is just peachy for carbonating a beer. I would put anything already properly carbonated cool and keep the ones that still need time out in the room.
 
73 is fine for carbonating beer and you can keep it at the temperature as long as you like. I have about 8 cases bottled at my house right now but we only keep a 6 pack or 2 in the fridge at any time.
 
What Nurmey said. I didn't mean to say you have to put the ones that are done carbonating in the cooler. Just that if you have room for 'em in there, you can do that. Just keep the others out.
 
OK, I'll be the opposing opinion...

If your beers are completely done (good carbonation, etc) and you've got the fridge space, storing them cold will greatly increase their shelf life as well as improve flavor and clarity via lagering. I love having my completed inventory cold - no pre-planning; just grab one and pour.
 
??? I find beer to be best when aged at room temp for several months.. I don't keep them cold till I am ready to drink them, then let them chill for at least two days so the yeast packs to the bottom of the bottle. No problems yet and all the beers have tasted good.
I don't know about anyone else, but my SWMBO would smack my hands if I tried to put 8 six packs in the fridge.. Soon I will have a beer fridge, but right now.. Storing in the basement will have to do.
 
??? I find beer to be best when aged at room temp for several months.. I don't keep them cold till I am ready to drink them, then let them chill for at least two days so the yeast packs to the bottom of the bottle. No problems yet and all the beers have tasted good.
I don't know about anyone else, but my SWMBO would smack my hands if I tried to put 8 six packs in the fridge.. Soon I will have a beer fridge, but right now.. Storing in the basement will have to do.

You are correct, it ages better at temperatures above fridge temps.
 
You are correct, it ages better at temperatures above fridge temps.

Not necessarily. Otherwise, nobody would lager. Brew Strong did a show with head of the Brewing Science program at UC Davis, Dr. Charles Bamforth on HSA recently where he also discussed proper beer storage.
 
I have a warm room in my house. It is cut off from the central air system and stays between 75 -85F. I warm condition for 1 week in there, then I move them to the closet in the hallway. It stays near 72F all year.
 
personally i don't think there will be much difference no matter what option you choose. the 10 day old bottles will be fine in the cooler or at room temp.

70-72 is the temp i bottle condition at. Then I move them lower for storage. Storing around 50-60, or cellar temps, is great for long term storage. Room temp on most well made beers is more than ok for 6 or so months.

I wouldn't put a beer in a fridge until at least 3 weeks in bottle though, as you could retard the fermentation/carbonation and end up dropping yeast before it has eaten all the sugar. even if that happens, just warm it up a little and it should start again
 
Not necessarily. Otherwise, nobody would lager. Brew Strong did a show with head of the Brewing Science program at UC Davis, Dr. Charles Bamforth on HSA recently where he also discussed proper beer storage.

Dr. Charlie Bamforth from the BrewStrong Interview:

"keeping the beer as cold as possible is advantageous, terribly, terribly advantageous...that and the oxygen level in the finish product are the two biggest factors...overwhelmingly so, in controlling flavour stability"

He also mentioned that:
Every 10 degree rise in temperature (celsius) causes spoilage to occur 2 to 3 times faster.


So the colder the better.
 
That's all well and good once it comes time to store your beery-goodness. But if you store it cold before it bottle conditions, it'll take a lifetime before that beer carbonates. I noticed a difference between storing my bottles at 65 degrees for 4 weeks versus 72 degrees for 3 weeks.
 
That's all well and good once it comes time to store your beery-goodness. But if you store it cold before it bottle conditions, it'll take a lifetime before that beer carbonates. I noticed a difference between storing my bottles at 65 degrees for 4 weeks versus 72 degrees for 3 weeks.

Well, that's common sense. We're talking about long-term storage, post conditioning, of course (OP's option 4).
 
That's all well and good once it comes time to store your beery-goodness. But if you store it cold before it bottle conditions, it'll take a lifetime before that beer carbonates. I noticed a difference between storing my bottles at 65 degrees for 4 weeks versus 72 degrees for 3 weeks.

Ditto to what Jkarp said.

I mentioned in my previous post that his options of 62-75 should all be fine to carb, although you're right there will be a difference - it depends on several factors though, so worst case scenario you're just waiting another week or move them to a warmer spot.

Much lower than that though, depending on the yeast of course, and you risk not carbing at all.
 
What temp would be considered too high? My beers have been conditioning at 75-85. I am sure there will be at least a few days this summer where the temps will reach at least 90.
 
That depends but very likely you will be fine. I haven't tried it that high, but all else being equal (good clean fermentation, proper sugar additions, clean process), if you give it 2-3 weeks MAX, and then toss them in the fridge you should not have any major problems and your beer should be plenty carbed.

It is possible that the shelf life of your beer will be marginally diminished, but certainly nothing to be concerned about.

90 degrees would not be ideal for long term storage, just so we're clear. Your shelf life would be very short.
 
i tasted my beer after a week of conditioning at room temperature and it tasted fine. Was it a mistake to going ahead and refrigerate my beer after only one week? Did it still need to condition at room temperature longer? Should i take my beer out of the fridge and store it at room temperature a little while longer for any reason?
 
So what if you have brought your carboy into cooler temps after fermentation was done and its been sitting for a week at like say 62F to help carity and slow fermentation a little...but now need to bottle...should you bring it back up to 68F bottle and let it carbonate for a week or two and then bring it back down to 62F to condition? It's an IPA...
 
Back
Top