tiredofbuyingbeer
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I know there are a ton of bottle conditioning/temperature threads, but none of them quite seems to answer the question I have.
My apartment is usually in the high 70s or low 80s (typically varies between 77 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit). I brew much cooler--low 60s for ales, thanks to one of those insulated cooling bags and frozen water bottles. My question is: is it worth it for me to worry about off-flavors from bottle conditioning at 77-81? How likely am I to get off-flavors from doing this? Note that I usually ferment for a decent amount of time: 3-5 weeks for an IPA.
For perspective on the "is it worth it?" question: I'm not going to cool my apartment further. I live in an old, heavily insulated brick building without central air in the northeast, so lowering my room temperature would be impractical and expensive. I'd have to buy a pretty big cooler for 48 bottles, and then I'd have to fool around with frozen water bottles for another piece of equipment every day. Plus, I live in an apartment, and I'm not sure I want to devote more space to brewing equipment.
Am I getting off flavors now? Well, the first batch of beer I brewed was pitched at a high temperature and spent a few days at high temperatures while I was out of town. It did have off-flavors: yeasty and fusely. (EDIT: these flavors improved over time while the beer sat in an 80 degree closet and conditioned longer, and when it sat for longer in the fridge.) The second batch seems fatally oxidized. The third batch is carbing now, but it's a saison, so I'm not sure I would call high temp flavors "off" for that style. Right now, my fourth beer is fermenting, an IPA. It's the beer I'm worried about.
My apartment is usually in the high 70s or low 80s (typically varies between 77 and 81 degrees Fahrenheit). I brew much cooler--low 60s for ales, thanks to one of those insulated cooling bags and frozen water bottles. My question is: is it worth it for me to worry about off-flavors from bottle conditioning at 77-81? How likely am I to get off-flavors from doing this? Note that I usually ferment for a decent amount of time: 3-5 weeks for an IPA.
For perspective on the "is it worth it?" question: I'm not going to cool my apartment further. I live in an old, heavily insulated brick building without central air in the northeast, so lowering my room temperature would be impractical and expensive. I'd have to buy a pretty big cooler for 48 bottles, and then I'd have to fool around with frozen water bottles for another piece of equipment every day. Plus, I live in an apartment, and I'm not sure I want to devote more space to brewing equipment.
Am I getting off flavors now? Well, the first batch of beer I brewed was pitched at a high temperature and spent a few days at high temperatures while I was out of town. It did have off-flavors: yeasty and fusely. (EDIT: these flavors improved over time while the beer sat in an 80 degree closet and conditioned longer, and when it sat for longer in the fridge.) The second batch seems fatally oxidized. The third batch is carbing now, but it's a saison, so I'm not sure I would call high temp flavors "off" for that style. Right now, my fourth beer is fermenting, an IPA. It's the beer I'm worried about.