Wort temperature and ambient temperature

Hey does anyone know a rough estimate of the difference between actual wort temperature and ambient temperature during fermentation?

Obviously depends on many things but on average probably 5 degrees. Could be as high as ten if you are perceiving off flavors and aren't sure why

My chamber got a little low last 55° night so i was just hoping the wort didnt drop too low. I want them buggers to keep eating not sleeping lol. I think im ok though.

Regardless just warm it back up and give the bucket/carboy a gentle swirl. Shouldn't be a problem unless you were looking for some strong ester production

Esters are not wanted in this batch. I craked my chambr door this morning before work and wrapped my carboy up in a towel. Gf said that ambient is back up to 60. I haven't had a chance to wire my thermostat so its been a constant checking game. I think im gonna throw a hair dryer in the chamber somewhere to use as a heat source if it happens again. Thanks for the response! Cheers!

do you have active cooling? you can always put boiling/very hot water in a milk jug, clorox bottle

and use it like a hot water bottle if the wort/beer gets too hot your active cooling cools it back down

all the best

S_M

I do have active cooling. I built onto an old mini fridge that has a tray that freezes up as my cooling device. it cools down the chamber quite easily even without a fan. I have a few modifications left to do to make it more brewer friendly and easier to control. But i like the hot water idea. Brilliant.

Im about to just get a probe thatll hang into the wort so i get a true reading and have the controller work off that over trying to control ambient.

ChrisMartin91 said:

Im about to just get a probe thatll hang into the wort so i get a true reading and have the controller work off that over trying to control ambient.

Click to expand...

believe me if you tape you probe to the side of bucket, carboy, etc. with a piece of bubble wrap over it it is close enough

if you are controlling it that way (ambient) put you probe in a jar of water if it is waterproof

and it is closer


all the best

S_M

The answer to your original question is...........it depends. Pitch rate, gravity, pitch temp, strain have an influence.

A beer that is pitched and fermented above the optimal range for the yeast being used can take off quickly and vigorously. The overly-active fermentation at high temp can generate enough heat so to cause the wort temp to run as much as 8-10*F higher than the ambient air when it's really rocking.

Another beer that's pitched a few degrees below the optimal range and held at the lower end of that range will go through the process in a more controlled fashion and won't have as much heat being generated quickly by the fermentation. The exothermic reaction still happens, but it will be more spread out over time.

Temp probe taped to the outside of the fermenter and covered over with bubble wrap gives a reasonably accurate reading.