Got a new Deluxe Brew Kit. I brewed some Caribou Slobber on Sunday, 1/11. I have a couple of questions -
How important is it to keep the fermenter at 68-72 degrees? The reason I ask is because I keep my house between 65 and 68 degrees all winter. Will the wort properly ferment?
Also, the airlock was bubbling the other day but has since stopped. I looked at the fermenter and it looks like the wort was active at one point, but it is not doing anything now. Is that normal?
Thanks,
Knucklesandwich
Sounds normal. Primary fermentation often only takes 2-3 days.
Your beer will turn out better if you ferment cool in the low to mid 60s. 65 to 68 F is perfect.
To build on what Dave is saying, fermentation also results in additional heat. So if your ambient house temp is 72° your fermentation temp is likely 75°+. WAY TOO WARM. When we discuss ferm temps we are actually talking about the temp of the beer, not ambient.
If you have to measure ambient try lowering it a few degrees from the “ideal” term temp.
