Just bottled, how do I keep cold?

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

Hello, I just bottled my first batch of beer(honey wheat). I live on the top floor of an apartment that gets very warm, between 70-80 degrees. Now that I've bottled my first batch, how do I keep it cold? I don't have a cold basement to put it in. I have it stored in my closet, but its still warm. I heard something about how having it stored too warm can produce an off flavor like bananas? What can I do to keep it cold for the next few weeks?

 

[TipsyDragon]

banana flavors come from fermentation not carbonation. you want to keep the bottles warm ( 70- 80F) for the next 3 weeks to get a proper carbonation going.

 

[remilard]

banana flavors come from fermentation not carbonation. you want to keep the bottles warm ( 70- 80F) for the next 3 weeks to get a proper carbonation going.

Fermentation occurs during bottle conditioning, that is the source of the co2.

Belgian brewers believe they get flavor from warm bottle condition. Maybe they are wrong, maybe they are right.

 

[TipsyDragon]

Fermentation occurs during bottle conditioning, that is the source of the co2.

no duh. but compared to what you get from primary fermentation what you get from bottle conditioning is minimal.

 

[ThatsWhatSheSaid]

banana flavors come from fermentation not carbonation. you want to keep the bottles warm ( 70- 80F) for the next 3 weeks to get a proper carbonation going.

Ok great thanks. But what if it gets in the 80-100 F range in the summer? Then what can you do? Do I have to get an air conditioner and run it all day or is there a better solution? Will the extreme temperatures do damage to the beer?

 

[octo]

Ok great thanks. But what if it gets in the 80-100 F range in the summer? Then what can you do? Do I have to get an air conditioner and run it all day or is there a better solution? Will the extreme temperatures do damage to the beer?

it gets that hot in new hampshire?!

 

[Mermaid]

I've thought of doing this for myself.. look on Craigslist, or if you have one in the area.. a Freecycle list. Plenty of folks get rid of dorm fridges all the time. Given that our fridge is usually packed with the usual stuff of day to day life (and it's probably at least 10 years old at this point) - a mini fridge seems like a good way to keep my homebrew safe, and cold, while it's doing it's thing.
Look on the Boston list, although it might be too late at this point for all the college kids fleeing town, I think this would be the prime time of year to pick up a spare fridge on the cheap.

 

[Revvy]

Hello, I just bottled my first batch of beer(honey wheat). I live on the top floor of an apartment that gets very warm, between 70-80 degrees. Now that I've bottled my first batch, how do I keep it cold? I don't have a cold basement to put it in. I have it stored in my closet, but its still warm. I heard something about how having it stored too warm can produce an off flavor like bananas? What can I do to keep it cold for the next few weeks?

You worry for nothing, and Remilard's answer is just to produce more panic in you (he gets his jollies from it) and has no bearing on what you really are asking so ignore the troll. He's not trying to help you, he doesn't care about you....

If you want your beer to carb and condition you NEED them to be above 70, for at least three weeks, more if the gravity is higher than around 1.060 The fermentation in the bottle that you need to carb is really NOT enough to produce off flavors, it's a tiny bit of sugar and a little bit of yeast.

You have new brewer panic, nothing more.

At the worst extremely high temps, in the 90's will degrade you beer in terms of longterm storage, but most of the time we're done drinking our beers long before that stuff happens.

I've had beers in my loft carbing and conditioning when it's been 88 in there during the day, with the air off, and I can assure you I've never had bannana beer unless I was using a yeast that produced it, and it was intentional, and it happened during fermentation NOT carbing and conditioning.
So ignore the guy that lives in his mother's basement, instead, everything you need to know about carbing and conditioning, can be found here Of Patience and Bottle Conditioning.

Relax, your beer is stronger than you think, and trolls like Remmy will lead you to belive.

 

[ILBMF]

I've had only good luck with warmer temps after bottling. Just test a beer in a week or so. When the desired carbonation is reached, test another beer and get them in the fridge.

 

[ChshreCat]

Usually, the problem most people have is finding a warm enough spot for all their beer to carbonate. At this point, warm is good. Give it three weeks as it is, pop one in the fridge for 24-48 hours and give it a try. Keep doing that until carbonation is done to your satisfaction, then just find a cooler spot to store the ones you aren't keeping in the fridge at the moment. A closet or something will do just fine. I think you'll find that unless you make a concerted effort to save them, they won't last long enough for your storage temps to be much of an issue.

 

[Yooper]

You worry for nothing, and Remilard's answer is just to produce more panic in you (he gets his jollies from it) and has no bearing on what you really are asking so ignore the troll. He's not trying to help you, he doesn't care about you....

Keep on topic, and don't attack other members. You may disagree, and that's fine, but do NOT call names and denigrate a fellow member.

 

[Pappers_]

Another vote for temps in the 70s being perfect for bottle conditioning - I always move my bottles up to the warmest place in the house during the time it takes to carbonate, then put them back in the "brewery" (what other people call the basement) after they are carbed up.

And congrats on your new batch!