Fermenting Question

[bajarob]

I set a thermometer on top of my fermenting bucket while wrapped in towels. We keep the house pretty cold just because we like it that way. Anyway the thermometer has been reading 60*. Can I assume the actual temp of the beer is 60* as well? I read a thread that said room temp and actual beer temp are different.

 

[ETCS]

I would say that the beer in the fermenting bucket is several degrees warmer. The fermentation process produces heat that will raise the temp.

 

[smagee]

Not really, no. The external temperature (e.g., that on the surface of the bucket) can read up to 10F lower than the internal temp--at least, as far as I've noted myself. It might range wider, but 10 is a good estimate for most cases. Keep in mind that this is when yeast activity is still going (and for a 10 degree discrepancy, it'd have to be pretty much at peak activity level). If you pitched a month ago, on the other hand, your beer is probably at 60F.

 

[bajarob]

Good to know. It's my first brew. Hefe. 70 degrees is what the recipe calls for. It smells really good already. I bottle this coming Wednesday.

 

[helibrewer]

Assuming you are using an ale yeast, 60F ambient should be very nice for that fermentation. Track your final gravity (FG) and don't bottle too soon...give that yeast a few days to a week to "clean up" once you've hit your FG

 

[Butter]

Plus it being a hefe, its better to have it on the cool side of the spectrum to reduce the chance of bubblegum flavor.