When to let temperature raise on fermenting ale?

[Tinpanharry]

I am using a swamp cooler (fan blowing on wet towel around carboy) and its doing a good job of keeping the beer at 64 degrees. I don't do a secondary. I just keep it in the primary for 3-4 weeks and then keg and force carbonate.

My question is this. Do I let the temperature raise naturally after a week or so? This is when the fermentation normally settles down.. or do I keep it in the swamp cooler at 64 degrees for all 4 weeks?

Thanks!
TPH

 

[Stauffbier]

I've done both, and I can't really tell a difference...

 

[Denny]

I generally don't worry about temps after the first week for most beers. The exceptions are lagers or ales that I want to ferment cold.

 

[KISS Brew]

With clean yeasts like US-05, I'll move the beer out of my fermentation chamber after the krausen drops without worry.

I'm usually more careful with yeasts that give strange flavors at higher temperatures, but I'm not sure if this is necessary.

 

[cscade]

Once primary fermentation is complete (by gravity reading) you don't have to worry about ester production any longer. Therefore a temperature rise to room temp is harmless, and depending on the beer may even be helpful for diacetyl reduction and general cleanup.

 

[Tinpanharry]

Thanks all!

 

[Voodoo_Child]

I've heard from John Palmer or Jamil that once the krausen drops they add 5 degrees. Anymore I wait until airlock activity dramatically drops, then I bring it up a few degrees to finish out in my swamp cooler with aquarium heater, usually 5 to 7 days in.