History of Fermentation Temperatures

Alright, this question might be a little bizarre, but does anyone have any resources on the history of fermentation temperatures? I haven't picked up a copy of Yeast yet, so I don't know if that has what I'm looking for, but I haven't had much luck with online research.

Basically, I'm curious how temperature control was done before the advent of refrigeration. Was brewing simply seasonal (ales in the summer, lagers in the winter)? A root cellar will stay ~55 deg F year-round, which is great for brewing lagers, but what about brewing ales? A warmer space would likely have temperature fluctuations between day and night still.

I guess I'm looking to minimize temp fluctuations without electricity for brewing ales year-round. I have access to a cold room that stays at 55 deg F, essentially a root cellar, but that will only work for extended aging, not for primary ale fermentation, even with the internal temperature rise from yeast activity (I tried it once already). How did our brewing ancestors accomplish this? I'm very interested in ancient/old world brewing techniques, and they generally tend to be cheaper to implement (if not as efficient)

A one-stage temp controller and brew belt shouldn't set you back more than $100...

...I think the cool cellar, plus the lower surface-area-to-volume ratio in larger fermentors (allowing more of the heat from yeast to be retained in the beer), would keep ale yeasts happy enough in time of yore, but don't quote me on that.

Designing Great Beers has a pretty interesting history on many styles, and yes, according to them many historical brews were made only in certain geographical areas or during certain times of the year for this very reason.

I saw a special on the History channel a while back about the history of brewing. Can't remember what era or area it was done in, but people used to dig underground caverns to brew and ferment in to maintain lower temperatures.

feinbera said:

A one-stage temp controller and brew belt shouldn't set you back more than $100...

...I think the cool cellar, plus the lower surface-area-to-volume ratio in larger fermentors (allowing more of the heat from yeast to be retained in the beer), would keep ale yeasts happy enough in time of yore, but don't quote me on that.

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It's not so much about the cost as it is about the challenge That's a good point about the volumes, though. I wonder how fast 5 or 10 gallons drops in temperature in a 55 deg F room with yeast actively working...

PoppinCaps said:

Designing Great Beers has a pretty interesting history on many styles, and yes, according to them many historical brews were made only in certain geographical areas or during certain times of the year for this very reason.

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I do that have book, so I'll have to study the style histories more closely. I'd prefer to brew year-round though!

One thought I had would be to use an actual root cellar (i.e. underground, not cooled by AC) that is very well insulated. As long as I have actively fermenting beer in that space consistently, it should stay at a warmer temperature without much effort, as the warmer beer and yeast activity would raise and maintain the air temperature over time. Of course, this wouldn't be a practical solution until I have a plot of land to build a root cellar on But it's an intriguing idea nonetheless...

hanuswalrus said:

I saw a special on the History channel a while back about the history of brewing. Can't remember what era or area it was done in, but people used to dig underground caverns to brew and ferment in to maintain lower temperatures.

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Yeah, that makes sense, like the root cellar idea. It would need to be heavily insulated to maintain temperatures above ~55 deg F, though.