(did a search doing spillsitall's google method with no luck, so forgive me if i have sinned)
how influential are temperatures during the conditioning phase?
reason being that i have a brew fridge w/ a capacity of 1 fermenter only.
currently i ferment and condition the brew in the one container stored at the ideal fermentation temp in the brew fridge. this hogs up the fridge for at least two weeks. no racking. pitch the yeast and let it sit at 18* or so.
will the beer suffer any adverse affects if i turf the fermenter out of the fridge to room temps (25*) after a week in order to free up the fridge for another brew.
i'm sure there's some sympathy out there for those who feel a brew every two weeks is not enough. delicious hobby/passion/addiction/obsession.
conditioning temperature
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illywhacker
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Saturday Jan 13, 2007 1:27 pm
- Location: campsie, sydney
I'm in the same situation illywhacker.
If I have the time to spare I leave the fermentor in the fridge until a few days after FG (usually 10days for ales). I try to take it out 12hrs before bottling.
If I don't have the time to spare I remove the fermentor out of the fridge after 7 days & give it another 3 days until I bottle.
I think that as long as you leave it in the fridge for the majority of the primary ferment & don't leave it out of the fridge for too long, especially at higher temperatures, it will be fine. I actually think that raising the fermentation for a few days before bottling can help finish the ferment off nicely.
If I have the time to spare I leave the fermentor in the fridge until a few days after FG (usually 10days for ales). I try to take it out 12hrs before bottling.
If I don't have the time to spare I remove the fermentor out of the fridge after 7 days & give it another 3 days until I bottle.
I think that as long as you leave it in the fridge for the majority of the primary ferment & don't leave it out of the fridge for too long, especially at higher temperatures, it will be fine. I actually think that raising the fermentation for a few days before bottling can help finish the ferment off nicely.
Last edited by chris. on Thursday Oct 11, 2007 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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SpillsMostOfIt
- Posts: 789
- Joined: Friday Nov 24, 2006 5:07 pm
- Location: Collingwood, Australia
I am somewhat like chris in this regard (only)...
I try to leave mine in the Fermentation Cabinet for a few days after it would seem fermentation has finished. I then either rack it to secondary and leave it somewhere where the temperature is higher but reasonably stable for a while (about a week or so) or I just leave it in the same fermenter and move it to the reasonably stable place for a while.
I reckon that upping the temperature gives me a tad more fermenting.
Having bottled, I put the bottles in my Storage Facility which is not refrigerated, but is somewhat cellar-like. My beers seem to like it.
I try to leave mine in the Fermentation Cabinet for a few days after it would seem fermentation has finished. I then either rack it to secondary and leave it somewhere where the temperature is higher but reasonably stable for a while (about a week or so) or I just leave it in the same fermenter and move it to the reasonably stable place for a while.
I reckon that upping the temperature gives me a tad more fermenting.
Having bottled, I put the bottles in my Storage Facility which is not refrigerated, but is somewhat cellar-like. My beers seem to like it.
No Mash Tun. No Chill.
No confirmed fatalities.
No confirmed fatalities.
If I was you, I'd ferment at 18°C, then rack and condition outside the fridge. This removes the risk of serious autolysis ruining your beer during conditioning.
The reason you control the primary so closely is that during the primary ferment the chemical profile of what the yeast will produce from the sugar is quite strongly influenced by the temperature. I don't know, but am guessing that this is not as important during the conditioning phase, as this is when the yeast are consuming any byproducts from the primary, effectively cleaning things up.
The reason you control the primary so closely is that during the primary ferment the chemical profile of what the yeast will produce from the sugar is quite strongly influenced by the temperature. I don't know, but am guessing that this is not as important during the conditioning phase, as this is when the yeast are consuming any byproducts from the primary, effectively cleaning things up.
w00t!
I am in the same boat.
I have a brew fridge, and leave my brews in the primary at correct temperatures for two weeks, then turn power off for a couple of days, and bottle. No racking.
If I can take that fermenter out of the fridge after 7days, it frees the fridge for another brew. If I take it out of the fridge, it will be sitting in the garage at 23-28celsius generally.
I am thinking of taking it out, and leaving it in the garage for the second week, as the yeast has done its primary work, and has been at correct temperatures for that time. After the main fermentation, yeasts are not as active, and will not create off flavours. I don't see any autolysis happening in this time frame, whatever the temperature.
I have a brew fridge, and leave my brews in the primary at correct temperatures for two weeks, then turn power off for a couple of days, and bottle. No racking.
If I can take that fermenter out of the fridge after 7days, it frees the fridge for another brew. If I take it out of the fridge, it will be sitting in the garage at 23-28celsius generally.
I am thinking of taking it out, and leaving it in the garage for the second week, as the yeast has done its primary work, and has been at correct temperatures for that time. After the main fermentation, yeasts are not as active, and will not create off flavours. I don't see any autolysis happening in this time frame, whatever the temperature.
Agreed.i'm sure there's some sympathy out there for those who feel a brew every two weeks is not enough. delicious hobby/passion/addiction/obsession.
"Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer." - Dave Barry.
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illywhacker
- Posts: 30
- Joined: Saturday Jan 13, 2007 1:27 pm
- Location: campsie, sydney
good-o.
i figured that it was really only the fermenting temps that were so sensitive to temperature, but wanted to be sure there wasn't some other factor i hadn't considered.
my ordinary bitter will today be turfed out of the brew fridge to make way for an esb.
ok, sure, i was meant to be studying today, but there's nothing wrong with one eye on the kettle, one on the books!?
i figured that it was really only the fermenting temps that were so sensitive to temperature, but wanted to be sure there wasn't some other factor i hadn't considered.
my ordinary bitter will today be turfed out of the brew fridge to make way for an esb.
ok, sure, i was meant to be studying today, but there's nothing wrong with one eye on the kettle, one on the books!?