BitterSweetBrews
Tim Trabold
I just put 7 gallons of Belgian Golden Strong into two fermenting buckets in my ferm chamber. My SG was 1.074 (projected was supposed to be 1.076). I had a bunch of Wyeast 1214 harvested from about a year ago. At the time, I bought 2 smack packs of it when it was a month past the use by date (real cheap). I made graduated starters with one smack pack to brew with at the time (then harvested it) and left the other one sitting in the fridge, till now. I was unsure of how the year old harvested yeast starter on the stir plate was working, so I smacked the 2nd pack and left it at room temp for a day or so. It swelled about half way. After about 24 hours I added it to the 1500ml harvested yeast starter. Anyway, I brewed Sunday and crashed, decanted and pitched a 3 day old starter the next morning.
After I brewed on Sunday, I put the wort in my fermentation chamber and set it at 68 degrees F. I had just installed a 7" thermowell on one of the lids for my fermentor buckets at about 2" from center about 2/3rd of the way to center. I pitched the next morning when it was at 68 deg.
I had regular bubbling after about 12 hours and after 24 a decent, 1/2" - 1" kreusan. The Starsan in my air lock had formed a little bubble hat on top of it. So, it is fermenting right along.
I am wondering what others think about where I should keep the temps at. The fermentation range for the yeast is from 68 - 78 degrees. I started it at 68 degrees trying to keep it real clean and not have any off flavors. It has been going well for 2 days. I haven't checked the gravity yet. What would the effect be of ramping up the temperature slowly over the next fews days, kind of like what you would do with a quick lager diacetyl rest after it hits over 50% attenuation? Does this do any good with an ale?
Opinions?
After I brewed on Sunday, I put the wort in my fermentation chamber and set it at 68 degrees F. I had just installed a 7" thermowell on one of the lids for my fermentor buckets at about 2" from center about 2/3rd of the way to center. I pitched the next morning when it was at 68 deg.
I had regular bubbling after about 12 hours and after 24 a decent, 1/2" - 1" kreusan. The Starsan in my air lock had formed a little bubble hat on top of it. So, it is fermenting right along.
I am wondering what others think about where I should keep the temps at. The fermentation range for the yeast is from 68 - 78 degrees. I started it at 68 degrees trying to keep it real clean and not have any off flavors. It has been going well for 2 days. I haven't checked the gravity yet. What would the effect be of ramping up the temperature slowly over the next fews days, kind of like what you would do with a quick lager diacetyl rest after it hits over 50% attenuation? Does this do any good with an ale?
Opinions?
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