Hey guys, finally getting around to start brewing. I have all my stuff for the most part and will have my first brew day this weekend. One thing I have been obsessing over is fermenting temps. I will be brewing an IPA, so I read that the goal is around 68* for fermenting. My basement is a consistent 64-65 degrees. Will this make a noticeable difference? My plan is to build a fermentation chamber eventually, but will I be ok for now with this temp? My basement is nice, with 8 foot ceilings and a very consistent temperature. I want to build a "brew room" in part of it eventually, but I just need to jump into brewing to get my process down ya know? Thanks for any tips fellas, greatly appreciated!
Fermentation question
- Thread starter YukonLT
- Start date
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You should be fine with this temperature in your basement. As fermentation begins to peak, there will be a temperature increase within your FV which should get you close to 68 degrees. You can also wrap your FV in a blanket if needed to insulate and bring the temp up a bit. Good luck with your first brewing experience. 
The style of beer you choose to brew doesn't impact the recommended temperature, it is the yeast variety that matters. Choose the yeast you want to use and then go to the manufacturer's website to see the recommended temperature range. Once you know that, choose to ferment at the low end of the range as the yeast throw the fewest off flavors then. Your basement temperature may be perfect or it could even be a little high as many of my beers start the ferment at 62.
That's a few degree warmer than ideal, but not too bad.
One thing that you can do which will help quite a bit is to chill you wort to about 60*F prior to pitching your ale yeast. That way, it will be rising up from a nice, cool temp during the critical initial phases of fermentation.
One thing that you can do which will help quite a bit is to chill you wort to about 60*F prior to pitching your ale yeast. That way, it will be rising up from a nice, cool temp during the critical initial phases of fermentation.
Which yeast is good for the temperature range I have?
US-05 dry yeast would work great & gives clean flavors.
there are different ipa's, no?
tootal
Well-Known Member
Since this is your first home brew I just wanted to stress one thing and that's sanitation. More first batch beers are bad due to sanitation than any other reason. Your basement temps will be fine, as mentioned, the yeast themselves will warm it up a bit. For the most part, any decent recipe using good ingredients and fresh yeast will make drinkable beer. The holy grail is getting your sanitation down. I highly recommend Starsan in the future, if you're not using it already. It works, you don't need to rinse it, and it last a long time. If you keep everything sanitized after the boil the beer will be good! Have a great brew day! We will be kegging our IPA this weekend so here's to good IPA!
GrogNerd
mean old man
I would recommend a big tub, like the plastic storage containers from Wally World, big enough to hold your fermentation vessel.
put your fermenter in and fill the storage container with water to the same level as the beer.
the extra water will act as a thermal barrier against temperature fluctuations.
put your fermenter in and fill the storage container with water to the same level as the beer.
the extra water will act as a thermal barrier against temperature fluctuations.
This is not quite right. The optimal temp is based on a combination of the yeast and the beer style. For a cleaner beer, you want to ferment at the lower end of the yeast's range. If you want more esters, you ferment at the upper end of the spectrum. Some obvious examples where the beer style dictates temp: California Common (fermenting with lager yeast at well above lager yeast temps), Alts and Kolsches (fermenting with ale yeast at the bottom end of the acceptable fermentation temp).
We are all assuming by IPA, he is wanting an American IPA, so he wants clean fermentation. That impacts yeast selection and then gives you an idea for the optimal temp range. I second people's suggestion for using US-05. I find that it tends to give relatively clean fermentation even at slightly higher temps. 64-65 degree ambient temp should work just fine.
fartinmartin
Well-Known Member
My fermentation temps are what the weather is indoors! 12c to well over 25c with dramatic fluctuation, all my brews are great and very drinkable. Whilst I could not repeat a beer , due to fermentation temperature change, and acknowledge that a beer "could" be better if it was stable at a predetermined temp , I still make some very desirable beers. All the kit is Wonderfull but it is also Wonderfull doing it minimalist !
This just goes to prove it is all a matter of personal taste. I made a batch of Irish Red that ended up fermenting in ambient temps of around 70 degrees. To my palate, it is just undrinkable. But that is because I used an english ale yeast that threw off lots of esters at that fermenting temp.
fartinmartin
Well-Known Member
Safale s 04 12c-25c ?
I use this most of the time
I use this most of the time
To each his own. I would not like a beer made with S-04 at 25c (77f). That beer would have tons of esters. That's just now what I like in a beer.
+1. A co-worker shared with me an Irish Red fermented on S-04 at 72*F ambient. After two sips, it got poured out. He has since started using a small fermentation chamber (dorm fridge) w/ STC-1000. His beers have improved tremendously.
S-04 at 25*C (77*F) would be horrid.
This was basically my experience. The first time it happened, I thought I had an infection or maybe oxidation. Then I realized it was just the esters. Unfortunately, by the time I realized that, I had already made a second batch (a 10 gallon batch) that I had pitched with a 50/50 mix of S-04 and US-05. It was better, but I can't even drink that batch. Luckily, I have a brother-in-law (and his roommate) with much lower standards than me. They take a few growlers at a time. . .
GrogNerd
mean old man
that's me, the "lower standards drinker"
navy chow wrecked my palate, so anything that isn't completely foul tastes pretty good to me
GrogNerd said:
To be clear, I didn't mean that as an insult. Some people enjoy estery beer which is cool. Different strokes for different folks. My brother in law doesn't really like it but free beer is cool with him. I just have so many of my beers that I love, that I won't drink this batch that I don't.
GrogNerd
mean old man
wasn't taken as an insult at all
but I notice it all the time with my brew clubs. I try a beer and think, "hey, this is good, I like it" and the other guys are picking out flavors or flaws that I just don't notice
like the other day, we're at a brand new brewery, trying their pilot batch and I like the beer. another guy gives it the highest praise he gives any beer, "it doesn't suck"
so, I live with what is my blessing AND my curse
Another quick question along the fermentation line. I will be using a 6.5 gallon carboy for primary. It will be a five gallon batch. Is that enough headspace to just use an air lock, or do I need to run a tube into a bucket? Is it dependent on the beer style?
Yeah,it's enough,barely. I'd start with a blow off rig till initial fermentation is over. Then switch to an airlock. I just got through cleaning my 6G better bottle after a week as secondary for my Whiskely Stout. Just needed an airlock for 5 gallons of beer. the co2 filled the head space in just a few minutes. So for fermenting in a 6.5 gallon bottle,I'd def start with a blow off. It's more dependent on the health/size of the yeast pitch & the temps between the wort & the starter/rehydrate to start with.
I have never used a blowoff tube, and I know that at least one moderator has said the same. But then I hear about others having massive messes from clogged airlocks. I have had to clean out an airlock a time or two but nothing major. I think you are at a bigger risk if you are going to brew a big beer and plan to pitch a large active starter into the beer (as opposed to brewing a typical 5% beer).
EDIT: The type of yeast also matters. Some yeasts are known for blowing through fermentation very quickly. Those will have a higher risk of blowoff. Others are like the tortoise, slow and steady. Those pose a lower risk.
I figured 1.5 gallons of head space in a tapered-top BB or glass carboy isn't much when you concider krausen volume on average. I'd say it'd be close,depending on the factors mentioned. Better safe then tore up by momma when she sees beersuvious. I use 1/2 gallon plastic vodka jugs for a blow off 1/3 full of water with a spalsh of Starsan. I get the tube 1-2" off the bottom.
