Raising temp as fermentation progresses

[soccerguy83]

I have heard about raising the temp as fermentation progresses to allow the yeast to "clean up", but I'm not sure how to go about this.

I brewed my first beer, NB Caribou Slobber 31Jan2015 with a SG of 1.043. I pitched RVA Yeast labs RVA103 "Pacman" at 69F. The temp range for this yeast is 62-72F. I have been fermenting in a chamber at 65F. Since Monday (9 days into fermentation) I have been raising the temp by 0.2C (stc-1000) and am currently at 66F. I had planned on raising until I hit the upper limit of the range for my yeast about in time to cold crash.

Is this the proper way to do this?

 

[twistyboy]

I have heard about raising the temp as fermentation progresses to allow the yeast to "clean up", but I'm not sure how to go about this.

I brewed my first beer, NB Caribou Slobber 31Jan2015 with a SG of 1.043. I pitched RVA Yeast labs RVA103 "Pacman" at 69F. The temp range for this yeast is 62-72F. I have been fermenting in a chamber at 65F. Since Monday (9 days into fermentation) I have been raising the temp by 0.2C (stc-1000) and am currently at 66F. I had planned on raising until I hit the upper limit of the range for my yeast about in time to cold crash.

Is this the proper way to do this?

if you want to raise the temp you got to do it after the first 4 days, after fermentation is pretty much done.Its good for the low attenuative strain.For my part, ive never raise the temp and the yeast finished just right.

 

[JonM]

I do the same thing, but pretty much only with yeasts that are known to get stuck as fermentation slows. That means yeasts like 002/1968, some Belgian strains, etc. Can't hurt to use that technique for all ale strains, though.

EDIT: I usually start upping the temp once fermentation first starts to slow down. With 002/1968, than can be 24 hours after pitching.

 

[soccerguy83]

Little bit of a bump here as the two replies seem to contradict each other.

 

[flars]

I brewed the Caribou Slobber on 12/16, bottled 1/6. Began raising the temperature after 5 days of fermentation. Wort temp reached a high of 72°. There was some abnormal, than all other CS brews, ester production. The flavor is beginning to mellow in the bottle.
Probably the last time I will raise the temperature of the primary. As mentioned, for yeasts known to have a hard time reaching FG, raising the temp may be the only way to finish that beer.
Just my opinion, but most yeasts may ferment a beer, without the risk of off flavors, if the wort temperature is held steady.

 

[JonM]

Little bit of a bump here as the two replies seem to contradict each other.

Some yeasts don't start to slow down for 4 or 5 days. Others, like 002/1968 take off like a rocket, ferment super hard for 18-24 hours, and then rapidly slow down. Just keep an eye on it, and start to warm it up whenever the krausen decides to fall and when activity slows way down. It all depends on how the yeast is behaving.

 

[Spellman]

I do it all the time with the stc-1000+ ramping capabilities. For your average 1.050 ale beer this works great, is super fast, clean tasting, fg reaching, and clear beer. I start at usually 66-68 then go to 72 after about 3 days. The trick is as fermentation slows, yeast are actually cleaning up more off flavors/byproducts than making alcohol at that point. Raising the temp gradually helps keep them active and helps them finish the job faster.

I ferment 10g batches in glycol jacketed sanke kegs with proper pitch and aeration rates. If you start straying from the norm for recipe you can easily adjust temps and times accordingly to fit the beer. I can easily do a beer as fast as any other brewery can in most instances. You always hear people tell you that you should have patience and wait it out, which I totally agree with as many homebrewers don't have access to the same level of equipment as large breweries. But if you do have some cool gadgets, a little knowledge and experience, you can have your beer and drink it too!