Hi,
I recon by the summer I will have 4 kegs on the go at various stages of conditioning. I am looking to make a brew fridge for cooling and fermenting but that still is likely to leave me with 2 or 3 kegs conditioning. The garage will be cool-ish but when the weather hots up I am wondering what effect this will have on the conditioning beer if say the garage hits 20 degrees? Will it spoil it or just take longer to condition?
Thanks
Mark
Conditioning and temperatures
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Jocky
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Re: Conditioning and temperatures
Even in the sweltering heat of 20 degrees your beer will condition fine and won't spoil.
Initial conditioning is gentle fermentation, so warm is fine, but after a week or so you generally want to cool the beer to help it clear and (I think) assist in the CO2 dissolving.
But 20 degrees is not all that warm - think about the homebrewers in Australia and parts of the USA where it gets proper warm for extended periods.
Initial conditioning is gentle fermentation, so warm is fine, but after a week or so you generally want to cool the beer to help it clear and (I think) assist in the CO2 dissolving.
But 20 degrees is not all that warm - think about the homebrewers in Australia and parts of the USA where it gets proper warm for extended periods.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.
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Brewski
Re: Conditioning and temperatures
Thank Jocky. You seem to responding to all my posts! So while I have this thread on temperature can I ask:
For real ale, what are the optimum temperatures for,
- pitching yeast
- fermenting in FV
- secondary fermentation
- conditioning
- serving
Thanks!
For real ale, what are the optimum temperatures for,
- pitching yeast
- fermenting in FV
- secondary fermentation
- conditioning
- serving
Thanks!
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Jocky
- Even further under the Table
- Posts: 2738
- Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
- Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK
Re: Conditioning and temperatures
I think I'm just addicted to the extract forum...
The precise answer to every question depends on what you're making. The less precise answer is that room temperature suffices for most things, and it's best to focus on the whole process than worry about all of this.
If I'm making an ale though, these are what I'd typically aim for:
Pitching yeast - rehydrate the yeast with water around 27-30 degrees, although the ideal temperature is usually on the packet somewhere. US-05 is 27 degrees, plus or minus 4 degrees, Nottingham is 30 to 35 degrees (I think). I usually cool my wort to about 25 degrees before transferring to the FV and then pitch the yeast, but I don't pay that much attention to the exact temperature.
Fermenting - 18 to 21 degrees is ideal. I have a high/low thermometer in the cupboard where my demijohns are, and it stays 18-19 degrees most of the time.
Secondary fermentation - I don't bother with secondary. I leave in primary until initial fermentation is over (1-2 weeks) and then dry hop and leave it another week before bottling. I don't use finings and my beer comes out super clear after a week in the bottle.
Conditioning - Supposedly ideal is the same as fermenting for a week and then cool it down to help the beer clear. However, I'm lazy and don't bother with the second bit all too often.
The precise answer to every question depends on what you're making. The less precise answer is that room temperature suffices for most things, and it's best to focus on the whole process than worry about all of this.
If I'm making an ale though, these are what I'd typically aim for:
Pitching yeast - rehydrate the yeast with water around 27-30 degrees, although the ideal temperature is usually on the packet somewhere. US-05 is 27 degrees, plus or minus 4 degrees, Nottingham is 30 to 35 degrees (I think). I usually cool my wort to about 25 degrees before transferring to the FV and then pitch the yeast, but I don't pay that much attention to the exact temperature.
Fermenting - 18 to 21 degrees is ideal. I have a high/low thermometer in the cupboard where my demijohns are, and it stays 18-19 degrees most of the time.
Secondary fermentation - I don't bother with secondary. I leave in primary until initial fermentation is over (1-2 weeks) and then dry hop and leave it another week before bottling. I don't use finings and my beer comes out super clear after a week in the bottle.
Conditioning - Supposedly ideal is the same as fermenting for a week and then cool it down to help the beer clear. However, I'm lazy and don't bother with the second bit all too often.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.