Fermentation issues...possibly. Need some feedback please

[tkeel92]

So I've just recently made the upgrade to a chest freezer to ferment in and an inkbird temp controller to manage temps (prob taped beneath folded paper towel for insulation). I just cracked open my latest IPA using said ferm chamber and I get a sweet fruity nose and taste in the beer. I had the temp control set at 65F with a +/- of 1 for the length of really active fermentation (using us-05) then slowly raised daily. Dry hopped at 2 weeks and bottled after 5 days of dry hopping. (Also I do not do a "secondary") I understand that the fruity esters are usually produced due to higher fermentation temps so I guess my main question is do I need to set my temp controller lower than the actual temp I would like to ferment at due to the fermentation ramping up temps inside the glass carboy? Any other suggestions and advise are welcome. I can also post my recipe and hops used if that helps in you aiding me. Thank you!

 

[TheHopfather]

Interesting. I like to ferment US05 at 19C (66F) and it comes out pretty clean for me. Did you rehydrate the yeast before pitching? Aerate the wort?

Your temp controllers entire job is to keep the temp of the beer at your set point. You should attach the probe to the carboy, then attach your insulation on top of the probe and tape it all in place. This should do a pretty darn good job of keeping the beer temp at your set point temp. I've never used paper towel so I can't attest to how well it does at insulating, but I typically use a small piece of sponge and it works great.

 

[tkeel92]

I did rehydrate and aerate (I use an aquarium pump with a filter and stone) I could aerate longer I suppose (may have been about 20 mins with this batch, not exactly sure). I did tape the paper towel over the probe directly on the carboy roughly halfway up the carboy. (Any suggestions on placement of the probe?) I'll look into the sponge deal...do you use just a standard yellow dish sponge?

 

[tkeel92]

Would the dextrose (corn sugar) I use to carbonate add a sweetness if I use "too much"? It was just over 2 1/2 gallons bottled with 2.5 grams of sugar

 

[tkeel92]

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