Is 60 degrees too cold?

[syd138]

I just cooked up my first batch on Saturday. Heffe Weisen.

It is currently sitting in my glass carboy in my apartment. I looked at the thermometer and it is reading at 60.

I know they say it should be at 65 to 75 degrees.

Is this too cold? Is it going to make the yeast inactive or something?

 

[nukebrewer]

65-70 F, I believe is the optimum range, but it should still ferment at 60, it will just be slower.

 

[Fingers]

You'll also lose some of the fruity esthers that form at the higher temps. They're part of the flavor profile.

 

[Danek]

Is the thermometer on your carboy, or just somewhere in the apartment? Because fermentation gives off heat, and it's possible the fermenter is between five and ten degrees higher than ambient.

 

[jay4e]

60 will be fine. I have two brews fermenting in a 60 deg room right now. The temp on the car boys reads 70 and 73. Just wrap them in a heavy sweatshirt or something to hold in the heat. If in a week they have not droped close to fg you wakem up with a little swirl or bump the temp 5 deg.

 

[schweaty]

Wrapping a towel around it should help insulate it a bit. Maybe try moving it away from any windows or doors where there might be a draft. Heck, give the darn thing a hug even! I do believe that yeast only go dormant at near freezing temps. At 60 the fermentation will take a little bit longer. Just give it a couple of weeks and start checking the hydrometer readings.

 

[fratermus]

I looked at the thermometer and it is reading at 60.

I know they say it should be at 65 to 75 degrees.

Is this too cold? Is it going to make the yeast inactive or something?

If you are using a real German weizen yeast then you will probably get a pronounced (and pleasant) clove flavor. If you are using a dry or american weizen yeast the clove will likely be less or negligible.

I intentionally did a weizen w/3068 @ 60F and it was quite good. Took 2wks in the primary to finish up at that low temp.

 

[IvanTheTerrible]

I'm having the same issue.

Spot number 1 turned out to be too hot. Ambient temp under the stairs in my basement was around 74 degrees. I didnt have a thermometer on my plastic fermenter, and it is my non-professional opinion that my first batch was undrinkable due to the fact that it was way too hot.

For my next batch I've scoped out 2 areas. One is my pantry, which this morning was reading somewhere between 55-60 degrees. My second is in the open area of the basement. I left the thermometer there before I went to work but I'm going to guess it's going to be about 70 degrees.

Should I place it in the pantry or the basement?

 

[ifishsum]

I'd probably use the basement if you're using an ale yeast.

 

[zacster]

Too cold is better than too warm. A too warm batch will form esters that may not be part of the flavor that you want, although with a Hefe you'd probably be OK with that. Too cold just may not ferment as strongly in which case you could put it somewhere warmer to get it going.

Check with a hydrometer to make sure it is finished before bottling. If the temps have slowed you down, it'll tell you.

 

[IvanTheTerrible]

The open area of the basement read 69 degrees this morning.
The pantry read 60.

My last batch was kept in a closet reading 73-75. Beer tasted horrendous.

What do you think?

 

[mmb]

From what I've been reading, 62* is going to be the sweet spot for a hefe so that it's not HUGE with bubblegum/banana/clove flavors.

Jamil even says so on his podcast, so if the Pope does it, it must be true.

 

[IvanTheTerrible]

Mine is going to be an amber ale... same deal?

 

[Brewing Clamper]

Apparently, Rogue ferments everything at 60F. I wouldn't worry.

 

[mmb]

Mine is going to be an amber ale... same deal?

An American Amber I'd ferment @ 65 - 68 with a clean Cal Ale yeast.