bottle early or let temperature rise?

[drunkinThailand]

I have to leave town for an unexpected meeting. So I can either bottle the beer after only 12 days of fermentation, or let the temperature rise for a few days because I won't be here to put frozen water bottles in a few times a day. I can't be sure exactly how hot it will be while I'm gone, but it will definitely be too hot (I live in Thailand).

What do you more experienced brewers think I should do?

 

[m1k3]

Temp control is not needed after 12 days. I see the high in Bangkok today was 90F... but I presume the beer will be somewhat cooler indoors.

Not knowing any more details...
I'm sure both would be fine.

But for a bigger beer or a slower fermentation... I'd just let it sit.
If it was lower gravity or the pitch of yeast was good.... bottling at 12 days has been fine for me.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

I would say that if the OG was less than 1060, you're probably safe to bottle assuming the fermentation was typical. Assuming you have it sitting in a tub you put your frozen bottles in, there could be a Plan B.

Wrap a t-shirt (or towel or whatever) around the fermenter so that it extends down into the water in the tub. Get the t-shirt good and wet. Then place a fan blowing across the t-shirt. The t-shirt will wick up water from the tub and the fan blowing across it will evaporate the water and cool the fermenter. I've done this in the past and it cools the fermenter 5F or more.

 

[dubbwelsh]

Let it ride. The risk of any off-flavors created with high temp/temp rise (fusel/phenolic/estery) should be minimal at this point. Leaving the yeast to clean up "green" tastes and flocc out more efficiently.

 

[drunkinThailand]

thanks for the replies. now two have suggested letting it ride, so I am leaning that way, anyone else want to chime in either for or against this idea? it's just that i've had to deal with fusel alcohol problems before and I definitely don't want that. But I think it was from early in fermentation those times and I really worked on keeping the temp down early this time.

m1k3 - you said that temp control is not needed after 12 days. Even if the ambient temperature is in the 90's? And if so, for how many days is it really needed and then when can I relax a little?

BlueHausBrewhouse - thanks for the suggestion, but even a 5F temp drop is not enough here. The temp gets up to almost 90 every day (even now in the cool season) and if its a hot day 95 (now in the cool season). So I have to start my fermentation at the lowest end of the spectrum and then change frozen water bottles many times a day to keep the rise slow. After the slow rise, which takes a week, I can keep it at 77F and that has been ok (if I choose yeast carefully).

 

[meatcleaver]

Let it ride. The risk of any off-flavors created with high temp/temp rise (fusel/phenolic/estery) should be minimal at this point. Leaving the yeast to clean up "green" tastes and flocc out more efficiently.

this^

 

[HB_in_Subic]

The temp gets up to almost 90 every day (even now in the cool season) and if its a hot day 95 (now in the cool season). So I have to start my fermentation at the lowest end of the spectrum and then change frozen water bottles many times a day to keep the rise slow. After the slow rise, which takes a week, I can keep it at 77F and that has been ok (if I choose yeast carefully).

Having similar temps pushed me to making Saisons with Belgian Ale Yeast that operates at 79-90F.

I agree to let it ride, at least 3 weeks before bottling (if the gravity is stable). I usually let my beer bottle condition in the 80s on my back porch (covered up in black plastic) without issue.

 

[m1k3]

I'd (and many others) would suggest that the fermentation temp be allowed to rise.

The biggest issue with cooling your fermentation is that you will encourage the yeast to floculate early.

You want the fermentation to clean up any byproducts and dry put as much as possible.

After 12 days, I'd be happy to let any yeast go to its max ferm temp. Yes, 90F is a bit high.... But at 12 days it should be done.

I think letting it go to 80F for a day or two and then bottling on day 12 is far better than adding ice until day 12 with a free rise to 90s.

 

[drunkinThailand]

thanks for the replies

m1k3 - how it works for me is I start at the lowest end of the recommended fermentation temperature, then simply try keep it around that temp/slow the temp rise as much as possible.

the coldest i can keep the fermenting beer with the ice bath by cycling water bottles is about 77-79 degrees. it usually takes about a few days to a week to get up to that temperature.

are you suggesting I stop using the ice bath and just let it free rise from the start at the lowest end of the fermentation temp?

if so, do others agree?