My friend and I were having a debate this morning regarding proper ale fermentation temperatures. I argued that the "68-72 degree" range that is the basic "textbook" range for ales is the actual temperature of the environment that the beer sits in. My friend argues that those numbers represent the temperature of the wort/beer itself during fermenation, and that the wort/beer temp is 5 degrees higher than the environment due to the fermentation, that the ale should be fermented in a room/environment of 63-67 degrees.
Can anyone shed some light? 63 degree environment seems like it would be a slow fermentation.
Can anyone shed some light? 63 degree environment seems like it would be a slow fermentation.