Cold Temps Ales

[Bizier]

I currently have 3 brews down, and have all been brewing happily at 18 deg C. Recently temps have dropped to around 16 or so. I want some input here 2 things:

1. I have had a stout with a reasonable amount of complex fermentables in for near 3 weeks, and 2 APAs for near 2, and plan to bottle all 3 on saturday - the whole week mark. Should I be scared about sleeping yeast leaving fermentables to create bottle bombs later, or should I just relax and bottle? The low temp over the last few days has made the yeast really settle out, which is nice.

2. I have got an electric blanket for future winter ales, and plan to use this and some camping mats to insulate them for a stable temp. Does anyone know the practical lowest temp limit of a US05 / coopers yeast?

Cheers,
Dan

[KEG]

i've been fermenting a honey porter with Safale S-04 at around 13 - 14c. it's taking a while, but it did get started and go fine. i started it at around 24 or so, so it had a good chance to get established. OG is still dropping slowly, and it's beautifully clean flavoured

[drsmurto]

Nottingham will go down to 14C, maybe even a tad lower.

Re-cultured Coopers yeast from CPA is still functioning at 14C.

I find 16C is about where US05 goes to sleep.

I wrap my fermenters in a sleeping bag with the heat pad wedged between them (never underneath) and switch it on either for 4-5 hours at night or sometimes overnight if its particularly cold, but then i do ferment out in the shed in the chill Adelaide Hills. Insulate them from the concrete floor with a double thickness of cardboard.

When i want to start the cc process i take them out from under the sleeping bag and leave them there for a few days before they go into the fridge (racking if i want the yeast).

Cheers and happy winter brewing
DrSmurto

[Bizier]

Cool (ha!) I think that these should have fermented out anyway, so I will bottle. I am thinking I might utilise the cold for cleaner ales rather than trying to delve into (what I assume will be) dirty lagers.

I assume Dr S., that your heat pad on the side rather than underneath is to stop bad flavours from activating the yeast cake on itself with a cold wort sitting on top, rather coaxing the yeast up into a warm wort?

On a side note, I thought I'd reacquaint myself with a few real LCPAs the other night - man, not an easy challenge... that is a damn fine AU drop. I also tried my first staropramen (yum - but not a fave style in winter), and a La Trappe Quad - bleah - like acetone and malt it is IMO.

[drsmurto]

I assume Dr S., that your heat pad on the side rather than underneath is to stop bad flavours from activating the yeast cake on itself with a cold wort sitting on top, rather coaxing the yeast up into a warm wort?

Exactly! I am heating the air around the fermenter, not the yeast on the bottom of the fermenter as i am trying to make beer, not vegemite!