Some more first time questions

[CCMuggs13]

Hey all I have a couple more (and hopefully last) questions for my first brew. It is now in the fermenter and the airlock has been bubbling for the past 2 days now. I've been using a swamp cooler and have done a good job of keeping it at around 65 F, +/- a couple degrees at times.

I think I remember reading somewhere that after the first few days when fermentation starts to slow I don't need to worry about the temperature as much and can let it go up to room temperature, which is 73 for the room its in. Would allowing the temperature to rise a bit help/hurt my beer at all in terms of clarity or taste? Or not really affect it?

Also once I bottle, what temperature range should I shoot for to condition? I know cooler equals slower carbonation but supposedly better taste, so would it not be advised to keep it in 75F or would it not matter much?

 

[BanginBanjo]

The temperature is going to depend on the strain of yeast your using. Each strain has an optimal temperature range that it operates in. I would recommend shooting for the middle of that range to be sure your making the yeast happy.

The most important times to keep the temperature correct is during fermentation, which will be your first few days. After that, you should still try to keep the temperature in the correct range, but 73F should be ok. After the yeast is done fermenting, it still needs some time to finish cleaning up the off-flavors produced by fermentation, such as diacetyl, so keeping the yeast happy is still a good idea. Warmer temperatures typically yield higher attenuation and more esters from the yeast, but again it depends on the strain.

 

[BlindFaith]

You can raise the temp up after the initial fermentation (3-6 days), but try to stay below 75F. Your best bottle conditioning temp is 70-75 and a lower temp will cause a slower carb time, but I am not sure it will make for a better tasting beer.

My beers sit at 69-73 all the time and the time until carb depends on the amount of yeast in suspension more than anything else as long as your temps are steady. If you cold crash or lager, it will take much longer to carb up versus not doing either. Good luck