Bulk aging temperature

[KepowOb]

Hi everyone. I am planning on making a RIS in the coming weeks, with an OG in the 1.100 range, and I'd like to bulk age it for 3-4 months... but everything I've read about bulk aging a beer recommends cellar temperatures.

All my beers ferment in the basement, but despite it being a basement, it still gets warm down there (up to 80F in the middle of the summer).

I just put my primary in a bucket with water and rotating ice bottles for temp control during fermentation (and it works a treat), but this isn't really an option for something over several months.

Any advice on what I could do, or would it actually be okay to leave it at 78-80F for 3 months? Thanks!

 

[daksin]

80 isn't idea, but it's not likely to hurt anything too bad as long as you're off the yeast. The bigger question is why you'd like to age it. Most beers, even big RISs, are best fresh. Personally, I'd bottle it and see if you can find room for the bottles somewhere cooler.

 

[KepowOb]

I plan in aging partially based on the recommendation of the recipe (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f68/russian-imperial-stout-2011-hbt-competition-category-winner-238807/) and partial based on what I've read on big beers like RISes and Barleywines benefiting from aging.

From what I understand of big beers, aging them only benefits them, with them coming into their own after 6+ months.

 

[hunter_le five]

The bigger question is why you'd like to age it. Most beers, even big RISs, are best fresh.

I couldn't disagree with you more.

IPAs, pale ales hefeweizens, low gravity beers, etc are good fresh.

RIS, barleywine, most high gravity beers, etc need to age. RIS is phenomenal after aging a few months.

 

[flars]

I would rack the RIS to a carboy sized for minimum headspace. Pick up some of the yeast when you rack. A swamp cooler, water and wet t-shirt, to keep the temp below 80°. If the simple swamp cooler will not work on the really hot days use a small fan to increase the evaporation rate for extra cooling.
An aged RIS is really something to appreciate.

 

[KepowOb]

I'm getting a 5gal carboy just to secondary this beer (though I plan on making 1-2 big beers each year now, so it'll keep getting used).

Room temp during my last beer was 77F, and just by leaving the carboy in a bucket of water (water was half-way up the carboy), it kept it at 70-72F while fermentation was going (it was a saison, so I wanted it a bit warmer)... so I might do something similar... I'm also thinking of making a small box out of insulation that will fit the carboy and one 2L water bottle, which I will freeze and rotate to keep the temp down... though I really don't know if I want to do that over a few months, hah. Might be my best option for the time being though.

 

[solbes]

Best temps to bulk age are maybe 48-62F. Faster aging obviously at the higher temps, and better long term storage at the low temps. 80 does sound kinda high. If you have any ground floor bare concrete or tile to set it on, that will sometimes drop it a few degrees.

The frozen water bottle thing works well for 4-8 days of fermentation, but I can't imagine trying to keep it up for months. I guess it would only take 2 minutes/day to swap twice.

Bulk aging gives a nice beer for RIS, Bareywine, Wee Heavy, Tripels, and Quads. I think I have made all of them and they all tasted better at 6 months than they did prior to racking. At 1 year from brew date, most were better yet. Between years 1 and 2 was where they started to slide, though remain very drinkable.

 

[KepowOb]

The frozen water bottle thing works well for 4-8 days of fermentation, but I can't imagine trying to keep it up for months. I guess it would only take 2 minutes/day to swap twice.

Yeah that's exactly my worry... The more I think about this, the more I think I'm going to go with a small insulated box that I'll build. It shouldn't cost very much, and while I'll still have to switch out frozen water bottles, it should be much less often (hopefully...). Worst case scenario, I don't really see having to switch them more often.

I'll post updates on how it works out (though that might be in awhile, I won't even be brewing this for another few weeks, and then it'll be in the primary for a month).