How Long Do You Maintain The Temp?

[rodwha]

I've been using swamp coolers for quite some time (~2.5 yrs), and I had maintained a mid 60's (64-66*) for the entire fermentation (3-4 weeks), but pull it the day before to drip dry. I see many allow theirs to warm up. When do you do such?

This time I've maintained a low 60's temp for about 1.5 weeks, and I've been keeping it in the high 60's for about another week, and pulling it for the last few days (rom temp is about 74*).

I've read many times that it's the first 3-7 days that are important. But what of the rest of the time, and what do you get if you would have maintained a low 60's temp vs a high 60's or low 70's?

I may just have to brew up a 4 gal test batch and split it to see what I see...

 

[freisste]

I pull it after a few days. I kind of look at it like a diacetyl rest, even though I don't pay attention to diacetyl in most brews. Basically when gravity gets to about 80% of what I expect (for example, if I expected gravity to drop from 1.060 to 1.012, I'd start to warm somewhere in the 1.020-1.022 range).

 

[rodwha]

So you only chill it for a few days? Do you allow it to warm up to room temp right after pulling it so that it becomes room temp within the day?

 

[Heavywalker]

I keep it in the range I want for the first week or so, then let it warm up until I cold crash. To be honest I am not sure that it is actually helpful to the beer but I know that the yeast are past the point where they are going to give the beer off flavors if they are outside their temp range. So I let it warm up mainly because I don't want to keep babysitting and maintaining temp when it doesn't provide any net gain in the quality of my beer.

 

[rodwha]

I figured maintaining the cooler temp longer improved the cleaner crisper qualities of the yeast.

But I started off doing it that way as I had never read otherwise and so figured it ought to be done.

 

[RmikeVT]

All my research, mostly on this forum, has lead me to believe that it is really only necessary to keep your fermentation temp at the optimal yeast fermentation temperature during primary fermentation, and possibly only during the first few days as that is when the majority of esters etc are created. I typically wait for the Krausen to have dropped or mostly dropped and then pull it out. My basement never gets warmer than 75 and that is only in the dead of summer.

EDIT: After thinking about this for a second, I think another good point is lager brewers bring there beers up to 70* at the end of fermentation as a diacytl rest, having a positive effect on the beer. If you can bring a lager up to 70's at end of ferm with no ill effect, I would think that would be the same for ale yeast.

 

[BigFloyd]

I keep it in the range I want for the first week or so, then let it warm up until I cold crash. To be honest I am not sure that it is actually helpful to the beer but I know that the yeast are past the point where they are going to give the beer off flavors if they are outside their temp range. So I let it warm up mainly because I don't want to keep babysitting and maintaining temp when it doesn't provide any net gain in the quality of my beer.

It is helpful to, once activity slows and the krausen falls, ramp the temp up towards the high end of optimal for the yeast strain being used (assuming, of course, that you began on the low end of optimal). That temp increase encourages the yeast to clean up and convert some of their normal by-products.

 

[rodwha]

Seeing that a week is certainly plenty of time makes my fermentation chamber needs more reasonable!

At the quickest I may brew up to 3 six gal batches within a week, and sometimes do small test batches, and so I was thinking I needed to be able to house 4 brews. But if a week is plenty I don't see that I'd need room for more than 2 batches at a time.

 

[rodwha]

Aren't they still cleaning it up in the low to mid 60's? I thought it was a matter of time and not so much temp (as long as it's not too cold)?

 

[BigFloyd]

Aren't they still cleaning it up in the low to mid 60's? I thought it was a matter of time and not so much temp (as long as it's not too cold)?

Of course it depends on the strain, but ramping up the temperature will help the process along.

Nottingham, for example, should clean up fine at those cooler temps. 1968ESB/WLP002 on the other hand will drop out prematurely if maintained in the low 60's once activity subsides, likely leaving behind a fair amount of unconsumed diacetyl precursor.

 

[petrolSpice]

I start raising the temp once the krausen begins to fall and activity slows down, which for me is typically 3-5 days after pitching. I raise the temp 1F per day until I reach some limit I'm comfortable with, then leave it there for a minimum of two weeks.

 

[freisste]

So you only chill it for a few days? Do you allow it to warm up to room temp right after pulling it so that it becomes room temp within the day?

I leave it in the swamp cooler, but stop swapping out water bottles. It rises, but not particularly fast. I wait until the active part of fermentation starts to subside, so it isn't kicking out heat as fast as during the active part of fermentation.

 

[rodwha]

Until I build a fermentation chamber I think that's exactly how I'll do it too, though I'll give it a week plus whatever it takes to get the airlock bubbling. I've noticed how much slower the dry yeasts seem to be, about twice as slow as liquid with a starter.

 

[Puddlethumper]

Of course it depends on the strain, but ramping up the temperature will help the process along.

Nottingham, for example, should clean up fine at those cooler temps. 1968ESB/WLP002 on the other hand will drop out prematurely if maintained in the low 60's once activity subsides, likely leaving behind a fair amount of unconsumed diacetyl precursor.

So how long would you hold Notty at the low 60's before allowing it to drift to higher temps? And how high would you allow it to go? (Assuming an OG at ~1.055)

 

[BigFloyd]

So how long would you hold Notty at the low 60's before allowing it to drift to higher temps? And how high would you allow it to go? (Assuming an OG at ~1.055)

I usually start it at 57*F, let it run there until activity starts to fall off significantly then bring it up a degree or two so each day until it hits 66*F.

When I use it on a cider (for which it is excellent), I'll start it around 60-61*F since the ferment isn't going to be as active early on.

 

[Puddlethumper]

Thanks. Just pitched an IPA at 1.058. I'll follow your advice on temps. I appreciate the input.

Cheers!

 

[Jamming]

As most advice says single cell organization happens in the first temperature response within 48 hours. After that it can effect a larger response but temperature is very important at pitching time more so than stability for the last 72 hours or so depending on the strain. Large temperature change in a short period can be a stressful advance for the yeast. Be concerned about yeast pitched in wort 12f of 15f greater than the starter or the package. If you dont have a wat to control temps after 48 hours just try to keep it small f changes within 15 degrees.

 

[KepowOb]

I leave it in the swamp cooler, but stop swapping out water bottles. It rises, but not particularly fast. I wait until the active part of fermentation starts to subside, so it isn't kicking out heat as fast as during the active part of fermentation.

I do the same, and it works great for me.