jrrenola
Member
Hi all!
I currently have John Palmer's Lord Crouchback Special Bitter in the primary fermenter. (Brewday was 11/10).
This is my 4th batch of beer overall, the 2nd in 5 gallon batches. (I was a Mr. Beer guy for 2 batches previously.) The previous 3 batches have had a strong off-flavor that is hard to define, but is cidery/aspiriny/astringent in nature. After taking a sample of my previous batch to the LHBS, we came to the conclusion that I have been fermenting too warm.
To rule this problem out and follow the recipe's suggestion to ferment at 65*F for 10 days, I have put my primary into a keg tub filled with water to the 4 gallon mark. I have wetted a towel and draped it over (with both ends in the water) and have been using a fan to try to keep the water around 62-63* F. The airlock didn't start bubbling until about 24 hours after pitching, but has been bubbling regularly (once per second or so) ever since.
My question is: Will the 62-63* water outside the plastic fermenter basically keep the wort inside the fermenter at 62-63? Or, does it just help mitigate the wort temperature by acting as more of a heat sink?
Given my previous poor results, I'm loathe to open the fermenter to take temperature readings. I guess I am just looking for reassurance that the swamp cooler I've set up will do what I'm intending to do.
Thanks!!!
John
I currently have John Palmer's Lord Crouchback Special Bitter in the primary fermenter. (Brewday was 11/10).
This is my 4th batch of beer overall, the 2nd in 5 gallon batches. (I was a Mr. Beer guy for 2 batches previously.) The previous 3 batches have had a strong off-flavor that is hard to define, but is cidery/aspiriny/astringent in nature. After taking a sample of my previous batch to the LHBS, we came to the conclusion that I have been fermenting too warm.
To rule this problem out and follow the recipe's suggestion to ferment at 65*F for 10 days, I have put my primary into a keg tub filled with water to the 4 gallon mark. I have wetted a towel and draped it over (with both ends in the water) and have been using a fan to try to keep the water around 62-63* F. The airlock didn't start bubbling until about 24 hours after pitching, but has been bubbling regularly (once per second or so) ever since.
My question is: Will the 62-63* water outside the plastic fermenter basically keep the wort inside the fermenter at 62-63? Or, does it just help mitigate the wort temperature by acting as more of a heat sink?
Given my previous poor results, I'm loathe to open the fermenter to take temperature readings. I guess I am just looking for reassurance that the swamp cooler I've set up will do what I'm intending to do.
Thanks!!!
John
