Will infrared light hurt fermentation?

[jwk1972]

I may have found a fix for my temperature problem. As stated in a previous thread the only place I have to put my ferm buckets is my basement which is about 10 degrees too cold. Got some great ideas from people for ways to keep it warmer. My neighbor gave me an oil filled radiant heat space heater that is safe to leave on 24/7 and that combined with a heat lamp has got the area in the low to mid 70's.

My question is about the heat lamp. This particular bulb is infrared (red surface & light) and I was wondering if anyone knew if this type of light is bad for the ferm process? It is not nearly as bright as a regular light but if memory serves IR light penetrates deeper. Will this get through my buckets? I know these lights are safe for bathrooms and they are also used on infant livestock in barns to keep them warm. Any ideas?

 

[rifraf]

Not really answering your question but is "low to mid 70s" ambient temp? The temperature of the liquid in your fermenter can be up to 10 degrees warmer than ambient because of fermentation activity, so an ambient temperature in the low 60s is fine for fermenting most Ale yeasts.

 

[user 4295]

You do know that fermentation temperature is not the same as the ambient temperature that your fementer in residing in, correct? Fermentation is an exothermic reaction (creates heat) and the temp of the fermenting beer can be as high as 10˚F over the surrounding ambient temp. If your basement's ambient is in the low to mid 70's then the temp of the fermenting beer can be significantly higher than that, which is not good.

My basement at this time of year is ~60˚F, which is perfect for fermenting ales. The temps in my fermenters during the height of fermentation are between 64˚ and 68˚F. This is perfect and is why this is my favorite time of year for brewing.

 

[jwk1972]

Yes I do know the difference, guess I forgot to add that that was the ambient temp. I guess what I should have said was that with this set up I can attain that ambient temp I needed. With nothing I am at a 55-57 degree ambient temp and from what I am told that is too cold so I need to get a few degrees anyways... Right?

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Yes I do know the difference, guess I forgot to add that that was the ambient temp. I guess what I should have said was that with this set up I can attain that ambient temp I needed. With nothing I am at a 55-57 degree ambient temp and from what I am told that is too cold so I need to get a few degrees anyways... Right?

FWIW, 55-57 ambient is far more appropriate for most ales than low to mid 70's. unless you're brewing a few select styles, like Saison, Hefe, etc., you're way warm and your beer may be affected by that.

 

[TyTanium]

This particular bulb is infrared (red surface & light) and I was wondering if anyone knew if this type of light is bad for the ferm process?...

To answer your question, I believe it's the UV spectrum light that skunks the beer. Infrared is of course on the opposite side of the spectrum so you should have nothing to worry about. (Except the temps, but the guys above already covered that)

 

[jwk1972]

To answer your question, I believe it's the UV spectrum light that skunks the beer. Infrared is of course on the opposite side of the spectrum so you should have nothing to worry about. (Except the temps, but the guys above already covered that)

That's what I was wondering. After hearing all this and playing with the heater a bit more I guess I'm ok.

Hey TyTanium... where abouts in Wheaton are you? I grew up a town over and when to high school there in the late 80's. Funny bumping into someone from the "dryest" town in the Chicago area on a beer brewing forum!

 

[randomsample]

70 is too warm for ambient, I shoot for 60-65 depending on the yeast. You could also probably get some great results with a neutral lager strain at those temperatures without the need to waste energy.

 

[TyTanium]

Hey TyTanium... where abouts in Wheaton are you? I grew up a town over and when to high school there in the late 80's. Funny bumping into someone from the "dryest" town in the Chicago area on a beer brewing forum!

Sweet! I'm just northeast of Wheaton College, off of President. Wheaton is still a dry town by comparison, but not as much as it used to be. In fact, they now have roped-off beer areas at a few summer events (guarded by police, of course), and they even had a beer-fair / tasting event this summer! Sadly I was out of town, but I heard it was great.
If you're ever back in the area, send me a PM and we can swap some homebrew.