Yeast options for warmer summer-time brewing

[Sweep]

Hello,

I want to brew a couple of recipes for a friend's wedding at the end of August (6 weeks to go!). I typically avoid brewing in the summer time because it can be a bit warm in my basement - around 70-77F. I really want to avoid setting up a chilling solution, as it's just much easier to brew a lot in the Fall and Spring when the temperature is just right. I should have started earlier this year ;-)

Anyway, the IPA and Amber Ale recipes I want to use call for Wyeast 1056 American Ale and Wyeast 1098 British Ale...which both have a temperature range that maxes out at 72F (22C), so I'm cutting it a bit close with my basement at 70-77F.

I've only brewed about 20 batches in my life, so still getting the hang of this... Is there a different strain of yeast you might recommend that will better tolerate the heat without adversely affecting the IPA and Amber Ale flavor?

I could be convinced to do a hefeweizen instead of the Amber Ale, but I really would like to have a nice and hoppy northwest-style IPA as one of the batches - not sure if a saison yeast that tolerates higher temps would just be weird or actually give a fairly unique-tasting IPA.

Sorry for the novel - wanted to try and give as much info up front. Thanks for reading (and answering)!

 

[two_one_seven]

You can do a swamp cooler or the frozen 2 liter trick to get the temp down 5ish degrees. That would give you some wiggle room. Remember though it's fermentation temperature and not air temp that is what you are looking at. Fermentation is exothermic and will increase it's temp 3-5 degrees over ambient at the hight of fermentation.

 

[nukebrewer]

Mangrove Jack's Workhorse yeast reportedly tolerates up to 90 F ferm temps. I've currently got a batch going with it that I am bottling on Thursday. The batch was at my basement ambient temps which range from 70 - 75 F this time of year, so around 80-85 F actual ferm temp. I can let you know how the sample at bottling is.

 

[sptaylor70]

Manufacturer max temperature listings

77 degF
Fermentis S-04
Fermentis US-05
Fermentis T-58
Fermentis S-33

75 degF
Wyeast 1099 Whitbread
Wyeast 1332 Northwest ale
Wyeast 1335 British 2
Wyeast 1728 Scottish

74 degF
Wyeast 1010 American wheat
Wyeast 1187 Ringwood
Wyeast 1318 London 3

 

[psnydez86]

I think you should go with wy 3711 French Saison. It's got some nice fruity esters that plays nice with hops and isn't as in your face spicy/clovey as a lot of other Belgian strains. You got perfect temps for that yeast and its gonna get you bone dry. 1.004-1.006 depending on your OG. I never liked Saisons till I had my buddies that he made with this yeast.

Also this yeast finishes fast so you can be bottling or kegging after 7 or 8 days if all goes well.

 

[Evan_L]

+1 on the 3711! When it gets hot....time to make some Belgian styles.

 

[Sweep]

Thank you all for the responses! I made a Cascadian Dark Ale and an IPA yesterday. I used the 3711 Saison with the Dark Ale - this should be interesting. I decided to try out the Scottish Ale 1728 yeast with the IPA...hopefully it doesn't get too hot. A cold front moved in yesterday, and temps will stay in the mid to upper 70s all week. It's 66 on the concrete foundation in my basement thanks to having the windows open with a fan on all night. Both beers are holding steady at 68 degrees. I may have to move the CDA upstairs so it's warm enough for that saison! Thanks again for all your help.

 

[polarbearbrewing]

FWIW I just bottled a batch of pale ale using Nottingham yeast. My fermentation temps were between 68-70 using a swamp cooler and I pitched warm at 75 degrees. Right out of the fermenter the beer tasted great and I didn't detect any off flavors from the yeast at those temps

 

[Bsquared]

I mostly use some sort of temperature control system, but have has good results with ales too by pitching a larger pitch (~1.5X) into well aerated wort that is between 62-64ºF and then letting the wort temp rise on its own up to 72-74ºF ( this typically takes 2-3 days of a ten gallon batch in a room that is 70-74ºF). What this does a few things, it helps to keep the yeast cooler while it is ramping up and still in the growth phase when most off flavors are produced, the larger pitch shortens the time between growing and fermenting phases because the yeast reach their critical population earlier and stop trying to grow and start fermenting, the increased O2 levels in the wort allow the yeast bulk up their glycogen reserves faster and start fermenting quickly. The trick really is to have fermentation kick off early while the temperature is still in the 66-68º range.

If you are brewing 5 gallon batches, you might consider placing the carboy in a water bath that you can add ice to, too help increase the thermal inertia of your wort.

 

[krackin]

I think you should go with wy 3711 French Saison. It's got some nice fruity esters that plays nice with hops and isn't as in your face spicy/clovey as a lot of other Belgian strains. You got perfect temps for that yeast and its gonna get you bone dry. 1.004-1.006 depending on your OG. I never liked Saisons till I had my buddies that he made with this yeast.

Also this yeast finishes fast so you can be bottling or kegging after 7 or 8 days if all goes well.

This may work for a summer ginger beer. Has your bud done any?

 

[psnydez86]

This may work for a summer ginger beer. Has your bud done any?

No he hasn't but 3711 would probably work quite well with ginger.

 

[nufad]

Mangrove Jack's Workhorse yeast reportedly tolerates up to 90 F ferm temps. I've currently got a batch going with it that I am bottling on Thursday. The batch was at my basement ambient temps which range from 70 - 75 F this time of year, so around 80-85 F actual ferm temp. I can let you know how the sample at bottling is.

Have you had a chance to try this?