High fermentation temperatures!

[Proofman]

Do have an extra bathroom or laundryroom (small room with a/c vent)? In the summer, here in the south, we keep the a/c set at 78F when we are gone and about 74-75F when we are home. I keep mine fermenters in our extra bathroom and by openeing and closing the a/c vent at strategic times i can keep the temp at 66-69F.

 

[Evan!]

Do have an extra bathroom or laundryroom (small room with a/c vent)? In the summer, here in the south, we keep the a/c set at 78F when we are gone and about 74-75F when we are home. I keep mine fermenters in our extra bathroom and by openeing and closing the a/c vent at strategic times i can keep the temp at 66-69F.

So you keep your ambient room temp at 66-69ºF? Which means, after you factor in the aerobic activity from fermentation, you're probably looking at, what, 75ºF wort temps? Sounds pretty high to me.

 

[Evan!]

And I'd also like to clarify this whole "Belgian beers are fermented hot" myth. It's a misunderstanding. You get above 72 for most ale strains, belgian or not, and you start risking phenolics and fusel alcohols. You can ramp the temps up towards the latter half of fermentation, but I still do not recommend going about 72º during the first half for almost any beer...especially during the repro phase.

 

[EricCSU]

And I'd also like to clarify this whole "Belgian beers are fermented hot" myth. It's a misunderstanding. You get above 72 for most ale strains, belgian or not, and you start risking phenolics and fusel alcohols. You can ramp the temps up towards the latter half of fermentation, but I still do not recommend going about 72º during the first half for almost any beer...especially during the repro phase.

It seems like that is the consensus among many brewers. According to Jamil, even the Saison yeast should be started at 68 degrees and slowly ramped up to 77-78 over a week. If I did not temp control, the carboy would definitely reach 85 in my house.

Eric

 

[Streak541]

Some good ideas. I live in Oklahoma where it also gets warm, and I also recently purchased a conical (plastic) fermenter, so it is harder to place in an ice bath. I am thinking of using the ice chest/pump that I had to buy when I was recovering from shoulder surgery. Wouldn't cooling the top of the fermenter allow the rest of the fermenter to also cool? As heat is pulled out of the top, wouldn't the warmer wort follow, etc, etc?

I also thought about adding the towels or t-shirts to collect some of the condensation.

 

[marcelo]

I tried many things this week, but my beer is brewing between 76 to 85F by the smell coming out airlock is very strong and sulfur. I do not know if anyone had the same problem? I used Nottingham yeast and was thinking of putting the fermenter in the fridge and keep for two weeks 40f. is all I can do.
any help please ...