Russian Imperial Stout Aging

[caseyjones88]

I recently picked up homebrewing and I was hoping to make my first RIS soon. I live in the south and temperatures can get pretty high down here which isn't ideal for fermenting. I was wondering how important the temperature of the secondary is when aging something like a RIS.
I know the primary should be right around 68 degrees but after about a week in the secondary how much does the fermentation temperature actually matter?
Could I keep it in my closet (around 75-80 in the summertime)?


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[caseyjones88]

Thanks in advance!


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[LovesIPA]

A fermentation temperature of 68 might be OK, depending on the yeast strain you choose. A 68 degree ambient temperature is not generally OK. If you put a fermenter in a 68 degree place, fermentation is going to raise the temperature of the beer by as much as a 8-10 degrees. That puts you well into the danger zone for most strains.

However the temperature really only matters for the first 4-5 days when the yeast are doing the bulk of their work. After that the temperature doesn't really matter as much because the flavor profile is set. I don't think 75-80 would be a problem after that initial period.

 

[caseyjones88]

Thanks so much for the info!


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