First All Grain Batch - Oktoberfest

[RichD_830]

Hi, I am about to start my very first All Grain batch and really want to give an Oktoberfest a try. I dont have any means of lagering so I found Ed Worts recipe for an Oktoberfest Ale. I am also using Beersmith for the first time and think I have the recipe mostly understood up to the primary fermentation. I am mostly concerned about temperature. Ed Wort mentioned in his recipe that he fermented at 65 degrees. I live in NC and its pretty hot here. My house is generally about 74 degrees. I am hoping to have this started soon to have available for October. Am i making a mistake by starting and fermenting at such a high temp or will it not have much of an impact. Happy to add any more detail needed to get to a conclusion. I inadvertently also posted this in the recipes section but hopefully that will be closed down.

this is the recipe in case anyone is interested: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=38880

thanks
Rich

 

[smitty8202]

Try and find a good yeast that is similar to one in the recipe that will ferment at the temps you can achieve.

 

[castillo556]

Look up "swamp cooler". You can even make one in your bath tub and just keep swapping out frozen water bottles.

If you use kolsch yeast and ferment low, like 58-62 F, you should get a clean, crisp beer. Bottle and carb then lager in the fridge for a month before you drink.

Work with what you got.

 

[Sammy86]

Agree with the posters above...in college we used to drench a towel or old t-shirt in cold water and wrap the fermenter in it and have a box fan blowing on it to keep temps down.

74 degrees is going to be high for the yeast and you might get some nasty off flavors due to them being stressed out.

As a new brewer fermentation temperature is key to be successful...yes you need to be sanitary and make sure everything post boil that touches the wort is sanitized but keeping the temp down will be even more crucial!

 

[jtratcliff]

+1 on the swamp cooler. I use a plastic party tub with frozen water bottles.

Remember the temperature in the fermenting beer will be even higher than ambient as the wee yeasties release heat when they convert sugar to alcohol.

Check out. BierMuncher's OctoberFAST ale as well... He uses S-04 at 68F...

 

[TrubDog]

Bathtub full of cool water and some ice every now and then works well. If you don't already have a stick-on thermometer get one and that way you will be able to monitor your temps thru fermentation.

 

[daksin]

Another inexpensive option would be to wrap your fermenter in wet towels and point a fan/AC at it. As long as the towels stay quite wet, the beer will be properly cooled.

 

[TheBigLebrewsk1]

I would not be trying to brew a lager without fermenting at lager temp nor actually lagering the beer. The integrity of any lager is compromised when you cannot keep your temps in the correct range, so why bother when there are so many other options for a great ale using a yeast that is suited for the temp ranges you are dealing with.

Few other ideas - choose a beer style that benefits from the ester character produced at the temp range you are brewing in?

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