Raise Fermentation Temp?

[andy6026]

Hello folks, I have a quick question:

I have a 5 gallon batch of Pliny the Elder fermeting in my basement (OG: 1.074). I used 2 packs of rehydrated US-05. My basement is unheated with an ambient temp of 60F. I brewed it on Thursday (4 days ago), the blow-off tube has been chugging along nicely but is now starting to slow a bit.

I have the possibility of moving the bucket up to my main floor which is an ambient temp of around 72F. Should I now move it upstairs, or wait a certain amount of time, or leave it in the basement indefinitely? I have no other means of raising the temp - it's either downstairs at 60F or upstairs at 72F.

Thanks!

 

[myndflyte]

I mean it's ambient 60F so the liquid, while fermenting, is probably somewhere around 65F? Do you have a sticker thermometer on your fermenter? I'd probably leave it there until a week is up, then move it upstairs to finish up.

 

[mredge73]

Unless it stalls out way below the finish line, I wouldn't touch it.
Fermentor is probably a bit warmer than the ambient anyway, 65-68 is perfect.

 

[andy6026]

I do have a stick on thermometer but it only starts at 66... so I sanitized me thermapen and stuck it in the bucket... 62F.

 

[RM-MN]

I'd move it. Any off flavors have already been produced so it won't hurt a thing to let it warm. It might even persuade the yeast to clean up any off flavors they produced.

 

[ncbrewer]

The Yeast book (White and Zainasheff) advises raising the temperature 4 - 10 degrees F when 1/3 - 1/4 of the fermentation remains to be done. Since you're at 62 now, moving should get you to about a 10 degree increase. Besides cleaning up off flavors, you might get a little more attenuation.

If you wanted to fine tune it, you could put the fermenter in a tub of water (swamp cooler). I find the evaporation cools it about 3 degrees, even with no wet towel or ice bottles.

 

[mux11]

Ideal temp is 65-68 degrees?? with a warming at the end of fermentation (2weeks) is this correct?

 

[RM-MN]

Ideal temp is 65-68 degrees?? with a warming at the end of fermentation (2weeks) is this correct?

I'd start the warming sooner. I'd been doing a week before warming but with a lower gravity ale I've moved them to a warmer location at day 4. Even with an OG of 1.074, the yeast will have eaten most of the sugars but the 4th day and your beer can probably be moved then or soon after.

 

[JohnSand]

For future reference, you may find temperature variations throughout the basement or other parts of the house. Right now my basement floor in my ferment area is 54, but on a table is 58. Near the furnace is 67, by the doors it's 45. You can by an inexpensive infrared thermometer, or use a cheap wall thermometer and move it from place to place.

 

[TomVA]

Likewise here. My cellar is now 56°F but at the top of the cellar stairs it is 64°F, perfect for a British ale.