Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Correct Fermenting Temps

  • 14-12-2020 12:54am
    #1
    Skyfloater
    Registered Users Posts: 398 ✭✭


    Hi all,
    I'm hoping to tap into the collective wisdom here.
    Just looking at the Kit beer thread where it was suggested that 24 degrees is much too warm for a stout. I have a STC temp controller and heat belt, but have found myself upping the set temp each time as I find the fermentation is taking forever. Even at 23.8 degrees for my current kit red ale it was 3 weeks.
    So my questions would be, are there recommended fermenting temps for stouts, pale ales, weiss beer etc.
    The other question is, am I being too impatient, what is the minimum time from pitching the yeast to zero airlock activity that ensures a good quality result.
    For the record, my current red ale does taste a bit off.
    ps. Has anyone ever opened up a fermentation vessel after 6/7 days for just one or two slow stirs to move the yeast around, to speed things along.


Comments

  • #2
    Bogwoppit
    Registered Users Posts: 2,545 ✭✭✭Bogwoppit


    Skyfloater wrote: »
    Hi all,
    I'm hoping to tap into the collective wisdom here.
    Just looking at the Kit beer thread where it was suggested that 24 degrees is much too warm for a stout. I have a STC temp controller and heat belt, but have found myself upping the set temp each time as I find the fermentation is taking forever. Even at 23.8 degrees for my current kit red ale it was 3 weeks.
    So my questions would be, are there recommended fermenting temps for stouts, pale ales, weiss beer etc.
    The other question is, am I being too impatient, what is the minimum time from pitching the yeast to zero airlock activity that ensures a good quality result.
    For the record, my current red ale does taste a bit off.
    ps. Has anyone ever opened up a fermentation vessel after 6/7 days for just one or two slow stirs to move the yeast around, to speed things along.

    Firstly, airlock activity is not an indication of fermentation. It will continue to bubble long after fermentation has finished, use a hydrometer.

    Unless it’s something special then 19 is a good temperature for most yeasts, your high temperature will have resulted in off flavours.

    Most beers will ferment in a week to 10 days, check the gravity with the hydrometer and once it’s stable for a couple of days you’re good.


  • #3
    BeerNut
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 11,776 Mod ✭✭✭✭BeerNut


    Skyfloater wrote: »
    The other question is, am I being too impatient
    Yes.
    Skyfloater wrote: »
    Has anyone ever opened up a fermentation vessel after 6/7 days for just one or two slow stirs to move the yeast around, to speed things along.
    They probably have, and introduced a greater risk of infection and oxidation, with no benefit to the process. Don't do it.

    My beer blog | The Twitter | My other beer blog



  • #4
    Skyfloater
    Registered Users Posts: 398 ✭✭Skyfloater


    Thanks for that, I've always been a bit wary of my hydrometer readings before, as I suspected that the yeast sediment is partially mixing with the sample I'm taking from the tap, and altering the specific density.
    My error was, as Bogwoppit says, to assume that air lock activity equals yeast activity.


  • #5
    oinkely
    Registered Users Posts: 945 ✭✭✭oinkely


    I got a Tilt a while back and discovered that it takes about a week for most beers to drop down to a stable gravity. The odd one will take about 10 days. I brew mostly ale. Air lock activity is a bit irrelevant after about 4 days.

    Due to various circumstances i have left a stout in the ferment-er for about 4 months and it was great when bottled and conditioned. I have also left a pale ale in it for about 8 weeks and that also came out nicely - but i kegged that one rather than bottling it.


  • #6
    nsi423
    Registered Users Posts: 57 ✭✭nsi423


    oinkely wrote: »
    Due to various circumstances i have left a stout in the ferment-er for about 4 months and it was great when bottled and conditioned. I have also left a pale ale in it for about 8 weeks and that also came out nicely - but i kegged that one rather than bottling it.

    Interesting! Just wondering they were at fermenting temperature for all that time?


  • Advertisement
  • #7
    comete
    Registered Users Posts: 383 ✭✭comete


    I agonised how to stabilise fermentation temps without space for a fridge for weeks and in the end bought a ferminator for geterbrewed. Currently have a lager sitting at a stable 10 degrees in it


Advertisement