Bottle temps???

[BrianTheBrewer]

So I started this forum on another thread and did not get many replies. We brewed a wheat beer and im wondering what temp to store the bottles at for the next 3 weeks. All the books I have read say 60-70 degrees to carbonate. Right now they are in a garage in a big wooden bin. The temp moves around alot here in New England as im sure you all know. It is going to start getting warmer out but it got down into the 30's/40's yesturday. Now the garage does get warm air into it by doing laundry but the temp moves around alot and im just scared they wont carbonate well under 60. I felt the bottles Saturday morning and they were very cold.

What temp do you keep your bottles at?

 

[enderwig]

I keep mine in a closet in the house. It is usually between 65 and 70. Although, since I am in Texas, I may have to come up with something else for the summertime. I can't afford to run my AC at 70 through the summer, it's usually 78 or 80, so I don't know what I will do come summer.

 

[EvilTOJ]

Keep em at room temperature, otherwise you won't get carbonation at all. 50º is way too cold for carbing. The yeast is what makes the carbonation, and if it gets too cold they go to sleep and no activity happens. Once it's been about three weeks, then you can put em wherever you want, as long as they don't freeze.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Keep em at room temperature, otherwise you won't get carbonation at all. 50º is way too cold for carbing. The yeast is what makes the carbonation, and if it gets too cold they go to sleep and no activity happens. Once it's been about three weeks, then you can put em wherever you want, as long as they don't freeze.

Thanks for the info...

 

[TexLaw]

Room temperature is fine. If it's colder than 70F, it will take longer. If it's warmer than 70F, don't worry about any fermentation off flavors. There is not that much fermenting going on in there.


TL

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

So what about 60 degrees, 3 weeks sound good to carbonate???

 

[Yooper]

60 degrees is pretty cool, so I'd guess longer than 3 weeks. Usually, it's about 2-3 weeks at 70 degrees. I'd say maybe a month at 60.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

70 degrees, really??? Wow...well I have 12 of them in a 12 pack box and they are now in the living room with 2 shirts covering the top of the box to keep out light and the temp in the room reads 70.

 

[Yooper]

70 degrees, really??? Wow...well I have 12 of them in a 12 pack box and they are now in the living room with 2 shirts covering the top of the box to keep out light and the temp in the room reads 70.

Well, then 3 weeks at 70 degrees should give you perfect carbonation.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Great, thanks alot Yooper

 

[fratermus]

I keep mine in a closet in the house. It is usually between 65 and 70. Although, since I am in Texas, I may have to come up with something else for the summertime. I can't afford to run my AC at 70 through the summer, it's usually 78 or 80, so I don't know what I will do come summer.

Yeah, heat is the curse of the Texan brewer.

I bet you could wick 10 degrees off the carboy/bucket with the tshirt/waterbath trick and a fan. I get about 5-6deg off without a fan, according to those stick-on fermometer things.

Last month I bought one of those fridge controllers; I knew if I did that I'd force myself to buy a used or dinged fridge for the beer. Bought a dinged up smaller fridge at Home Depot over the weekend and put it in the workshop. The wife is already happier about the increased closet space...

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

So im in my living room right now and my temp on the wall reads 70 degrees.
I went over to feel the bottles and they still feel cool, not cold but cool.
I have 12 of them in a 12 pack box with 2 shirts over them tryng to hold in the temp. Can the bottles stay at about 60-62 and still carbonate in 3 weeks?

 

[jmiracle]

If they're in a room temperature room they'll carbonate, just try one every week to check the carbonation if you're anxious, I've had a lot of beers get decently carbed in a week or ten days. You don't need to make a point of holding in the temp or anything, just stash them somewhere that you have the heat on and leave them alone. The bottles will always feel somewhat cool compared to your 98.6 degree hand.

But move those other ones in from the garage if you want them to carb anytime soon.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

ok, thanks