Oatmeal Stout Fermentation Temps

[Relic1882]

Sorry to ask this, but I'm having a little dilema. I was fermenting my beers in my basement with a space heater keeping the area around 65 degrees for all of my fermentation. That was all fine and good, but now my heater broke and I can't get another one yet. We just started fermenting an oatmeal stout yesterday. If I leave it in my basement, the carboy is going to go down to probably 58 degrees. In order to keep it warm enough, the only place in my house with room is my kitchen. Although the kitchen never gets over 70 degrees most of the time, my stout is currently around 72 degrees and it seems to be staying there most of the time. Is this ok? I know optimal temps are around 68 but I don't want to overdo the temps and ruin the batch. I'm using White Labs WLP002 English Ale yeast.

P.S. It's fermenting well right now... from what the eye can see.

 

[flars]

Look up the optimal fermentation range for your yeast. Ferment towards the lower end of this range. After active fermentation is done, checked by hydrometer readings, allow the beer to warm to the low 70° range. During this time the yeast will be cleaning up the by products of fermentation which have some off flavors.

 

[goodgodilovebeer]

Try your best to keep the fermentation temperature as steady as possible. As long as the temperature of the beer isn't swinging up and down, it'll be fine. 70f is probably a bit on the high side, but don't worry about it. If you try and cool it down to 65f or so, you may risk the yeast dropping out too soon and leaving it under attenuated. Hope that helps.

 

[Kayos]

Throw a wet t shirt on the fermentor and leave it in the 70° room.

 

[dcp27]

with heat created from active fermentation, 58F should be fine, just bring it upstairs as it slows. I'd much rather ferment there than at 70F (unless you have a 'swamp cooler' to keep it in the 60s)