Fermenting mead at the higher part of temperature range for Lalvin 71b-1122?

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matts

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I have all my ingredients together for my first batch of mead. The coolest room in my house is around 78F.

How does Lalvin 71b-1122 taste fermented in the higher part of its temperature range?

Should I wait until I have my fermentation chamber setup? Chest freezer is on the way for my beers but it won't hold two carboys until I build a collar.

I haven't done much with swamp coolers and I don't want to be changing ice packs. But perhaps a wet t-shirt and fan will bring it down below 75F?

How important is the temperature for aging mead in the secondary?
 
Temperature is more important during primary fermentation. During aging, especially for traditional meads, you can keep them stored at 75-78F and they'll do okay. Perhaps they won't survive as well as they would if stored at cellar temps, but they'll be good for several years at a minimum (perhaps a lot longer). With some melomels, that may not be the case.

As for 71B, some folks have found it to work OK in the upper 70s. I prefer K1V or D21 at that level, but I'm planning some more testing with 71B.
 
Thanks Medsen, I think I'll feel more relaxed about it if I wait until I get my chamber setup. My house is poorly insulated so it really fluctuates in temps. It also doesn't have a basement which is a bummer.
 
Temperature is more important during primary fermentation. During aging, especially for traditional meads, you can keep them stored at 75-78F and they'll do okay. Perhaps they won't survive as well as they would if stored at cellar temps, but they'll be good for several years at a minimum (perhaps a lot longer). With some melomels, that may not be the case.

As for 71B, some folks have found it to work OK in the upper 70s. I prefer K1V or D21 at that level, but I'm planning some more testing with 71B.
+1 on Medsens comment. I seem to recall that K1V-1116 has a slightly wider temperature range than D21 but either should do the job.......

regards

fatbloke
 
house is around 78F.

How does Lalvin 71b-1122 taste fermented in the higher part of its temperature range?

I haven't done much with swamp coolers and I don't want to be changing ice packs. But perhaps a wet t-shirt and fan will bring it down below 75F?

From the Lalvin website between 59-86 degrees : http://www.lalvinyeast.com/71B.asp

I am fermenting one now at 75 degrees and I have have one in the bottle same honey same yeast that is 11 months old (Orange Blossom) and it is fantastic! I usually wrap my beers and sometimes meads in a towell and re-wet them twice a day which will shave two degrees off.
 
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