Is my basement too warm?

[MisterGreen]

I am planning to brew this weekend and the yeast I am using is a Wyeast American Ale (1272). The temp range is 60-72 F. My basement is a steady 68 right now. Should I be doing anything to cool the carboy or is ambient okay?

 

[beretta]

Nope... your basement sound like it's a perfect temperature for making ale. As long as your batch size is no larger than 5-10 gallons, you'll be fine....

 

[MisterGreen]

Excellent. Thanks beretta!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Yup, a nice temp if it's stable. Being a cellar it is probably very stable. Also, your primary concern regarding temperature is that it is good for the first few days during the most active fermentation. That's not to say you want it to swing too much afterwards though!

I have a remote thermometer thingy that i use to test temps in remote areas. You just leave the temp thingy where you will be storing the beer, and you can monitor it from your kitchen or toilet or wherever. It's a good worry remover.

 

[MisterGreen]

Yup, a nice temp if it's stable. Being a cellar it is probably very stable. Also, your primary concern regarding temperature is that it is good for the first few days during the most active fermentation. That's not to say you want it to swing too much afterwards though!

I have a remote thermometer thingy that i use to test temps in remote areas. You just leave the temp thingy where you will be storing the beer, and you can monitor it from your kitchen or toilet or wherever. It's a good worry remover.

Yeah, I have a digital thermometer down there and I check it every day and it might vary +/-1 degree at the most. I closed the vents down there so when the heat kicks on, it won't get too warm.

 

[david_42]

I hate people with basements

 

[MisterGreen]

I hate people with basements

Hahaha, it is a nice thing. I don't realize how nice it is until I read posts from guys who are brewing somewhere in Arizona where they have no basement.

 

[bbriscoe]

I closed the vents down there so when the heat kicks on, it won't get too warm.

If it were 68 degrees in my house I wouldn't even have the heat on. I don't use the furnace until it is below 65 in the house.

 

[PseudoChef]

I would actually say yes, you still need temperature control.

That is the ambient temperature, but fermentation is actually a somewhat exothermic process, meaning it gives off heat. Don't be surprised that a 5-10dF rise in temperatures can occur during this process. Therefore, your 68 ambient may actually equate to 73+ inside the actual carboy/bucket/whathaveyou.

Bobby_M showed a great picture one time of carboys in his fridge: those that were done fermenting were at a steady 65-68 (if memory serves me correct) and those undergoing fermentation at that time were about 5 degrees higher.

 

[MisterGreen]

I would actually say yes, you still need temperature control.

That is the ambient temperature, but fermentation is actually a somewhat exothermic process, meaning it gives off heat. Don't be surprised that a 5-10dF rise in temperatures can occur during this process. Therefore, your 68 ambient may actually equate to 73+ inside the actual carboy/bucket/whathaveyou.

Bobby_M showed a great picture one time of carboys in his fridge: those that were done fermenting were at a steady 65-68 (if memory serves me correct) and those undergoing fermentation at that time were about 5 degrees higher.

That's what I was thinking which is why I was concerned.

 

[MisterGreen]

If it were 68 degrees in my house I wouldn't even have the heat on. I don't use the furnace until it is below 65 in the house.

I hear ya. It went down to 47 the other night and even though the subterranean basement remained at 68, the rest of the house got chilly.

 

[humann_brewing]

I hate people with basements

haha, I agree

on a side note related to this thread though. A 68 ambient won't be good if you are using a ale yeast that is good for say 65-68 as the temp of the wort is going to be above your ambient during the first few days. I would stick it in a ice chest with water and put frozen water bottles in for the first few days.

I will be investing into one of these soon to better control temps.

 

[abracadabra]

I use a fan to move the 68*F air over the fermenter that seems to do the trick for me