trying to figure out fermentation

[jereme]

i've built a 4ft by 1 1/2 ft cabinet to place my primary fermenter (plastic bucket) and secondary (carboy) in. this is my first ever brew and i'm using a brewers best beer kit of (american light) doing brew in my basement that is a constant temp of about 69 degrees. inside the cabinet is a constant 68.7.

MY QUESTION IS: would it hurt either the primary or secondary ferments if i placed a 60 watt bulb in the top of the cabinet to raise the temp a bit closer to 72 degrees while fermenting. the kit calls for a ferment between 68 and 72 degrees. Or is 68.7 ok?

any help would be greatly appreciated.
thank you

 

[enderwig]

Leave it at 68, you don't want to go over 70. Also, while fermenting the beer will create excess heat and heat itself up 5-10 degrees, do you have a plan to keep it cool during the active fermentation?

 

[jereme]

KEEPING it cool!.......no that wasn't something i was aware to do. what would you suggest? would it work if the bucket and carboy were to just sit on the basement floor, which would naturally be cooler or would it work if i were to remove the back from the cabinet and used the basement wall as the back of the cabinet.
IS the cabinet even a good idea.
i just thought using it would help keep the brew out of light since i also use a lot of florescent lighting for my work area.
thanks for your help enderwig

 

[Malticulous]

After fermentation slows down being warmer will not harm it, but those first three days or so are crucial to the final flavor profile. I put a shirt on a carboy if it is in the light.

 

[ekranzusch]

Personally I would probably try w/o the cabinet at least during the really active part of fermentation. I ferment at 68 degrees ambient temperature and have had good luck hitting my SG readings. I've had my temp strip get 10 degrees over room temperature during active fermentation, I'm wondering if the cabinet would hold the heat in and make things go even hotter (which is getting in to off flavor territory).

One other note - I use my hydrometer to judge when fermentation is done, and don't go off what the brewer's best instruction sheet says. All the instruction sheets I've seen basically tell you to bottle after 3-7 days, which I find to be way too soon. I've been much happer with a 3 +/- week period.

I would recommend that you look up the yeast strain on the manufacturer's website for temp information. The sheet tends to be "One size fits all" and since most strains will work at 68 - 72 that is what they print. I was worried about the same thing with the last batch I brewed, but when I looked up the manufacturer's info, I found that my low temp point was actually 64, not 68.

 

[jereme]

thanks for everyone's advice
tomorrow is first brew day so we'll see how it goes.

if i'm going to add a sweet orange dried extract to the brew when should i do that?

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

Best of luck, depending on the recipe, but if you want it to be a pronounced flavor, I would make a tea out of it. (Boil water, let it cool to around 160F, add the orange extract, cover, let it cool and then add to the fermenter after primary fermentation has ended.
The Co2 from primary fermentation can drive off a lot of delecate fruit flavors. If it was a bitter orange for the style I would add it in the last 5 minutes of the boil like you would aroma hops. But then each recipe is different and that is what makes different styles.

 

[Chuck_in_WI]

what happens if the fermentation temperature is too high? I would assume that 80 degrees is too much??

 

[Homercidal]

I would recommend a slightly lower temp than the 68 degrees they claim in the kit. I'd try to hit 62 or so. The fermentation will heat up the fermenter a bit, and anything over 70 on a light beer like that will really show the off-flavors. After the first few days it will slow down and you can let it rise.

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

what happens if the fermentation temperature is too high? I would assume that 80 degrees is too much??

Ideal temperature depends on the yeast type. The packet should tell you the recommended temp, or post the brand name here and some one can figure it oiut.
A few strains of yeast love the 80F+, some are really happy at 65F to 70F. And some much lower. The real question is what can you provide.
A large plastic pale / garbage can, etc with some water a few plastic jugs of ice and a wet towel or tee shirt covering the fermenter works really to chill it down.
A thick blanket will keep in a lot of the heat in cold weather.
Best of luck.

 

[jereme]

the yeast i am using is NOTTINGHAM brewing yeast manufactured by danstar. it calls for suspending the yeast for 15 minutes in 4oz of water at 86-92 degrees. then it says to add the wort to the yeast every 5 minutes until the wort and yeast are the same temp.
Do i take the yeast to 70 degrees after chilling the wort and if so wouldn't that just add more time to the wort standing? also can i just warm the water in the microwave?
thanks

 

[Malticulous]

You could boil it in a microwave and let it cool down. I just put it in warm tap watter and swirl it around after 10-15 minutes. In 30 minutes or so I just pitch it. Adding wort is not necessary, but then neither is re-hydrating.