What temp should I ferment at?

[jeanguyd]

Hi there,

I currently have beer fermenting in my pail at a temp of 24 celsius right now. Is this too warm?

Thank you.

 

[reim0027]

What type of beer are you brewing, and what yeast are you using?

For most ales, fermenting above 70 degrees F (or 21.1 C) will give off flavors (fusel alcohols, etc). But, for some ales, that is desired.

 

[jeanguyd]

I am doing up a Black Rock - Nut Brown Ale right now. As for the yeast, I used up what came with the kit. No idea of the brand at this point in time. My kit is saying anywhere from 18 to 28 celcius. Where there was so much variation, I was just wondering if it was best to keep it at the higher end.

 

[ifishsum]

I have always had the best results when staying at the lower end of the yeast's temperature range. I switched to fermenting most of my ales in the 64* F range (18C) and my beer has improved greatly. They may take a little longer to finish though, 10-14 days in primary is generally my minimum.

 

[ArcaneXor]

I usually start at around 64 F/18 C, keep it there for about three days, and then let it rise naturally up to 72 F/22 C. 24 is pretty warm for most ale yeasts, and you'll get lots of esters and maybe some higher alcohols.

 

[jeanguyd]

Alright, I am going to bring down the temp to about 20. Should not be too hard as I am using a heat belt at the moment. I will losen it up a bit and it should do it.

Other thought, so I should leave it in the primary like 10-14 days and then tranfer it in the carboy for about another 10? Does that sound right? Of course I will be measuring my gravity during this time as well.

 

[Yooper]

Alright, I am going to bring down the temp to about 20. Should not be too hard as I am using a heat belt at the moment. I will losen it up a bit and it should do it.

Other thought, so I should leave it in the primary like 10-14 days and then tranfer it in the carboy for about another 10? Does that sound right? Of course I will be measuring my gravity during this time as well.

Sure, you can do that if you want. I'd suggest leaving it for those 14 days, and seeing how clear it is (and make sure it's at the final gravity, or don't rack it!). If it's still pretty cloudy, you may want to leave it in the carboy until it's clear, which might be more than 10 days.

 

[jeanguyd]

Many thanks to all that replied. I am still new to beer making. It's my first brew.