Fermentation temp question

[QuadConPana]

Probably my next substantial equipment investment will be to build a fermentation chamber so I can control my fermentation temp.

However, in the short term, I have a bath of low gravity ale sitting in a water batch, which I'm keeping in the mid 60's by adding a bit of ice periodically. I have been fairly successful at maintaining temperature, so far. I could continue to keep it nice and cool for the whole fermentation, but the cost of bags of ice would be almost what the ingredients cost. My home icemaker isn't up to the job. Besides, my wife would kill me if she went to make a glass of icewater and the bin was empty. This is Florida. You need your cold beverages.

As I begin to reach final gravity, would letting it reach room temp completely negate what advantages the temperature control has given me so far? Or, since the yeast activity is slowing down, would it affect the final product less than it would have during full blown active fermentation? Trying to find a good cost/benefit balance.

 

[m00ps]

After the first few days, once airlock activity slows, temperature control becomes much less of an issue and your beer is much less susceptible to off flavors from temperature. I usually keep my beers in a temp controlled chamber for the first 7 days. After that I take them oput and they go up to room temp (68-70) to make room for the next ones going in. This seems to work well since the eyast actually benefits from warming a bit and helps it finish attenuation

 

[unionrdr]

You should try rotating frozen water bottles in the swamp cooler to save on ice costs. And since most off flavors come from initial fermentation, letting the internal temp rise a few degrees after that would tend to help it finish fermenting & clean up a little.

 

[QuadConPana]

Thanks

Love, love, love the water bottle idea. I'm using my laundry room sink, so the stopper is under the fermenter. When adding ice raises the water level too high, and the fermenter starts to float, I have to remove it to drain a little water. With the water bottles, I'm not adding anything. Cool.

 

[Americal]

Being in SoCal my problems are the same as yours. By April ambient temp would go to the 80's > no beer 'till October. I was also getting some batches with a nasty phenol level. My solution as I don't have the space in my brewery (read that - garage) for another refrigerator; a 60 qt Coleman cube cooler, another junk 48 qt to hold the frozen bottles like uniondr says, a cheap ($9) Harbor Freight pump and and aquarium controller. Bingo, an automated water bath fermentation chamber. Big step up in the consistency batch to batch and much cleaner beers.
I don't have anything brewing right now but I'll be running a batch this w/e so I'll try to get some pics and post them.

TOM

 

[ricshayne]

I use one of these, its cheap, there is no mess and it has worked great for me.

http://www.cool-brewing.com

 

[whovous]

So, if you are making a basic APA, what sort of temps do you target for the first few days of fermentation, and what is your target for the balance of the time?

 

[Brian77095]

QuadConPana

I had the same issues. If you can find a ice chest that is your best bet. Once you get your cool water and the wort to the temp you want with ice you should use a LOT less after that just maintaining. You do have it in your house right? I live in Houston and in a cool the water and wort stay at temp a lot longer. I did the above rotating Ice bottles too. You just need to adjust the water level to where you want it with the bottle in and, then just replace with same size.

 

[ricshayne]

So, if you are making a basic APA, what sort of temps do you target for the first few days of fermentation, and what is your target for the balance of the time?

I always target the low end of the recommended range for the yeast, which normally ends up being around 61-64F. I'll keep it there for most of the active fermentation and then let it free rise to room temp in order for the yeast to clean up and thats where I'll dry hop as well