Liquid yeast help

[Ronald C Gregory]

Greetings,

I am getting ready for my 5th beer this weekend. I am going to use liquid yeast for the first time. I have my game plan for a starter but what I am curious about is my room for fermentation is between 50-55 degrees right now. I am going to do an english brown ale but know that ale yeasts wont do well in that temp range. Can I get a few suggestions on liquid lager yeasts that would work with a typical english brown ?
I dont have the exact recipe right now but it will be an extract recipe not all grain.

Thanks in advance
Ron

 

[Beer-lord]

I really don't know how it would work with a brown ale but Wyeast 1007 German Ale (Kolsch) yeast can go down to 55 degrees.

 

[webby45wr]

Wyeast 1028 (London Ale) can go down to 60. I've never pushed it that low, but I like it in my porters.

 

[DVCNick]

I'd get a thermowell, temp controller, and wrap-around carboy heater. This will cost about 70 bucks if you buy everything new, but it's a one time expense.

I keep my house cool in the winter, and this setup is allowing me to control the temperature to exactly what I want. The ambient temp is dragging it down, and the heater is bringing it up to the exact set temp and keeping it there.

This is better than I was doing in the summer when the ambient temp was dragging it up, and I was bringing it down with a swamp cooler and less than perfect temp regulation. (I'll probably get a chest freezer for this next year for perfect control year round).

 

[Ronald C Gregory]

I'd get a thermowell, temp controller, and wrap-around carboy heater. This will cost about 70 bucks if you buy everything new, but it's a one time expense.

I keep my house cool in the winter, and this setup is allowing me to control the temperature to exactly what I want. The ambient temp is dragging it down, and the heater is bringing it up to the exact set temp and keeping it there.

This is better than I was doing in the summer when the ambient temp was dragging it up, and I was bringing it down with a swamp cooler and less than perfect temp regulation. (I'll probably get a chest freezer for this next year for perfect control year round).

unfortunately that wont be am option for this beer. It is on my to get list but with 3 kids and the holidays Im just happy to be brewing this month

 

[JimRausch]

DVCNick- You can always make a DYI temp control.
Here's two that I've made and use:
1. I have a cardboard box that fits my fermenter (bucket) and line it with Styrofoam sheets. That alone will help because fermentation is an exothermic reaction and you are basically trapping in that extra heat. I also add a heating pad when needed. The drawback is that you have to take a temp. to find out what the temp of the fermentation is. I'm using that system currently for a mead that I have to open a couple times daily to degas anyways.
2. Get a swamp cooler bucket big enough for your fermenter plus a water bath. This system is more flexible- you can add an aquarium heater to warm things up or add ice bottles to cool things down. There's also less chance of contamination because the temp. of the water bath will equal the temp in the fermenter once things equilibrate. I have a Vienna lager currently in this system. Initially I added ice bottles to keep the temp down around 48-50 degrees. Now I have the aquarium heater in there for a D-rest at 64. Cheap and easy can work, you just can't 'set and forget' like you might do with dedicated controller.

 

[JimRausch]

Also- I've used the WY1007 in my Altbiers, which are certainly darker than Kolsches. I like that yeast very much, But if you were looking for the typical English esters, you won't get them from 1007. That yeast is very clean, almost lager-like.

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

For a low budget heater, I used to put the fermenter in a small closet with a small space heater, a jar of water and a thermometer in the water. Set the heater to kick in around your target temp. Give it an hour or two and check the thermometer. Adjust the heater setting accordingly until the water thermometer stays steady at the temp you want. It works surprisingly well and only takes a few hours to tune in the right setting.

 

[Ronald C Gregory]

Actually picking up a small electric space heater here soon. Will run an extension cord for it till this summer when my brother in law helps me run a box to the room

 

[tellyho]

I use a temp controller I made before you could get them, plus a reptile tank heater and foil-foam insulation wrap around my bucket. Probably $50 all-in and able to ramp up and maintain any temp in my 62 degree MA house. Just fermented a pale ale with Kveik at 104, no problem. I used to use a space heater in a box/chest freezer, but this is more economical.

 

[tellyho]

Here's a pic

 

[Ronald C Gregory]

I use a temp controller I made before you could get them, plus a reptile tank heater and foil-foam insulation wrap around my bucket. Probably $50 all-in and able to ramp up and maintain any temp in my 62 degree MA house. Just fermented a pale ale with Kveik at 104, no problem. I used to use a space heater in a box/chest freezer, but this is more economical.

By the end of the summer I'll have a fridge with temp control in it the basement. The boys will need a new small space heater for the bedroom next winter anyway so I am going to get it after Christmas is over and borrow it

 

[Kiln]

You could just use some good ole lager yeast for those temps. It by no means would fit the bill of your intended recipe. If it were me I might just turn it into a Swartz, a black lager. Imagine a stout with lager yeast. Mmmm ahhh beer. Also go to the liquid yeast

 

[Kiln]

You could just use some good ole lager yeast for those temps. It by no means would fit the bill of your intended recipe. If it were me I might just turn it into a Swartz, a black lager. Imagine a stout with lager yeast. Mmmm ahhh beer. Also go to the liquid yeast

Manufacturers web site of yeast that you have access to ex. White labs, and they will list all the different yeasts temp ranges.

 

[Ronald C Gregory]

Manufacturers web site of yeast that you have access to ex. White labs, and they will list all the different yeasts temp ranges.

I ended up doing that with this one. After talking to the wife about the space heater and my LHBS I used a dry lager yeast and its happily making me some beer currently

 

[Kiln]

I ended up doing that with this one. After talking to the wife about the space heater and my LHBS I used a dry lager yeast and its happily making me some beer currently

That's awesome! My first beer was an Oktoberfest and was amazing.

 

[Lefou]

I really don't know how it would work with a brown ale but Wyeast 1007 German Ale (Kolsch) yeast can go down to 55 degrees.

I've done WLP029 brews at 58F-62F. This is the White Labs Kolsch strain. Excellent yeast.