Fermentation Temperature range

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anengineer

anengineer

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The following graph shows the temperature change over 24-hours in my
basement. Data was recorded using Labview.

Please review the following graph and let me know how much I should be
concerned regarding my basement fermentation temperature.

Basement.jpg
 
You may want to track it over a longer period. It looks like the temperature fluctuates a bit with the weather? Either that or the times listed there aren't the actual time of day. If it only fluctuates +/- 2 degrees that is great! The thermal mass of the beer will keep it almost perfectly steady around 65.5.
 
Boleslaus said:
You may want to track it over a longer period. It looks like the temperature fluctuates a bit with the weather? Either that or the times listed there aren't the actual time of day. If it only fluctuates +/- 2 degrees that is great! The thermal mass of the beer will keep it almost perfectly steady around 65.5.
Click to expand...

Or it fluctuates in time with the weather and a cycling furnace.
 
If you are doing Lagers, you are so screwed ! :D

Ales, you are in the zone - brew on!
 
samc said:
If you are doing Lagers, you are so screwed ! :D

Ales, you are in the zone - brew on!
Click to expand...

Why do you say screwed. I though it was alright for some lagers to ferment this high, like a steam beer. My other question are what are the effects of changes in temperature my house probably fluctuates by 8 degrees
 
i4ourgot said:
Why do you say screwed. I though it was alright for some lagers to ferment this high, like a steam beer. My other question are what are the effects of changes in temperature my house probably fluctuates by 8 degrees
Click to expand...

Steam beer is unique. If you fermented a Munich Helles at that temp. it would most likely turn out sub-par.
 
pernox said:
Or it fluctuates in time with the weather and a cycling furnace.
Click to expand...
--------
Indeed, we're seeing the effect of furnace cycling.

I'm still recording so we'll see if there's much variance
over extended time due to weather. (And I do ferment
mainly ales but do use the much cooler attached and
unheated garage for lagers and cider.)

So, can I assume the 2-degrees change over 24-hours
is inconsequential for ales?
 
anengineer said:
--------
Indeed, we're seeing the effect of furnace cycling.

I'm still recording so we'll see if there's much variance
over extended time due to weather. (And I do ferment
mainly ales but do use the much cooler attached and
unheated garage for lagers and cider.)

So, can I assume the 2-degrees change over 24-hours
is inconsequential for ales?
Click to expand...

I would say definitely. But I'm in Atlanta and use my AC in January, so what do I know haha.
 
That's less than a 2 F difference, and is air temperature to boot. A 5 gal container of wort/beer is going to respond slowly to those kind of temperature changes. That big mass will not fluctuate the full 2 F. Probably less than 1 F given how quickly it goes from hi to low.
 
If you put the fermenter in another 10-15 gallons of water (with a little bleach) the temperature will even fluctuate less, and possibly hold the peak fermentation temperature back a little.
 
pjj2ba said:
That's less than a 2 F difference, and is air temperature to boot. A 5 gal container of wort/beer is going to respond slowly to those kind of temperature changes. That big mass will not fluctuate the full 2 F. Probably less than 1 F given how quickly it goes from hi to low.
Click to expand...

+1

This was my thought, 2f fluctuations in ambient temp spanned over a short amount of time doesnt seem like enough to do any damage to an active fermentation.
 
Big fluctuations in the temp could oxidize your beer; as the ferementor heats it will push out CO2 and as it cools it will pull in O2.

The main problem is the yeast, though. They really do not like temperature fluctuations.
 

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