my beer has reached its final gravity, should i warm it up?

[brewsandiego]

I'm brewing a German Kolsch style ale, i tested the beer today and the final gravity has been reached, (1.014). I know you have to check for three consecutive days., should I let the beer be at room temp(70 ish, its been fermenting around 60 ish) for the three days to give the yeast a final kick in the but? i think i read that somewhere.

 

[BigEd]

I'm brewing a German Kolsch style ale, i tested the beer today and the final gravity has been reached, (1.014). I know you have to check for three consecutive days., should I let the beer be at room temp(70 ish, its been fermenting around 60 ish) for the three days to give the yeast a final kick in the but? i think i read that somewhere.

If you did read that, forget about it and throw away whatever publication printed it.

 

[doug293cz]

If you did read that, forget about it and throw away whatever publication printed it.

Care to explain what the issue is? I've also seen recommendations for a slight warming after initial fermentation appears complete.

Brew on

 

[Barley_Bob]

I almost always let the temp rise after fermentation is complete. BigEd is right that it isn't always necessary, and it certainly isn't mandatory, but it has a couple of benefits. First, it guarantees that fermentation is actually complete. If your yeast has stalled (and you just don't know it) this will solve the problem before you find out at a much less ideal moment later (after bottling, for example). Second, if your beer has diacetyl, this slight raise in temp will qualify as a D-rest, and will eliminate it. Diacetyl can only be eliminated while the beer is still on the yeast cake, and, if it's still present after primary, this temperature bump is the solution.

If you've allowed an appropriate amount of time for primary fermentation to take place, have fermented at or near the yeast's recommended temperature range, and have healthy yeast, you likely won't have either of these problems anyway, and the slight temperature increase is unnecessary. However, since it's so very easy to do, and solves two really irritating problems while they're still reversible, I view it as a simple and effective safety net.

 

[brew_ny]

I know I brew my ales at 65f after I hit my FG I warm them up to 68F for few days then cold crash

for 48 to 72 hours at 32F then into the kegs

all the best

S_M

 

[j1n]

If you did read that, forget about it and throw away whatever publication printed it.

lol wut?

There is nothing wrong with letting it warm to room temp after most if not all the fermentation is done. It can help with attenuation if it didn't already reach the terminal gravity.

 

[FatDragon]

In addition to what others have said, some beers benefit from a slow ramp-up in temperature throughout primary fermentation. I start my iteration of the recipe section's Caramel Amber Ale at 18 C for two days, then bump it up a degree a day until resting at 24 C for five days. It helps with getting full attenuation and gives me some light esters that complement the brew.

At the very least, with the temperatures you're quoting, you're not going to harm the beer. Whether or not the temperature bump will do anything is another question, but if you've got the means to do it and aren't worried about waiting an extra day or two before packaging, you've got nothing to lose.

 

[brew_ny]

If you did read that, forget about it and throw away whatever publication printed it.

please tell me more

 

[BigEd]

please tell me more

Diacetyl rest for a lager? Sure. Warm up a finished Kolsch? Why on Earth would you want to do that?

 

[brewsandiego]

idk bro thats why i put this on a forum for beginner beer brewers.

 

[dkevinb]

Diacetyl rest for a lager? Sure. Warm up a finished Kolsch? Why on Earth would you want to do that?

Having little knowledge on the topic I'm curious, too. Is this a matter of "you must not do it" or "it doesn't matter one way or the other, so why bother"?

 

[Barley_Bob]

Diacetyl rest for a lager? Sure. Warm up a finished Kolsch? Why on Earth would you want to do that?

I did just write a 189 word essay on the subject...

But you don't have to take my word for it. Here's an article on diacetyl from BYO.

Ale fermentations produce more diacetyl because ales are fermented warmer than lagers, but the reduction happens much quicker.

For ale production, the fermentation temperature is usually 65° to 70° F, so temperature modification is not necessary. But the fermentation should still be “rested” at this temperature for two days to ensure proper diacetyl reduction. Many brewers make the mistake of quickly crashing the fermentation temperature following terminal gravity. Why not? The beer is done, people are thirsty, and there is no taste of diacetyl in the beer.

Even though the diacetyl can’t be tasted, however, the beer might contain high levels of the precursor, acetolactate, which can be converted to diacetyl. Once the yeast is removed, there is no way to get rid of the diacetyl.

And again (to say the same thing twice (but with imaginary numbers this time)), your hydrometer may read 1.014 three times in a row, but it still may not be finished because the yeast has stalled at the end. You might raise the temp a few degrees and then see the FG drop to 1.011.

Having little knowledge on the topic I'm curious, too. Is this a matter of "you must not do it" or "it doesn't matter one way or the other, so why bother"?

Neither. The answer is that it might not matter, but it's safer to do it. You might go without a d-rest, or slight temperature raise, 99 times and be totally fine, and then end up with over carbed beer or buttered popcorn on the 100th.

 

[Natdavis777]

I almost always let the temp rise after fermentation is complete. BigEd is right that it isn't always necessary, and it certainly isn't mandatory, but it has a couple of benefits. First, it guarantees that fermentation is actually complete. If your yeast has stalled (and you just don't know it) this will solve the problem before you find out at a much less ideal moment later (after bottling, for example). Second, if your beer has diacetyl, this slight raise in temp will qualify as a D-rest, and will eliminate it. Diacetyl can only be eliminated while the beer is still on the yeast cake, and, if it's still present after primary, this temperature bump is the solution.

If you've allowed an appropriate amount of time for primary fermentation to take place, have fermented at or near the yeast's recommended temperature range, and have healthy yeast, you likely won't have either of these problems anyway, and the slight temperature increase is unnecessary. However, since it's so very easy to do, and solves two really irritating problems while they're still reversible, I view it as a simple and effective safety net.

He speak a da truth....

I don't take gravity readings consecutively bc I am lazy and don't want to infect the beer, so I wait until the Krausen is starting to fall, and raise the beer's temp up to 70F for the remainder of fermentation. You want to do the d-rest while yeast are still in suspension. I adapted this process after reading several brewers in this site doing the same with great results.

For lagers, I'll raise the temp up to 60ish for a few days before racking to my lagering vessel


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