Question about fermentation temperatures

[off7spring]

Hi Everyone,

I brewed an IPA last Monday. Everything went well with the brewing (I had an OG of 1.064). Anyway, I got the temperature of the wort down to around 70, poured it in my fermenting bucket (aerating it by pouring it a few times back and forth between the sanitized bottling bucket and the fermentation bucket), pitched my yeast, and put the lid and airlock on. I set it in the bathtub in my upstairs bathroom whereI kept the room temperature at a constant 68ºF.

It was bubbling like crazy the first 3 days of fermentation. The people helping me gather the ingredients at my local home brew store said 7-10 days for fermentation was plenty for this recipe.

I checked it at days 5, 6, and 7, since the airlock activity had stopped after day 3, and the gravity readings were the same (1.012). I tasted it after each reading just because I was curious how it was progressing. It was pretty decent.

After the day 7 reading I let it cold crash in my garage overnight (34ºF) and brought it in the next day to warm up while I was at work.

When I bottled it after work, I tried a sip just to confirm the taste was still on track with what I was expecting (It should be a decently hoppy IPA seeing as I used 6 oz of hops), and it was a little cherry/fruity tasting.

From what I've been reading on here that's a byproduct of too high of a temperature during fermentation.

What do you guys find is a good ambient temp to keep an ale at to keep it within its range for fermentation?

Any tips or tricks you can recommend?

Since the cherry taste wasn't super prominent is there any way it could correct itself with some additional time during bottle conditioning? Also, since the cherry taste seemed to cancel out the hoppiness, is there any way the hoppiness will return to the flavor of the beer?

Lastly...how SHOULD an IPA taste if you taste it before carbonating. I was pretty surprised it wasn't as hoppy as I expected. Does that happen as the beer progresses, or is it just something I did wrong?

Thanks for any input you guys may have!

 

[dxbq48]

I have an IPA right now that I brewed two weeks ago that tastes kinda like the skin of an apple and grass. This is because the beer is what we call "green". With time this will pass and the hop flavors and aromas will shine through. I typically wait at least 2 weeks in bottles/kegs to even taste the beer. This way I am not wasting any bit of a good tasting beer a couple weeks down the road.

I try to keep most IPAs at about 62-64 ambient when in active fermentation. This usually results in the temperature of the wort/beer being between 66-68. If you have the ambient temp around 68, the beer during active fermentation probably did creep up into the low 70's but that still can produce a good beer.

Just wait this one out for a couple more weeks and you should be rewarded with a nice beer.

RDWHHB!

 

[off7spring]

Thanks for the response. I will definitely take that advice on ambient temps next batch I brew. Good call on the 2 weeks as well. I tried my last IPA at about a week and it was ok, but that extra week or 2 really brought out the hop flavor even more.

 

[Puddlethumper]

Hi Everyone,

What do you guys find is a good ambient temp to keep an ale at to keep it within its range for fermentation?

Any tips or tricks you can recommend?

You didn't mention which strain of yeast you used and your temperature question really revolves around that. Some yeast strains like much cooler temperatures than 68F. Also, you need to keep in mind that fermentation is an exothermic process, i.e. the process itself generates heat. So if the ambient room temperature was 68F the actual temperature of the fermenting beer may have been as high as 75F. That is a bit too warm for most yeast strains.

There have been several really good discussions on this topic here and from them I have learned that it is best to cool the wort to below your fermentation temperature (usually 60F - 66F). Get your yeast to within 15F of the wort temperature (the closer they are to each other the better), aerate and pitch. Then allow the beer to come up to fermentation temperature from there. With most yeast strains you probably want to keep ambient temperatures in the mid to lower 60'sF. Some yeasts, such as Nottingham, should probably be kept around 60F.

As far as the batch you are working on now goes, +1 to letting it mellow out for a while. Some of those flavors you are getting may subside as the beer ages.

 

[off7spring]

Thanks. I forget the name of the strand off the top of my head. It was dry and I poured it on top. Thanks for the heads up on those other threads here...I will definitely check them out.

 

[eluterio]

To add on to what others have said about temp and yeast, ^^^^ are correct about the yeast will move the temp up because of the activity, they will create energy that creates heat. I had an wheat beer that I was able to get to 62F and I pitch and set in a temp control unit at 64. Well when I checked my fermentation temp it was 72F. Not much I could do about it so I just adjusted my temp to 60 to try and slow it down. Goes to show when you have healthy massive amount of yeast it can explode on you!

Another thing to ask if you made a yeast starter? If you pitched the right amount of yeast will help on reducing the stress on the yeast therefore, less esters. These yeast easters will smell and taste to specific yeast strains. Another variation would be the OG if no starter and was sitting at 1.060 or above this could also lead to fusal alcohol or a high alcohol smell and taste. Again could be prevented by pitching more yeast.

The fruity taste you are describing could be from a higher fermentation temp, this usually happens at higher temps. Seems like your getting a stone fruit, easter from the yeast unless you used a darker malt? Most stouts have dark malts that lead to malt esters such cherry or plum or raisen.

Give it a few weeks all might meld well with each other!!

 

[cluckk]

What do you guys find is a good ambient temp to keep an ale at to keep it within its range for fermentation?

It really depends on what style of ale and strain of yeast. The only general rule that holds is that ales ferment warmer than lagers, but there is a wide range depending on what you are trying to accomplish. Some styles are fermented very cold for ales, like some Scotch yeasts fermenting in the mid 50's. Then some styles, like Belgians, are fermented higher than other ales--some even do well into the 80's.

A good rule of thumb is to look at the yeast you are using. If you go to the higher end of the recommended temps then you usually get more esthers. If you are brewing really high gravity you also have to be careful of fusels from the higher temps. Fermenting in the mid range usually gets you closest to the standard for the yeast. Fermenting too low can cause a slow or stuck fermentation. When deciding on a temperature keep in mind that the temperature of the wort will be higher (by 5-10 degrees F) than ambient. So if you set it to ferment at 68 ambient it could have actually been 73-78 in the wort (especially in the center). I always shoot for the lower end of the recommended temperature for the strain of yeast being used--except with wines and Belgians.

 

[off7spring]

Thanks. I didn't realize that temp inside the wort could possibly have been that high. I'll have to pay closer attention to the next batch I brew/shoot for the lower end of the recommended temperature range for my yeast.

 

[craigkelker]

Consider using a "swamp cooler". I simply place my ale pail in a larger bucket of water. Some searches on HBT will provide more details.