Fermentation Tempature - Home Brew Forums

Yesterday, 04:29 AM	? #1
Junior Member ? Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Flower Mound, TX Posts: 15	I'm curious to know for beer that requires a fermentation temperature of 68 degrees, what were to happen if I ferment at 37 degrees? For example, I'm considering brewing a dry Irish stout extract. Primary, secondary, and bottle/keg temperature is 68 degrees. I'm in Texas and it's a cool, 100 degrees. I have an old fridge with a soda keg in it. I plan to buy a micro matic tap kit to covert the fridge into a kegerator. However, the remaining space my wife wants to use for food and drinks for the kids. So I really can't adjust the temperature of the fridge. Since I have the fridge, I really don't want to build a fermentation chamber or do the pool with water, ice and a fan.
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Yesterday, 04:40 AM	? #2
Member ? Join Date: May 2011 Location: Lockport Posts: 50	If it requires 60 to 75 degrees F, and you try it at 37, it won't take off, thats even be too low for lagering
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Yesterday, 04:47 AM	? #3
Member ? Join Date: May 2011 Location: Lockport Posts: 50	An ale yeast would become dormant at a cold temp like that.
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Yesterday, 04:50 AM	? #4
Junior Member ? Join Date: May 2011 Location: Studio City, CA Posts: 26
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Yesterday, 04:59 AM	? #5
Senior Member ? Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Georgetown, TX Posts: 119	I am in the same boat, I have been doing the tub with water and ice bottles for the past month or so. Ideally (and I plan on getting) a 7 c.u ft chest freezer with a johnson controller would be best for me, but I will have to deal with the swamp cooler method for now.
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Yesterday, 05:04 AM	? #6
Junior Member ? Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Flower Mound, TX Posts: 15	Thanks for all the feedback. Glad I'm checked. If I can convince my wife to use the fridge for just fermenting, could I get away with using a temperature controller to manage temps? I don't know if using a temperature controller with a fridge is the same as as using it with a freezer because at the time, I didn't have the extra fridge. Per a previous post on a similar topic, a freezer was mentioned, but so was a swamp cooler. With my work schedule, I'm afraid to do the swamp cooler option and as mentioned don't know if I can set temps high enough for fermenting in the fridge without a temp controller.
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Yesterday, 05:17 AM	? #7
Senior Member ? Join Date: May 2008 Location: Montreal Posts: 230	you should tell the wife to make room for her food and for the kids juice if a bought juice box is stable for years at body temp so if your pantry you are good. Convert it and ferment strong! __________________ Primary 1: Canadian Pale Ale Primary 2: American Stout Primary 3: Empty Primary 4: Empty Bottled: IPA,Belgian Wit, Pale ale,Stout, Sour beer. Planning: Janets Brown, Northern German Alt, Arrogant bastard Clone+ more yummy beers I only take a drink on two occasions - when I'm thirsty and when I'm not. Brendan Behan Drunken Lullabies Brewery Slainte!
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Yesterday, 05:32 AM	? #8
Senior Member ? Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Wai`anae, Hawaii Posts: 486	Quote: Thanks for all the feedback. Glad I'm checked. If I can convince my wife to use the fridge for just fermenting, could I get away with using a temperature controller to manage temps? I don't know if using a temperature controller with a fridge is the same as as using it with a freezer because at the time, I didn't have the extra fridge. Per a previous post on a similar topic, a freezer was mentioned, but so was a swamp cooler. With my work schedule, I'm afraid to do the swamp cooler option and as mentioned don't know if I can set temps high enough for fermenting in the fridge without a temp controller. The Johnson's temp control works great w/a fridg. I have two on my two apt sized fridges and they are both kept about 70* to bottle condition. I ferment in a muck bucket w/ice and a wet towel. But you could easy set the temp for say 65 for fermenting., then jack it up to 7o to bottle condition. __________________ ----------------------------------------------------- Okole Maluna (Bottoms Up) (Prost) (etc) ----------------------------------------------------- Primary: Primary: Papa's Rye Bread Ale Bottle conditioning: Cinco de Mayo Stout Bottled in the refer: Cathy's Irish Red Ale Bottled in the refer: Copper's IPA, Bottled in the refer: Cooper's Sparkling Ale, Bottled in the refer: Cooper's Wheat Beer
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Yesterday, 05:32 AM	? #9
Junior Member ? Join Date: May 2011 Location: Studio City, CA Posts: 26	You can absolutely use a temp controller on a fridge just like a freezer. However you'll probably want to set the temp to ~65 to ferment an ale but you'll want to serve it from a keg around 40. So you could ferment at 65 and then lower to 40 to serve, but if you want to start fermenting another batch before your first is gone you'll need to serve at a warmer temp.
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Yesterday, 05:45 AM	? #10
Senior Member ? Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Wai`anae, Hawaii Posts: 486	Quote: You can absolutely use a temp controller on a fridge just like a freezer. However you'll probably want to set the temp to ~65 to ferment an ale but you'll want to serve it from a keg around 40. So you could ferment at 65 and then lower to 40 to serve, but if you want to start fermenting another batch before your first is gone you'll need to serve at a warmer temp. Yea, that's why I have 3 apt fridges. One set at 50-45 for drinking and two at 70 for bottle conditioning. As I"m now shifting to one gallon batches I can probably use one to ferment as I won't have the problem of storing so many bottles. Each fridge can hold 40 bottles and three mugs. __________________ ----------------------------------------------------- Okole Maluna (Bottoms Up) (Prost) (etc) ----------------------------------------------------- Primary: Primary: Papa's Rye Bread Ale Bottle conditioning: Cinco de Mayo Stout Bottled in the refer: Cathy's Irish Red Ale Bottled in the refer: Copper's IPA, Bottled in the refer: Cooper's Sparkling Ale, Bottled in the refer: Cooper's Wheat Beer
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