bottle conditioning temps

[chavito0625]

Hello fellow beer-o-philes! I've been involved in this wonderful hobby for almost a year now (and love it!!!) and this site has been incredibly helpful as questions have arisen and, for that, I'm am incredibly grateful. This is my first time posting a question because, to my knowledge, it hasn't been addressed yet on this forum but, if it has, I apologize in advance.

I just bottled two batches: a Russian Imperial Stout and a Belgian Dubbel. I usually bottle condition my brews at about 70 for 3-4 weeks before cracking open a sample and moving them to my basement which is a bit cooler. In a few weeks, however, I'll be out of town for the holidays for two weeks and plan on lowering the thermostat during that period (I live in Michigan and temperatures will be quite frigid!). In other words, they'll condition for two weeks at about 70, then I leave. Do I risk problems if, all of a sudden, the temperature lowers to, say, 55 for two weeks... then return it to room temperature when I return? Or should I find a foster home for my wonderful brews for those two weeks?

Thank you in advance for your advice and for all of the wonderful advice that has already been shared!!!

 

[Black Island Brewer]

My bottle conditioned beers fluctuate daily (long story) between 55 and 70, and most 5-6% beers are fine, higher alcohol beers take longer, but they still carbonate. What I don't have experience with is if they were to drop to 55 for too long. My guess would be they would be fine, but that upon returning, you may have to rouse the yeast after warming them back up by giving the bottles a gentle shake.
If you're using a fermentation chamber with heat, you could tuck them into that while you're away. When I need quicker carbonation, I'll do that and keep it at a constant 75F.

 

[chavito0625]

Thanks! I was assuming it might just slow things down a bit. I generally bottle condition in my 5-year old daughter's walk-in closet (What will I do when she gets older??? hahaha). I'll wrap them in blankets to try to maintain as much heat as possible and check out the situation when I return.

 

[pcampo]

55 degrees F is the ideal temperature that most people recommend for bottle conditioning. SO I think you have nothing to worry about. I live in southern CA where the room I keep my bottles are 70-78 degrees year round, and only about 60 for one winter month, and my beers turn out fine.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

55 degrees F is the ideal temperature that most people recommend for bottle conditioning. SO I think you have nothing to worry about. I live in southern CA where the room I keep my bottles are 70-78 degrees year round, and only about 60 for one winter month, and my beers turn out fine.

I'm wondering if you're mixing up bottle conditioning with bottle aging. At 55, an ale would take weeks or months to carbonate, but would age well once carbonated. Your 70-78 would be ideal for bottle conditioning.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah. For most ales, 55F would make the yeast go dormant. 70F for 3 weeks or so being the norm for a reason. You want the yeasties to eat the priming sugar to create carbonation, but also in a reasonable time frame. Besides cooler temps either inhibiting this process or stopping it.

 

[chavito0625]

So, after two weeks at about 70, does anybody think that a couple of weeks at 55 would permanently put my yeast to sleep?? If I give them a little shake at 70 after two weeks, would they get back to work??

 

[dkevinb]

So, after two weeks at about 70, does anybody think that a couple of weeks at 55 would permanently put my yeast to sleep?? If I give them a little shake at 70 after two weeks, would they get back to work??

They should be fine. For an average ABV beer I let them carb for two weeks, then refrigerate. Works great. For a higher ABV such as yours I'd just let them be until you get back, let them condition at a warmer temp for a week or so, then try one.

 

[pcampo]

I'm wondering if you're mixing up bottle conditioning with bottle aging. At 55, an ale would take weeks or months to carbonate, but would age well once carbonated. Your 70-78 would be ideal for bottle conditioning.

I think you're mixing up bottle conditioning with carbonating. Bottle conditioning would be the same as bottle aging. If you are not going to bottle condition/age, meaning leaving your bottles to age for a few months, then I would leave my bottles at room temp(65-75 degrees F) to carbonate in two to three weeks.

 

[Black Island Brewer]

I think you're mixing up bottle conditioning with carbonating. Bottle conditioning would be the same as bottle aging. If you are not going to bottle condition/age, meaning leaving your bottles to age for a few months, then I would leave my bottles at room temp(65-75 degrees F) to carbonate in two to three weeks.

I believe, though a could be wrong, that when someone said a beer is "bottle conditioned" they are saying it was naturally carbonated in the bottle.

Am I the only one who uses this language?

 

[Staestc]

I believe, though a could be wrong, that when someone said a beer is "bottle conditioned" they are saying it was naturally carbonated in the bottle.

Am I the only one who uses this language?

Nope. I call carbonating in the bottle Bottle Conditioning too. And most beers I buy that were carbonated in the bottle actually use the same terminology in my experience, limited though it may be!

 

[beersk]

I believe, though a could be wrong, that when someone said a beer is "bottle conditioned" they are saying it was naturally carbonated in the bottle.

Am I the only one who uses this language?

Your assumption is right. Bottle conditioned has always meant "carbonated naturally in the bottle". It's all over homebrewing literature and commercial beers that still naturally carbonate in the bottles. Conditioning and aging, in this case, are different things.

 

[pcampo]

I believe, though a could be wrong, that when someone said a beer is "bottle conditioned" they are saying it was naturally carbonated in the bottle.

Am I the only one who uses this language?

I was looking up different definitions of bottle conditioning, and you guys are certainly right, places do define it as to naturally carbonate in the bottle.

Sorry for the confusion, I was getting bottle conditioning confused with re-fermentation in the bottle or as Black Island Brewer said it, bottle aging. I just got done with a Belgian craze, and to bottle condition a Belgian means a lot more than to naturally carbonate, but also to re-ferment in the bottle and age.

 

[chavito0625]

When I returned from my vacation, I couldn't resist the temptation to crack one of each open to sample and they were both fully carbonated. Still green, but fully carbed, doing fine and well on their way to being enjoyed in the near future!

I assume that either: a) the two weeks conditioning at 70ish degrees was sufficient to get them carbed or, b) the two weeks was almost sufficient and the colder conditions didn't completely put the yeast to sleep.

Now, what to brew next? Life is full if so many tough decisions!!!