The temperature of the wort during fermentation. This may be different to the ambient temperature since fermentation is an exothermic (gives out heat) process.
18
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7answers
2k views
Temperature Control for Fermentation
I am curious how everyone controls the temperature of their primary, especially those that live in the warmer climates. In Florida, where the temperatures can soar and remain in the 90's and above ...
18
votes
9answers
9k views
[WIKI] Fermentation Temperature Control Methods
What different methods do people use to maintain or control fermentation temps? This includes maintaining temps for both Ales and Lagers. For most climates, active control is necessary for doing ...
11
votes
3answers
396 views
How long do I need to maintain my fermentation temperature?
Do I need to maintain my desired temperature until bottling or take it out of the "ferm chamber" after initial fermentation is done?
What about with long term brews such as sours?
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Can we estimate the temperature rise in the primary due to fermentation?
OK, this is sort of cheating but I really liked this question so I thought I'd ask the question again in a slightly different way and try and answer it.
I was wondering if we can actually estimate ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
Can fermenting temperatures affect a beer's taste?
I'm putting together an "all glass" kit with two carboys and want to brew a DIPA but I'm a little concerned about temperature ranges where I'll be fermenting. I'm looking at somewhere between 15-18 ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Fast versus Slow Fermentation
So I pitched a cider and the yeast blitzed through the batch in 48 hours (SG=1.050, FG=1.000). I noticed that the temperature went from 72F to over 76F during the fermentation (I really don't have a ...
7
votes
2answers
606 views
Best beer styles for warm fermentation environment?
What beer styles tend to work well with a warm (at least 70F, possibly up to 90) fermentation environment? In other words, what styles will be best to mask or work with the off-flavors produced?
6
votes
3answers
6k views
At what temperature should a lager be fermented?
When fermenting a lager, what temperature should it be held at for best results?
6
votes
2answers
110 views
Can I do a high temperature starter?
I know if you are adding the yeast directly to the wort you want to keep the temperature similar to that of your eventual fermentation temp to minimize shock to the yeast. However, I plan to make a ...
6
votes
1answer
387 views
Nothing visible happening in fermenter after three and a half days - what should I do?
My first brew has been in the primary fermenter for three and a half days (brewed Saturday night, it's now Wednesday morning). It's in a plastic bucket fermenter with an airlock. There are no bubbles ...
6
votes
2answers
675 views
Should secondary fermentation be the same temperature that primary was?
Or is it okay for the secondary fermentation to be colder than primary?
6
votes
2answers
117 views
Heat and yeasty flavors
I've used safbrew T-58 a couple of times over the last year and had both great batches and very yeasty-tasting batches.
Could the heat be the reason for the yeasty taste?
A warm day in the Israeli ...
6
votes
1answer
215 views
Small Space & Apartment Brewing: Diacetyl Rest
When brewing a lager in an apartment, you will most probably use a small refrigerator for the lagering process. If the refrigerator does not allow you to choose the exact temperature, but instead you ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Ideal fermentation temperature
I'm just finishing up a DIY fermentation chamber made from a chest freezer, reptile tank heater, and a temperature controller.
Now I just need to figure out what temperature to set!
Most yeast ...
5
votes
3answers
587 views
At what stage of the fermentation process is temperature control most important?
I've been using a fridge w/thermostat to control fermentation temperature for ~6 months now & have recently started dual-purposing the fridge for a keg as well. Since serving & fermentation ...
5
votes
2answers
770 views
should i keep my carboy at current fermentation temp after moving from 75F+ to 68F?
I brewed an amber ale kit on Sunday (my second time brewing at all). Using white labs wlp008. I left the carboy upstairs and the fermentation was very rapid and extremely active for two days reaching ...
5
votes
4answers
300 views
How to monitor FV Temperature online
Is there a temperature monitor/device which I can attach to the fermentation vessel that will post temperature data back to a PC via Ethernet or wireless?
5
votes
1answer
349 views
What flavors come from fermenting S-04 on the warm side?
I brewed this 1064 OG recipe and used my reverse flow chiller to get it down to 74F (could have gone cooler, but my starter was at 76F or so). It fermented like nuts (over 1.5 gallons of krausen ...
5
votes
1answer
271 views
Raising fermentation temperature
I recently upgraded my system to include temperature control, and I had fermenting a brown ale at 67 degrees for about 6 days. Took a gravity reading last night, and it was at 1.014 (down from ...
5
votes
5answers
743 views
What to look for in a temperature controller
I've decided to begin assembling the components for temperature control, as I am walking around telling new homebrewers that its the best thing one can do to improve quality, yet I myself don't have ...
5
votes
1answer
548 views
Fermenter Heating Belt
Is it worth using? I was thinking of getting one to use on my first fermenter for a german weissbier so that the yeast flavour and aroma is more present in the final result. By how many degrees does ...
5
votes
1answer
210 views
Ramping temperatures during fermentation
What is the appropriate way to ramp temper when say brewing a Belgian beer?
Would I expect to have off flavors from the higher temps?
What's the best range for ramping?
Do I actively manage the temp ...
5
votes
2answers
691 views
Aquarium water heaters for Fermentation chamber
Looking for suggestions on brands of aquarium heaters to use in a fermentation chamber I've built.
My set-up is a 60 qt Igloo cooler with a custom foam insulation top cut to allow for a 5 to 6.5 ...
5
votes
1answer
137 views
How long should I keep a lambic at fermentation temperature?
Normally I ferment beer in my basement, which varies in temperature from 50-70 degrees, depending on the season. These temperature swings can be bad for fermentation, especially in winter. So when I ...
4
votes
4answers
476 views
First Time Brewing…am I doing it right?
So I went to my local brewing store, and got a starter kit. It came with a 7 gallon fermenter, a siphon tube, a floating thermometer, bottle caper, bottle caps, bottle scrubber, and sanitizer.
By the ...
4
votes
4answers
364 views
I might have pitched at too low a temperature
I brewed my first extract batch in awhile yesterday (5.5 gal Great Lakes Christmas Ale clone), and I feel I may have cooled it too much. I got 2.5 gallons of the concentrated wort down to about ...
4
votes
4answers
119 views
Networked/Connected Thermometer for Measuring Water in Swamp Cooler
I was hoping to put together an information system that could measure the temperature of the water in a bucket where I place my fermenting-bucket and notify my smart phone when I need to replace the ...
4
votes
1answer
97 views
House's furnace died while fermenting, what should I do?
I'm doing my first homebrew (using this kit), and started fermentation 6 days ago. I've kept it in my basement, which is usually around 66F. The kit's instructions just tell me to let it ferment in a ...
4
votes
4answers
1k views
Heating Methods
Just yesterday, I bought a chest freezer and digital Johnson temp controller, and am EXTREMELY psyched. I think I'm going to make a pre-prohibition pilsner/classic american pilsner as my first lager. ...
4
votes
4answers
6k views
Ale Fermentation Temp. Too Cold?
Recently, I've had a streak of hot fermentations. My primary vessel nears 80º, and sometimes more.
With my latest batch, I've moved to a much cooler part of the house. I expect it to consistently ...
4
votes
1answer
191 views
How much does gravity typically drop after high krausen
I have two fermenters going with about a cup of slurry of S-04. Pitched Sunday morning at 61 degrees ambient, they were showing activity within 5 hours, vigorous activity within 12 hours. Went to ...
3
votes
4answers
1k views
Temperature swing of 10+ degrees during fermentation
I'm fermenting a porter, and pitched the yeast at about 75 on Sunday night (4 days ago). Lively fermentation started the next day, and though the wort had cooled to about 68 the first night, the ...
3
votes
2answers
218 views
Should I start mead fermentation at this time of year?
I would like to start a new batch of mead. However currently the air temperatures where I live can reach 30 degrees (Centigrade) and I have no air conditioning at home (so the temperature at home can ...
3
votes
2answers
892 views
Can't get accurate temperature with johnson controls and freezer
I've just started fermenting my first lager with my recent new temperature control equipment, but am having some problems getting to the correct temperature. I have a chest freezer with a johnson ...
3
votes
3answers
411 views
Maintaining Lagering Temperatures
I've got a Pilsner in primary that I'm hoping to start lagering this weekend. I don't have a refrigerator that can accommodate the carboy, so I'm thinking about keeping it in a largish lidded foam ...
3
votes
1answer
180 views
Doppelbock fermentation and lagering question!
Iv'e got a Doppelbock 1.090 brewed 7/19. Pitched the Whit Labs "X" at 60 deg. Placed the carboy in the fridge (first time trying a lager fermentation). Two days later the beer was at 44-46(thats the ...
3
votes
3answers
116 views
Yeast Character Resource
I'm interested in locating a resource where differente yeast strains are discussed and profiled, such that for a given yeast strain I can see what different brewers' experiences have been with respect ...
3
votes
1answer
545 views
How to tell if (and recover from) a diacetyl rest was done too early?
I've got a lager (Wyeast 2206) that I've just taken out of primary fermentation (at ~8C, for 10 days) for a diacetyl rest (at ~20C). I picked the time to do it based on "How To Brew" suggesting I ...
3
votes
1answer
111 views
What will be the effect of allowing fermentation temperature to drop on a nearly finished fermentation?
I brewed this Northern Brewer saison kit and picked the Wyeast 3724 belgian saison yeast. Only later did I discover that this yeast has a tendency to stall out. So as a preventative measure I ...
3
votes
1answer
221 views
2 Temperature Control Questions - difference in ambient temp; moisture control in chest freezer
I use a chest freezer with a Brewpad heating element stuck to the inside wall (for warmer fermentations/bottle conditioning), and a single-stage Johnson controller. Since getting this, I haven't used ...
3
votes
2answers
310 views
How much time should a warm-fermenting yeast strain sit at the high primary temperature?
I made a batch of braggot (~46% honey) a couple of weeks ago, and used the Duvel strain (a pack of Wyeast 1388 and a vial of WLP570). Pitched at 65 and ramped it up to 82 over the course of 7 days. ...
3
votes
1answer
312 views
Temperature for fermenting a hybrid (california common)
I'm planning to brew a California common "steam" beer. I will be using a bottom fermenting lager yeast, specifically Wyeast 2112 California Lager. This is intended for a warmer fermentation, up to 68 ...
3
votes
1answer
380 views
How to compensate for wort internal temperature when using a temp controller?
What's the best method to use a temperature controller during fermentation? If you're using a freezer (or warming apparatus) connected to the controller, how do you compensate for the fact that the ...
3
votes
2answers
466 views
Will rapid ambient temperature drop kill yeast or just slow them down
I have just put on my first all grain homebrew (a porter) here in Melbourne, Australia. After a day or so it was bubbling away quite nicely.
A couple of days ago the weather decided to change ...
3
votes
2answers
2k views
Which type of cooling system makes the best fermentation chamber?
There is already a general question about ways to control fermentation temperature. This question, however, is more specific - it pertains to active fermentation temperature control using ...
3
votes
2answers
148 views
What is the benefit of long fermentations/leaving beer on yeast for weeks?
I know the 'general' answers: "it allows the yeast to 'clean up' compounds", "it allows the beer to 'condition'", "it allows the flavors to come together", none of which I am satisfied with.
My ...
3
votes
2answers
128 views
Can lowering temperature too rapidly result in stuck fermentation?
I have fermented my last few batches with a swamp cooler - putting my bucket into an igloo cube cooler filled with water and ice. They've all been ales. I usually start in the high 60s/lows 70s ...
3
votes
2answers
336 views
Diacetyl Rest on Cream Ale
Have a cream ale (OG ~1.059) that has been fermenting at the low end of US-05's range (57-59 degrees) for just about two weeks. Didn't test gravity, but still saw a decent krausen ring and airlock ...
3
votes
1answer
376 views
What is a swamp cooler?
What type of equipment do you need to build one?
How do you use it?
What are the realistic expectations of using one?
3
votes
3answers
2k views
Should I move primary to lower temp?
I'm brewing a dubbel and pitched a 1000ml yeast starter of Wyeast 1214 at 68F. It's fermenting in a room now with an ambient temp of 72F. Over the course of 30 hrs, temp has increased to 78-79F ...
