Temperature control seemed like the first big step for me to brew better beer. Ever since I made a temperature controller for my fridge the quality of my beer has improved. So here’s the question… Why do some brewers utilize free-rise temperature increases or forced temperature increases when the general concept is to maintain the same temperature during fermentation.
I understand that there are beer styles where esters are desired but doesn’t that change/rise in temperature also come with less desirable traits?
Temperature control is mostly important for the growth phase and active fermentation. Once that’s complete, you don’t need to worry about it so much as esters/phenols/fusels etc. are generally not created after these phases. But increasing temperatures helps promote the conversion of fermentation byproducts like diacetyl into more flavor neutral compounds.
I will use a heated water bath to bring the beer up to the starting fermentation temperature. A just for instance with WY 1056. I always seem to over chill the wort. The wort will be around 58°F when I’m ready to pitch the yeast. I’ve gotten a noticeable peachy ester in some styles of beer when the fermentation temperature is below 66°F with this yeast.
I’ll bring the wort up 65° with the heated water bath. I’ll then let it free rise to the maximum temperature of 70° I’ll use this yeast at. Low to moderate gravity beers will not increase in temperature to far over an ambient of 66° to 68° with a slow but steady start. I will hold the temperature of the beer in the fermentor at 69° to 70° for at least a week after active fermentation ends. Then let it go to the ambient temperature whether it is 66° or 72° to clear.
It’s just my way of doing things. A slow but steady start when the yeast is in the growth phase. Then letting the temperature free rise to the maximum I decided on. Holding my arbitrary maximum from fluctuating throughout the remaining fermentation to FG and some time afterwards while the yeast finish what there is to finish.
The slow and steady start is the main reason my beers being in the primary for at least three weeks before they clear.
I have a car boy heater I use after active ferm really slows…and also move the carboy to a warmer part of the house. I like to let certain Belgian yeasts go as high as they want to Latest saison was much more fruity…and not so spicy.
I’ve read that the first 4 days of active fermentation are the most critical for temperature control. But does that time period fluctuate for every yeast strain? If so, what’s a safe “rule of thumb” amount of time for allowing the temp to rise?
I’m using the dreaded Wyeast 3724 Dupont strain in a saison and just allowing ambient temps and time to work their magic. It may be a little cool for this yeast as some folks are cranking the heat up to 90* or higher with this yeast, but…I’m in no hurry. I fully expect this thing to take upwards of a month…a hydrometer reading at one week was@1.029, 1.030.
I don’t think you’ll have a problem with 3724. Dupont actually has a blend of 4 different strains that they use, and when White Labs and Wyeast isolated their strains, they (reportedly) got two different isolates.
That being said, the Wyeast strain is not quite as finicky as WLP565. In my experience, 565 is on a whole 'nother level than 3724, but it’s still a nice strain. But they are not the same yeast.
Checked a SG today at three weeks and chugging right along at room temperature. Using Drew Beechum’s ‘open’ fermentation method: no airlock just foil over top of carboy and thus far no stall. SG was 1.010 so with this strain (Wyeast 3724) I still have a ways to go…OG was 1.060.
Warm and flat it still tasted promising.
This was my first brew done with the SNSYS method.(shaken not stirred) and the yeast kicked butt with quick onset of visible fermentation activity, six hours.
…and I didn’t have to buy an aquarium heater. Yay, me!
Updating on the 3724 yeast used in a Cherry saison without raising temps externally, simply using ambient room temps. SG down to 1.007. Racked into secondary on top of a whopping 4 ounces of cherry concentrate. I don’t want to overshoot and I could increase down the road in subsequent batches. I had a Cherry Gose from Victory that had way tooo much cherry.
There is a nice. Cooling or heating jacket availble. You can raise the temp with 1 degree or lower everytime. Price 199$ did order one will see if i can lower the temp here on island. While fermenting.
That would be ok, because it seems like a pretty good saison with the Dupont strain anyway. I can increase the amount of tart cherry concentrate in the next batch(es).
Latest saison was much more fruity…and not so spicy.
Sneezles61