slow vs fast fermentation

will there be any difference in flavoring, coloring, clearness, or anything whether your beer ferments fast at a high temp, or slow at a colder temp?

if so, is either better? or are they just different and neither is better.

Fast fermentation at a high temp is bad for 99% of beer styles. High fermentation temps lead to off flavors caused by fusel alcohols, esters, phenols and other chemicals produced by yeast. Slow and cool is usually the best way to go. Cool and fast would be great, but yeast tend to slow down activity at lower temps. Pitch plenty of yeast, keep the temps low as appropriate and your beer will be better.

The degree to which this is true will depend on yeast strain, but there will absolutely be flavor differences between beers fermented at different temperatures. Ester production can vary greatly based on fermentation temps.

mmonteiro said:

will there be any difference in flavoring, coloring, clearness, or anything whether your beer ferments fast at a high temp, or slow at a colder temp?

if so, is either better? or are they just different and neither is better.

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If your temps are too hot the beer will ferment fast and develop all kinds of off flavors, if it's too cold it will go slow and you may not get the beer you want because the proper flavors will not develop. Every yeast has an optimal range and that's where you want it to be.

The yeast make the beer and contribute the ideal flavors. If you want to make great beer then focus on the yeast. Sometimes 3-5 degrees can be the difference between great beer and s***t. Also different yeast will make the same beer a totally different beer, for example if you brew a hefeweizen with an American ale strain you get an American wheat style beer, not a Hefeweizen.

In addition, the yeast really don't need your help, they know how to make beer, just give them what they want and they'll do all the work for you!

do u guys think i should try to lower my temp? its at 70, and fermentation is going fast, its an oatmeal stout.

mmonteiro said:

do u guys think i should try to lower my temp? its at 70, and fermentation is going fast, its an oatmeal stout.

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If the room is 70 degrees, the beer is probably much warmer. That would make it too warm for most yeast strains. If the beer itself is 70 degrees, that's probably ok.

Which yeast strain are you using? That's how you pick fermentation temperatures.

mmonteiro said:

do u guys think i should try to lower my temp? its at 70, and fermentation is going fast, its an oatmeal stout.

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Yes, keep in mind that fermentation creates heat so the internal temperature is higher than the ambient by possibly as much as 5 degrees or so,

Search your yeast strain and check the ideal range and shoot for mid to low of that range

just put it in an ice bath. is there any chance that that could harm the beer?

I think an ice bath could be a little extreme? You might get a lot of temperature-shocked yeast dropping out of fermentation where the temperature drops. Also you can't really maintain a constant temperature (other than 0C) with an ice bath.

Peppers16 said:

I think an ice bath could be a little extreme? You might get a lot of temperature-shocked yeast dropping out of fermentation where the temperature drops. Also you can't really maintain a constant temperature (other than 0C) with an ice bath.

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so after 30 minutes in the ice bath, its stopped bubbling... did i **** up?

No, but you shocked it with too quick a drop, you need to find a happy medium, give it a swirl and get it going again. Just try to find a cooler room to ferment in or place the primary in a tub of water/swamp cooler to help maintain a more reasonable temperature.

duboman said:

No, but you shocked it with too quick a drop, you need to find a happy medium, give it a swirl and get it going again. Just try to find a cooler room to ferment in or place the primary in a tub of water/swamp cooler to help maintain a more reasonable temperature.

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after shaking it, its started back up again, bubbling alot slower then before. but i wanted to slow it down in the first place. thanks for the help

mmonteiro said:

after shaking it, its started back up again, bubbling alot slower then before. but i wanted to slow it down in the first place. thanks for the help

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Awesome, now just try to maintain a consistent temp and you'll be golden!