Fermenting at 58 degrees F

[chainsmoke]

Hey All,
I know ideal fermenting should be done at higher temps than my basement. Can someone tell me what would happen (or not happen) if I tried to ferment a batch at 58 degrees F.
Thanks!

 

[aseg]

Well, if it is a lager, it will do well . . . But an ale would depend on a lot of factors. Most likely it would be a slow fermentation and possibly get stuck.

Can you start the fermentation at a higher temp? i.e. pitch the yeast @75* then let it get started upstairs before putting it in the basement? I would also make sure that your fermentation vessel is not sitting directly on the floor.

 

[Logzor]

I would recommend reading this:

It basically explains how in some cases lower fermentation temps can produce a higher quality beer. Even with an Ale.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/blogs/nordeastbrewer77/cool-temperature-ale-fermentation-1330/

 

[RickFinsta]

You can try Wyeast 1728; it's clean and clears well, and it'll go from 55-75*F. It's done really well in the Ales for which I've used it so far, and it's fast on its way to becoming my house strain. They say it imparts a little smoke at lower temperatures and esters at higher temperatures, but my basement is at 58*F and I can't detect any smoke flavor at all. It ferments quickly at this temperature; I'm usually at FG within a few days if I pitch properly.

 

[chainsmoke]

aseg, well actually I was planning on brewing an IPA this weekend. I could start it upstairs but the basement would be much more convenient for me.

Longzor, thanks for the link. The guy who wrote that has been doing brewing experiments at 58 degrees with great results. I think I will go for it.

 

[bighorn_brew]

I just fermented two batches at 59-60 degrees, with 1 batch it was with wyeast 1007? german altbier yeast which thrived at that temp, as well as fermentis US-05 which also did well but took longer overall, towards the end I brought both upstairs and let them warm to finish and gelatin fine. Pitching temps were in low 70's and then brought down to the basement. Both are amazing in their similiarities to lagers, and both are amazingly clear, due in part to gelatin fining I am sure. Batches were pitched with yeast slurries harvested from secondaries.

 

[TTB-J]

For what it's worth, I rarely start a fermentation out much higher than 60 degrees. I did a Pale Ale using the White Labs Kolsch yeast (WLP029) in the high '50s and it turned out well. I think the general rule of thumb is that keeping your yeast on the colder side will result in a cleaner fermentation, but you may sacrifice attenuation. On the other hand, keeping your yeast on the higher side will help them attenaute fully, but you sometimes get off flavors like esters or sulfur if you let them go too high. If you can nail the yeast's ideal temperature range, you should be good to go, but I tend to err on the cold side.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I would recommend reading this:

It basically explains how in some cases lower fermentation temps can produce a higher quality beer. Even with an Ale.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/blogs/nordeastbrewer77/cool-temperature-ale-fermentation-1330/

hey, just saved me some time, man!

Longzor, thanks for the link. The guy who wrote that has been doing brewing experiments at 58 degrees with great results. I think I will go for it.

as i wrote in my blog, i get good results from fermenting fairly cool. the fermented will warm itself up and you'll actually have to work to keep the wort at those temps. i usually find my fermentations end up in the low 60's, which is great, cuz it encourages the yeast to stay in suspension and finish the job. i know i'm gonna sound like JZ here, but always make sure you pitch an adequate amount of healthy yeast anytime you brew, but especially at lower temps. this will greatly reduce lag times and ensure the beer is clean.

 

[chainsmoke]

Guys, thanks for the info. Now I have one less thing to worry about.

 

[duckmanco]

I just did exactly this with Nottingham in my ferm fridge and after a four day ferment went from 1.060 to 1.009 (5% dextrose) and thus far it is one of the cleanest fermentations I've ever tasted from my homebrew.

If this performance continues, I'm done with us05. So I say try an ale yeast that will tolerate that temp and see what you find.

 

[Yooper]

I've had really good results with nottingham dry yeast at 57 degrees, especially in a cream ale. I've also loved using pacman at 60 degrees, as well as Denny's favorite 50. I usually ferment my ales at 62 degrees, in a 59-60 degree room, but for those yeast strains I like to drop it a bit lower.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

I've had really good results with nottingham dry yeast at 57 degrees, especially in a cream ale. I've also loved using pacman at 60 degrees, as well as Denny's favorite 50. I usually ferment my ales at 62 degrees, in a 59-60 degree room, but for those yeast strains I like to drop it a bit lower.

yeah, i've found that some strains really flourish when fermented at low temps. Notty's one of them, i don't care for it at all above 65 or so, but if you keep it nice and cool, it's a very nice yeast.

guy's, Yooper was in fact one of the members that helped me realize how important it is to control temps and if anything, keep them cool. the way i tend to see it when fermenting at cool temps is that if the yeast get up and at it like they're supposed to, they're comfortable with the temps they're at. each strain is very different, so do some experimenting with the strains you use before just throwing them into to cool a wort, but i'd say that temps in the high 50's to low 60's will work just fine with most yeast strains.