Crazy temp is all over the place

[BrianTheBrewer]

Well we here living in New England know our weather just sucks most of the time. Its cold one day, hot the next, snowing for a second, raining for an hour. I have my all grain Oatmeal Stout in my glass carboy in my basement. Has been sitting there for 2 weeks now. The temp has been jumping all over the place. From 70 degrees to 72 then down to 68 to 64 back to 70. I went down stairs this morning and saw that the temp read 78 degrees. WTF??!! Its not that cold out today so that had alot to do with the temp jumping so high up.

Now I asked a few people in my homebrew club about the temp jumping all over the place. They told me that the brew should still be fine. Really???

What do you guys think???

 

[gregs765]

So are those temperature variations the room temperature or the carboy temperature? The impact on your beer will depend on when in the fermentation the temperature spikes. I've had people tell me a lot of the phenolics will get created by high temperatures early on, as will fusel alcohols.

As for moderating the temperature, consider setting the carboy in a big water bath, like one of those big plastic tubs. The more liquid you have, the less likely you'll get temperature spikes. If the temperature changes come from outside (versus yeast-generated), wrap the whole thing up in a sleeping bag or blankets, too.

Greg

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Ya I have the carboy wrapped with a blanket and another blanket below it.

 

[Nurmey]

The main fermentation is over so it should be fine. The first couple days are the critical temperature period so as they say "RDWHAHB."

 

[Yooper]

I think the water bath is a good idea- the mass of the water would help keep the beer at a steady temperature no matter how the room temperature was fluctuating. I do that in the summer, here- because during the day it's in the 70s but at night in the 40s and 50s. Keeping the fermenter in a water bath insulates it quite well, since it takes a long time for the temperature to change in a water bath.

 

[BrianTheBrewer]

Well im moving it into a secondary for a couple of more weeks. I will see what the temp stays at in the next couple of days after the transfer. The water bath may help.