Fermentation below 65 degrees.

[rcreveli]

I am planning on starting my first brew on the 24th. We are leaving town until 26th or 27th. Should I keep the house at 65 or will 62 be ok. I plan on wrapping the fermentor in a blanket.

 

[bigin31]

Youll be ok.

 

[Poolplayer]

It might prefer if you left the TV on Nickelodeon while you're gone too.

 

[HOOTER]

What yeast are you using?

 

[rcreveli]

What yeast are you using?

Safale US-05

As for the TV I figured Spike would be a better choice for a MANNLY Brew

 

[BenS]

62 would make a nice clean tasting brew with S-05.

 

[Brew-boy]

The beer could get lonely and start to cry, what if it pee's on the floor while your gone?

 

[rcreveli]

It'll have the Cats to keep it company.

 

[Pappers_]

Agreed, it will work fine!

62 would make a nice clean tasting brew with S-05.

 

[Yooper]

My house is never more than 62 degrees, and I make ok beer.

Remember that it's the fermentation temperature that's important and often fermentation will cause heat and the temperature in the fermenter will be higher than ambient temperature. I personally like fermenting nottingham yeast at 59-60 degrees, and S05 at 63-63 degrees anyway for the cleanest flavor.

 

[Hang Glider]

...I plan on wrapping the fermentor in a blanket.

Congrats on the first brew!

the blanket may actually increase the temperature, because inside your fermenter it will be warmer than the ambient temps. House at 62 means primary fermentation will probably rise to about 66 (which is still okay) but you probably don't want the blanket holding in the "heat."

 

[rcreveli]

My reason for the blanket is more light blocking than heat retention. I am leaving this in my kitchen . The basement is a god 5-10 degrees cooler than the the kitchen so i think that would be a bad plan.

 

[Challenger440]

If your basement is that cold, you could make a lager and leave it in the basement while you are gone.

 

[rcreveli]

My basement isn't ready to recieve living organisms at the moment.

 

[LeeF]

and S05 at 63-63 degrees anyway for the cleanest flavor.

Yoop, is that 62.5-63.4 or 63.0-63.9?

 

[Yooper]

Yoop, is that 62.5-63.4 or 63.0-63.9?

OOps- typo. Obviously. But I meant 62-63 degrees!

I don't think I've fermented many ales over 65 at all, but I did go up to 68 once with Northwest ale yeast and it came out great!

 

[mmb]

A little gotcha with US-05 to watch out for is a slight peach ester at cooler temps with shorter fermentation times. My basement is 62 or so and after 2 weeks in primary I get a slight peach. After 4 weeks in primary at that temp the peach is gone.

I don't rack to secondary so I don't know if that would make a difference in time after racking off the yeast cake.

For what it's worth...

 

[MilwaukeeBrewGuy]

There is definitely something to be said of the inrternal ferm.temps. When I used US-05 it shot up like a rocket. At room temp of about 66-67, it got way up to 72 or so. I guess those little buggers can kick off some heat during active ferm.

 

[LeeF]

I've been fermenting a Barleywine sitting in a plastic tub of water at 63-64F for three weeks using US-05. I thought this would be a good temp for the yeast and eliminate the hot flavors I've had in other Barleywines. The verdict is still out. I'm not racking over for at least another week.

 

[Mike613]

This is why I love winter brewing. Pitched US-05 into a batch on Sunday and my house temp fluctuates between 59 - 62. Currently it is bubbling away. Interesting point about the peach ester. Have not heard of that, but I plan on keeping in the primary for more than 2 weeks.

 

[Hermit]

The beer could get lonely and start to cry, what if it pee's on the floor while your gone?

Haven't you seen Revvy's post? The yeast pee alcohol and fart CO2. This is a good thing. Now if you have it fermenting all over your floor, you are doing it wrong.