Fermentation Temperature question

[SGTSparty]

Hey all,

I'm a relatively inexperienced brewer doing 5 gal AG batches. I've had some pretty good results so far but I'm trying to improve my process and looking for some advice. I currently do my fermenting in the basement in my storage/beer room in plastic bottling buckets (easier to transfer into the keg and cheaper than glass carboys) and I don't use a secondary unless I'm dry hopping. My basement tends to run from about 58-65 temperature wise (currently at 63), which while in the range of the yeast I'm using this weekend (Temperature Range: 60-72F per LHBS website) is largely out of my control and seems a bit cool for ales.

My question is do you think that's an acceptable 'natural' temperature range for Ales, Wheats, Porters, Stouts, Klosh etc. or should I invest in some sort of heating belt/pad? I've done a little bit of looking at them and it seems like they raise x degrees above ambient which seems too warm for the upper end of my spectrum.

I don't have the money, time or space to invest in a full blown fermentation chamber rig (especially after SWMBO let me build my kegerator) at the moment so these belt/pad heaters are about as advanced/costly/complicated as I can go for now. Does it seem like a decent investment or is that natural range good enough and don't bother?

 

[evchenko]

That should be a fine ambient temperature as it is right now, if you think that the fermentation temp is going to be several degrees higher...I think at the lower end you may find it more difficult.

 

[eric19312]

That is a good ambient for the types of ales you mentioned. Belgians might want to go a bit higher.

Important thing to realize is that fermentation creates heat so the temperature of actively fermenting beer will often be higher - some have claimed 10 degrees or more higher - than ambient. Avoiding a high temperature spike during first few days of fermentation will tend to give you a cleaner yeast profile.

The other issue fermenting at ambient temperature may present is that your fermentation temperature is going to be changing. It will start out at whatever temperature you pitched at. And then move toward ambient. Once the yeast kicks in it will start rising. As yeast activity slows temperature will level off and then fall back to ambient. This final fall down to ambient has a theoretical opportunity to push the yeast to floc out earlier than they might otherwise and not finish attenuating your beer. If you are able to you might consider bringing the buckets upstairs after fermentation slows and let them warm up to finish completely. The brew belt idea might work here too but seems like that might be too much heat.

Easy first step is to put one of those aquarium sticker thermometers onto your buckets so you can check the temperature of the fermentation and make sure you are not going too high in first few days of fermentation or too low at end of fermentation.

 

[brew703]

If need be, you can also use a swamp cooler to control temps. I did it when I first started brewing but found it to be a PITA to regulate the temps. I experienced huge temp swings when the froze bottled began to melt. But it's a way to somewhat keep temps within a range.
I say as long as your beer/wort temp doesn't exceed 70 degrees then you should be fine with ale yeast.
Most of my fermentation temps range between 65 and 68 degrees.

 

[h22lude]

There are a few good exbeeriments on www.brulosophy.com that you should read. The cliff notes, he brewed two identical batches of beer using the same yeast (he did it with a few different styles of yeast too). One was fermented low around 58° and the other was fermented at room temp which was 65°. The room temp batch temp went up to 72° at one point which was a few degrees higher than the temp range for that yeast (WLP029 German Ale/Kolsch). He tested 23 people using 3 beers (2 warm and 1 cool). The testers did not know what the experiment was. To be statistically significant, 13 people would have been able to guess the warm beer. Only 9 did. Meaning, even at 14° higher than the cooler beer, the warm fermented beer wasn't much different. He did say he could taste a little esters in it but he also knew what was being tested so he had a slight bias.

This doesn't mean temp isn't important. What I get from this experiment and the other 3 he did just like this one is temp is only a small part of making a great beer. He has a great brew process. He makes yeast starters to create a healthy pitch. Controlled temp is still a good idea but as long as your temps aren't jumping all over the place, you will make great beer. If your beer temp goes from 62° to 68° back down to 64° then up to 71°, you may taste some esters and off flavors from that.

 

[Sailingeric]

If you need heat, what I did this winter in my garage which is a bit on the cooler side of the fermentation range is I got a heat wrap from Northern Brewer http://www.northernbrewer.com/electric-fermentation-heater and I have something similar to an STC-1000 I got off of Amazon for about $10 and I set it warm if it got to cool. In the summer, I have a small chest freezer I use for fermentation with it set to cool of the wort gets to warm. The combo works like a charm!

 

[brewcat]

I've been keeping my ales around 60 ambient. That works well because then the fermentation is around 66 or so. I haven't had a problem with the yeast not finishing completely.

Personally I wouldn't spend the money on the heater belt unless you want to do belgians, but then you could just ferment upstairs.

 

[PADave]

My basement stays 60-62, the beer ferments at 66-68. So no, you don't need a heating device.