If I want to brew a 7% abv beer at 65 degrees do I need to keep my fermentation chamber at 55 degrees for the first few days to offset the rough 10 degree rise in fermentation temps until it slows down? This would be my first time using a chamber with temp control.
Fermentation Chamber Temp
- Thread starter elgee
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:
What are you using to control the temperature? If using a controller set it for 65 degrees and tape the probe to the outside of your fermenter and insulate from the ambient air in the chamber. I used a folded up wash cloth until I got a thermowell.
You should be measuring the temp of the beer (i.e. probe taped to the side or a thermowell ) and set the temp to 65
What volume of wort are you planning to ferment? How much empty space will there be in the fermentation chamber around it?
In case you're still thinking about this (feel free to ignore the rest if you've got this all figured out), some other factors that are worth considering are what yeast you plan to use along with how much you plan to pitch, and the OG. 7% is approaching the kind of strength where I think about bumping up the fermentation temperature to the high end of what the yeasts' recommended range is after krausen is finished. But that is just something I do.
But yeast variety is kind of important as well. Lots of yeasts can ferment wort well at about 65 degrees. That would be a little high for a hybrid strain, but it would work. It would be a little low for a saison, but some people ferment their saisons almost that cold for the first few days.
In case you're still thinking about this (feel free to ignore the rest if you've got this all figured out), some other factors that are worth considering are what yeast you plan to use along with how much you plan to pitch, and the OG. 7% is approaching the kind of strength where I think about bumping up the fermentation temperature to the high end of what the yeasts' recommended range is after krausen is finished. But that is just something I do.
But yeast variety is kind of important as well. Lots of yeasts can ferment wort well at about 65 degrees. That would be a little high for a hybrid strain, but it would work. It would be a little low for a saison, but some people ferment their saisons almost that cold for the first few days.
I forget where it was posted, but someone did an experiment with dipping the temp probe into the wort, and another temp probe taped to the outside of the carboy. The difference between the two was roughly 1 degree F (With the one inside the wort being the slightly warmer reading). So I'd say the most accurate way to set the temperature would be by taping it to the carboy if you don't have a thermowell (with an insulator on the other side, a rag would probably do. I usually use a folded up paper towel).
I wouldn't recommend putting the probe in the wort since that's adding risk for infection, though some people do that and are fine. Either way will definitely give you more accurate temp control than going by ambient temp.
I wouldn't recommend putting the probe in the wort since that's adding risk for infection, though some people do that and are fine. Either way will definitely give you more accurate temp control than going by ambient temp.
Smellyglove
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 17, 2013
- Messages
- 2,807
- Reaction score
- 807
Yeah. Ambient control is close to 0 control. Tape the probe to you FV.
I use a piece of closed-cell foam with a small channel sized to the temp probe carved out of it with a utility knife.
I hold the probe against the side of the fermenter with the lifting straps and a bungee cord.
The foam w/ the channel is blue; the one on the fermenter is pink. They work the same.
I hold the probe against the side of the fermenter with the lifting straps and a bungee cord.
The foam w/ the channel is blue; the one on the fermenter is pink. They work the same.
Similar threads
