to the point that I should wait until fall to brew again?
I live in the South, and it’s starting to warm up. If this summer is anything like last, then there will be a lot of upper 90 and lower 100 degree days. I’m lucky to keep the house at 76-78 degrees during summer.
Another question is since it’s impossible to get to the desired fermantation temp of mid to lower 60s, should I just get a used chest freezer or just do the swamp cooler thing so I can probably ferment at 72-73 degrees. Will beer ferm. temps effect taste that much? I guess I’ve been reading this board too much. LOL
I’ve been impressed with the 8 beers that I’ve brewed so far, and would like to continue at the same quality, I just do not know the best route to take, if you know what I mean. Thanks.
Fermentation temperature will most definitely affect beer quality. A swamp cooler is a good idea, use frozen water bottles and a wet t-shirt over the carboy to keep the temp down. You can also use a fan pointed at the wet t shirt to get it even colder.
Another option, is to make beer that does well at higher temperatures. Belgian beers like a saison do well at higher temperatures. Check out some different Belgian yeasts to find one that has a temperature range similar to your house temp. A swamp cooler without frozen bottles is a good idea regardless, to avoid big temperature swings
Yes, I have been going lower and lower with my ferm temps and have noticed that the ferm temp does affect the quality of the beer. I was always afraid of getting to low and stalling. I use to try and hit the middle of the recommnded ferm temps but now I go to the lower end and maybe even a few degrees below.
Made a “Dead Ringer” last fall and kept the temps at 58-60* with 1056 and it was a really clean crisp beer, was definitely better than a batch I made that I fermented in the mid range.
It affects quality, it also affects character.
A beer fermented at 62 will have a different character if fermented at 70 (depending on the yeast strain) even if both are of equal “quality” which of course is subjective.
IMO, fermentation temperature is in the top 4 most important things that affect beer quality (fresh quality ingredients, cleanliness/sanitation, yeast, fermentation temps)
Up here in New England I don’t brew between the end of May and the end of October because I don’t have a good fermentation temperature control system, so I brew a lot this time of year and stock up for the summer. In a pinch, I will use a water bath and swap ice blocks in daily to keep the temps on the low end of the fermentation range.
Aside from the styles that can be fermented high, I wouldn’t bother trying to brew during warm weather if you can’t keep the ferment cold.
