wbutler
Active Member
My last few brews have come out rather estery and a bit reddish in color, which has been something of a disappointment. I'm trying to figure out the source of the issues, but I think that part of it is temperature control during fermentation.
I just went back to fermenting in a chest freezer around the time of the problems, so that's what I'm looking at. Here's my procedure for determining and setting fermentation temp. I'm using a standard chest freezer hooked up to a Ranco controller. The temperature probe is hanging freely inside the freezer.
1. Ferment a starter at room temperature (68-72 degrees, usually)
2. Look up ideal temp. range for yeast strain -- we use White Labs vials
3. Brew, rack, and pitch into glass carboy sitting on bare floor of chest freezer. Seal with three-piece airlock.
4. Set controller to bottom range of fermentation range with 2-3 degree differential.
I've always assumed that because the beer sits for so long in a sealed environment, it must reach equilibrium with the air around it. Perhaps that's not true? I know that yeast activity will generate a bit of heat. The brew tastes like it's fermenting too warm.
I've seen carboy stoppers with built-in thermowells, so I could drop the Ranco probe right down into the brew. Is this something to consider? Any advice would be hugely aprpeciated.
I just went back to fermenting in a chest freezer around the time of the problems, so that's what I'm looking at. Here's my procedure for determining and setting fermentation temp. I'm using a standard chest freezer hooked up to a Ranco controller. The temperature probe is hanging freely inside the freezer.
1. Ferment a starter at room temperature (68-72 degrees, usually)
2. Look up ideal temp. range for yeast strain -- we use White Labs vials
3. Brew, rack, and pitch into glass carboy sitting on bare floor of chest freezer. Seal with three-piece airlock.
4. Set controller to bottom range of fermentation range with 2-3 degree differential.
I've always assumed that because the beer sits for so long in a sealed environment, it must reach equilibrium with the air around it. Perhaps that's not true? I know that yeast activity will generate a bit of heat. The brew tastes like it's fermenting too warm.
I've seen carboy stoppers with built-in thermowells, so I could drop the Ranco probe right down into the brew. Is this something to consider? Any advice would be hugely aprpeciated.