hefe temp

[bier-brauer]

hi guys

brewing a franziskaner hefe clone today. what is the better fermentation temperature?
1. basement at 78 degrees....(i know too hot)
2. in my wine cooler at 60 degrees

can't do the swamp cooler, since i'm leaving town this for the rest of the week

 

[Yooper]

hi guys

brewing a franziskaner hefe clone today. what is the better fermentation temperature?
1. basement at 78 degrees....(i know too hot)
2. in my wine cooler at 60 degrees

can't do the swamp cooler, since i'm leaving town this for the rest of the week

Which yeast strain? 60 degrees is probably too cool while 78 degrees is way too warm.

 

[bier-brauer]

using WYEAST 3638 Bavariona Wht

 

[jwplessner]

Did you make a nice sized starter? If so, just pitch at the lower end of the recommended temp spectrum and drop the fermenter into your wine cooler once fermentation starts picking up. Active fermentation may generate enough heat to keep you at the low end. When it slows down, back to room temp to finish up!

The starter and good oxygenation may be crucial to success here--you want the yeast get going as quickly as possible so you can avoid drastic temp fluctuation. Good luck!

 

[Jebu1788]

If it's up between the two, I'd do the wine cooler. 78 is wayyy too warm, and as jwplessner pointed out, fermentation will bump the actual temp of the beer up a few degrees. Maybe wrap a towel or something around the fermenter to try to insulate it and keep it a bit warmer...

 

[caiafa]

I would do the fermentation at 78, but I would put the carboy in a plastic tub full of ice.
Cool at 68 before pitching, pitch the yeast, wait a couple of hours and fill the tub with ice.

Ester production should happen mostly in the first day, so I think the ice will offset the rising fermentation temperature for at least 24 hours.

After that, it doesn't really matter I think. My hefes are usually done fermenting in about 2 days.

 

[althea]

What about a timer on your wine cooler? Or turning it off and adding a block of ice.

 

[Malticulous]

With a healthy starter 60 should work fine. I like mine in the high sixties. Others prefer the low sixties. If possible start it at 60 for a couple of days then move it to 78.