When the primary fermentation is finished, how critical is it to maintain the temperature close to the recommendations for the yeast during secondary fermentation and bottle conditioning of an ale?
I’m tight with my money and would prefer to set the thermostat to 76 F or 77 F when leaving the house for several hours just to save on the AC/electric bill. If it’s going to harm the brew though, I’ll have to suck it up and keep the thermostat at 73 F
Not necessary at all (within reason).
My wife gets pretty ticked off during primary fermentation time because I have to keep the AC cranked down. It sits in a basement that gets to ~ 63-66 degrees when i set the house to ~ 72, so it isn’t terrible, but it is cold to her. Wh have a rec room that always gets cold, I have come in and seen my wife and kids wrapped in a blanket cold in the middle of June trying to watch TV and have been asked why I care more about my beer temp then theirs ha ha
Tell them you are very concerned. Buy the temp controlled mini fridge for their benefit.
The first 3-4 days are critical, and after that it matters less and less as time goes on. Mid to high 70s is not a problem once the primary fermentation is done, and is actually pretty close to ideal for bottle conditioning.
Thanks to all for the good advice!
If you can, find a cheap old frig or freezer and buy a Digital temp controller like Flars said. I made the space for mine in the basement. Then it controls the beer separate and the house can be what ever. It’s a positive investment, if you like lagers they are great to make any time of the year, just one idea.
