Hi everyone. Im brewing my first beer and I'm super excited! I do have a question.
I am brewing in my college apartment. I have a closet that has no lights and stays around 70-72 degrees (no a/c but im pretty far north, the window is open all the time in the room, and the fan is on. The room is about 65-68 but since the closet is closed off its been 70-72.)
The pale ale I am brewing came with Safeale american ale yeast (us-05). I'm rolling with a bought recipe for this first brew haha. The recipe says ferment between 68 and 72. The yeast itself says optimal fermation temperature is 59-75.
When I put the fermentation bucket in the closet it was reading 70 degrees (stick on thermometer had blue reading in the 70 mark). The first time I noticed it fermenting was 16 hours after I put it in. It stayed at 70 degrees through that entire day and was at 70 when I checked the temp before I went to bed the following night.
The following morning I checked and the thermometer read with a blue bar at 73 and a greenish brown bar at 75 which is the next mark on the thermometer. Because of the temp recommendations I wanted to cool it down some. I put a small cold bean bag on it and moved it to the front if the closet and put a fan on in and within 20 min it was reading blue at the 72 mark, green at the 73 mark, and brown at the 75. I probably coul have stopped there but I decided I wanted to get it closer to the lower end of the spectrum. I put a cool towel on the front of it, and put 8 ice cubes in a plastic bag that I rested on the lid. I left the fan on. 3 hours later I checked it and it was reading blue bar at 68 and green at 70. I took the ice on and left the fan on. Then I came on here to ask questions.
Did I mess up by letting it get that warm and stay that warm for most of a day? Did I mess up by cooling it so quickly? I am hoping the fan will keep it pretty consistent now that I have the temp down but we shall see. Would it be bad to keep cooling it to 68 and letting the fermentation increase the temp a little and then cooling it again?
Sorry for this super long post and questions. I just don't want to kill this beer! I love pale ales and want it to taste good.
Thanks!
I am brewing in my college apartment. I have a closet that has no lights and stays around 70-72 degrees (no a/c but im pretty far north, the window is open all the time in the room, and the fan is on. The room is about 65-68 but since the closet is closed off its been 70-72.)
The pale ale I am brewing came with Safeale american ale yeast (us-05). I'm rolling with a bought recipe for this first brew haha. The recipe says ferment between 68 and 72. The yeast itself says optimal fermation temperature is 59-75.
When I put the fermentation bucket in the closet it was reading 70 degrees (stick on thermometer had blue reading in the 70 mark). The first time I noticed it fermenting was 16 hours after I put it in. It stayed at 70 degrees through that entire day and was at 70 when I checked the temp before I went to bed the following night.
The following morning I checked and the thermometer read with a blue bar at 73 and a greenish brown bar at 75 which is the next mark on the thermometer. Because of the temp recommendations I wanted to cool it down some. I put a small cold bean bag on it and moved it to the front if the closet and put a fan on in and within 20 min it was reading blue at the 72 mark, green at the 73 mark, and brown at the 75. I probably coul have stopped there but I decided I wanted to get it closer to the lower end of the spectrum. I put a cool towel on the front of it, and put 8 ice cubes in a plastic bag that I rested on the lid. I left the fan on. 3 hours later I checked it and it was reading blue bar at 68 and green at 70. I took the ice on and left the fan on. Then I came on here to ask questions.
Did I mess up by letting it get that warm and stay that warm for most of a day? Did I mess up by cooling it so quickly? I am hoping the fan will keep it pretty consistent now that I have the temp down but we shall see. Would it be bad to keep cooling it to 68 and letting the fermentation increase the temp a little and then cooling it again?
Sorry for this super long post and questions. I just don't want to kill this beer! I love pale ales and want it to taste good.
Thanks!