A Couple of Ferm Temp Questions

[jrsdws]

So I'm brewing two different 5 gallon AG batches this weekend. Today we'll brew a brown ale recipe I found called Naughty Brewnette....sounds fun huh? Well I'm going to pitch Wyeast 1968 in this one. Wyeast states temp range of 64F to 72F.

Tomorrow's brew will be a Kolsch recipe using White Labs WLP029 with a starter. WL states optimum temps of 65F to 69F and that it doesn't do well under 62F.

Up to now I've been fermenting in the basement with various dry yeast strains with great success. Saflager 34/70 has thrived...US-05 has done well...Wyeast #2565 also.

The basement temperature this morning is 55F. It won't warm up much from that....it might see upper 50's over the next week at the most. I have a means of warming the basement up without much problem....but maintaining it for any period of time is tough.

So...I could put these beers upstairs main floor in a closet around 70ish. The wifey won't be that thrilled with having to work around them but she'll survive.

Would I be better off putting the brown ale with #1968 in the closet and warming up the basement for a few days with the Kolsch then letting it fall back to around 60ish?

 

[JonM]

Boy, that's a pickle - you've got a little too warm vs. a little too cool. For the 1968, I'd err on a little too warm and put that one upstairs. I used 1968 a couple times last year in a similarly cool basement and it did not like it. I wound up with two stalled ferments.

The Kolsch yeast, I really don't know. (Hate to sound like Captain Hindsight here, but the 2565 Kolsch yeast would be fine in that cool basement whereas the 029 probably won't.) Kolsch has such a delicate flavor I'd be reluctant to let it get too warm. Sounds like your plan to put the 1968 upstairs and warm up the basement a bit for the Kolsch is your best option. Cheers!

 

[jrsdws]

Yeah....just call me Mr Prepared!!! I was actually planning on pitching 2565 for the Kolsch, but my LHBS guy talked me into the WLP029. I can warm that basement up pretty easily, but maintaining is going to be difficult.