Bottle Conditioning at 60f

[ComusLives]

I know the adage is 3 weeks at 70f, but my only available space for conditioning is a closet that seems to be a steady 60-62f. This will obviously slow down the process, but is that still within the acceptable range? Will my beer still carbonate at those temperatures?

I'm going to try insulate as much as I can but there's only so much I could realistically do. Any suggestions on how I could bring the temperatures up a few degrees? It seems like most heaters would bring it up far too much, since it's where I store fermenting beer (which has its own heater)

 

[WayFrae]

You will be just fine. All my beers have been conditioning at 55°F all winter with no problems. In my experience it doesn't even take that much longer.

 

[kh54s10]

I would say it will take longer, the same as a fermentation will go slower at colder temperatures. How long? I dunno!!

 

[PatrickLS83]

I've never really heard of 3 weeks priming, usually I'm looking at 1 week to carb and any additional time is just conditioning, which I only do for some beers (some go in the fridge right after 1 week of carbing). Anywho, 60 should be just fine, maybe slightly slower.

 

[Qhrumphf]

I've never really heard of 3 weeks priming, usually I'm looking at 1 week to carb and any additional time is just conditioning, which I only do for some beers (some go in the fridge right after 1 week of carbing). Anywho, 60 should be just fine, maybe slightly slower.

Beer can carb in a week (my polypins are usually ready for tapping at 5 days), but in bottles 3 weeks provides more consistent carbonation, as lots of microfactors can cause bottles to carb at different rates.

As far as the OP, it depends on the beer. Certain strains that don't do well cold or are really prone to flocculating (some English and Belgian strains) might be a problem. But lagers and most ales should be just fine, might just take a little bit longer.

 

[JimRausch]

This time of year my basement where I bottle condition has temps in the low-mid 60's. So I put a heating pad set on low in the insulated box with them. Warms things up nicely.

 

[aprichman]

My bottles took forever to carb around 60-65 earlier this winter. Shocked to hear you guys have had good results within a week at that temp.

 

[Zepth]

My (almost) California Common carbed up just fine 3 weeks around 60F. Bry 97 yeast. I doubt you'd fine any yeast that won't carbonate it at all in that temperature range unless it was super stressed and high ABV. For most situations you should be just fine in a 3-4 week range.

 

[nwbeer]

I used to bottle condition in the same basement bathroom I fermented it. It was roughly 57-65 degrees F. I found after a couple batches that moving my bottle conditioning beer upstairs into a room that was closer to 70 and even putting bottles by the heater duct increased the speed they would carbonate.

Warmer room equaled faster carb! - For me at least. worked for a stout, brown ale and irish reds.

 

[Singletrack]

I think 60-62 will be okay, but may take a little longer. I found some strains, as mentioned above, will quickly drop out if you let them get down to 50-55. Then, you need to rouse them and heat to get them to finish their work. Heating alone did not work, within a reasonable time frame. Lesson learned: Don't let the yeast chill enough to drop out.

 

[MVKTR2]

Any suggestions on how I could bring the temperatures up a few degrees?

Leave the closet door open.

Btw it's strain/state of the beer dependent as to wether your yeast will carb up at 60F, same is really true for any yeast - it's scenario dependent. Under most any normal circumstance with most anything except for a few stressed high flocculating strains it'll carb up no problem.

 

[ComusLives]

Thanks everyone! I'll take it that it'll still carb then, but it'll take longer. As for what beer/yeast it is, it's a Weiss beer, with German wheat yeast that came with the kit. Considering I fermented happily around 70-72f, I was a little worried that it wouldn't carb at all at the lower temps. I'll try think more on how to increase the temperature, but it's good to know that it's unlikely to just not work.