Little too low or little too high fermentation temperature?

I'm planning to brew my second extract batch, Hank's Hefe Weizen with WLP300, tonight. My first batch, AHS American Brown Ale, is bottle conditioning in the basement.

I have the WLP300 starter going on my homemade stir plate ready for pitching tonight.

I have two possible locations to ferment the Hefe Weizen. One location ranges from 62-64 degrees and the other ranges from 68-72 degrees.

The 62-64 deg location slowly goes from 64 during the day to 62 at night.

The 68-72 deg location (basement) stays at 68 degrees except when the basement boiler kicks in, when it spikes to 72 degrees temporarily then comes back down to 68 degrees.

Between the two locations, which would be the better site for the Hefe Weizen? I'm guessing the 62-64 location since the internal fermentation bucket temperature will be slightly higher than that during active fermentation stage and it's better to shoot for the low range to prevent too much ester formation.

A second question: How about if the beer is an ale? Would it be better fermenting in the basement?

Any and all advice would be welcomed.

Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 68-72°F

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The esters produced by a Hefeweizen Ale Yeast are critical to the flavor. Since the temperature in the basement is mostly 68F, I'd do it there.

If I want a clean ferment, I stay at the low end for a yeast, if I want the esters, the high end.

I like lower temperatures, rather than higher temperatures, for fermentation. If you have a "stick on" thermometer on the outside of the fermenter, that can help tell you what the temperature of the beer is, and that's the important thing, regardless of room temperature. If it's in the cooler spot, and it's too cool (I doubt it would be), then you could move it to the warmer area. You would like the fermenting temperature of the beer to be right in the optimum temperature given by the manufacturer.

From White Labs website:

In Focus: Hefeweizen Ale Yeast

WLP300 Hefeweizen Ale Yeast
This famous German yeast is a strain used in the production of traditional, authentic wheat beers. It produces the banana and clove nose traditionally associated with German wheat beers and leaves the desired cloudy look of traditional German wheat beers.
Attenuation: 72-76%
Flocculation: Low
Optimum Fermentation Temperature: 68-72°F
Alcohol Tolerance: Medium
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I don't understand the question about what if you're fermenting an ale- you ARE fermenting an ale.

I do have a stick on thermometer so I can start in the cooler location and move to the basement if the beer temperature doesn't get to 68 degrees.

The reason why I like the first location is that it's in a guest bathroom shower stall so I can clean up easier in case of an explosion.

I plan on using a blow-off tube with the Hefe Weizen but I read about stopped up tubes. Even the ceiling is tiled in the shower stall so clean up would be infinitely easier than the finished basement.

Sounds like you have two good options, I go with whichever one is most convenient for you.

Well, once the active fermentation slowed down, I had to move the fermentation bucket because the temperature was too cold (63 deg) in the guest bathroom.

It is now in the basement where the warmer temperature (68 deg) has restarted (?) the active fermentation, i.e. the airlock is bubbling again.

Hope I didn't shake up the bucket too much in moving it downstairs.

tincob said:

Well, once the active fermentation slowed down, I had to move the fermentation bucket because the temperature was too cold (63 deg) in the guest bathroom.

It is now in the basement where the warmer temperature (68 deg) has restarted (?) the active fermentation, i.e. the airlock is bubbling again.

Hope I didn't shake up the bucket too much in moving it downstairs.

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It may not have restarted- a warmer temperature encourages dissolved co2 to come out of the liquid, and the airlock will bubble.

It sounds like it's going just fine! Moving the bucket is fine, don't worry!

I ferment everything in my basement which holds a relatively steady 63-64°F; but the fermentation process raises the temperature inside the fermenter to about 68° which seems to be a good spot for most ale yeasts.

Only after I bottle do I move everything upstairs to finish at about 70°

Just a little noob nervousness. I figured there's nothing to really to get concerned about.

The temperatures that I mentioned is the beer temperature read off of the stick-on thermometer.

Thanks YooperBrew for that bit of info. I didn't think about the co2 being released due to the warmer temperature.