fermenting beer

[jasey]

hi im new to beer brewing i have been fermenting stout for 2 weeks now it finished fermenting after a few days its on a heater pad should i have turned it off when fermenting had finished

 

[Yooper]

You normally don’t need a heating pad at all, unless it’s very cold in the room. Depending on the yeast strain you used, 18-20C (64-68F) is ideal, especially since fermentation itself produces quite a bit of heat. So yes, unless it’s very very cold where the beer is, turn off any heat source.

 

[jasey]

yup its very cold were i live

 

[RM-MN]

Use your heater pad (if necessary) with a controller whose probe is fastened to the fermenter to keep the beer in the proper range for fermentation until the fermentation slows, usually by day 4 or 5, then increase the temperature by a few degrees to encourage complete fermentation.

 

[FoxPaw]

I agree with @Yooper about using a heat blanket, also you should be using some kind of temp controller (stc-1000, inkbird, etc) to control the heat blanket. Temp control of the fermentation process is very important for the yeast to do their job.

 

[user 254557]

In minnesota where it can get very cold in the winter and my basement can be fairly cool, I use a heating belt with an inkbird ITC temp controller, but will also but a sweatshirt or coat over the fermenter to maintain a consistent temp. Keeping temps in the range of the yeast is important, but keeping a consistant temp is important also........................cheers

 

[jasey]

thanks but what i was meaning was im leaving my beer in primary for 2 weeks after fermentation do i need to keep temp up or dosent it matter

 

[parjay]

You are probably done with the bulk of your fermentation, but I like leaving my beers for a while in the primary to clean up. I'd assumed that this would be better at fermentation temps than below. Once you are ready to bottle/keg, spending some time at a lower temp (as low as just above freezing temp for your beer) will encourage more yeast and sediment to fall out of suspension so that you will get less "gunk" in your bottles or keg. There will still be plenty of yeast left in suspension if you are planning on bottle carbing.

 

[jasey]

thanks for your help