Nottingham at 73'

[John Sand]

I put four gallons of Centennial Blonde in the cooler to ferment on Thursday with ice packs. Temp was 68 with one, but ferment heated up to 73. I put more ice. Still 73. I'm watching and adding ice cautiously to avoid abrupt changes. How worried should I be?

[Inkleg]

Having made over 25 gallons on this, the only worry I see is that you have to wait about 5 weeks to enjoy it. 3 if your kegging, 2 to ferment, keg on the gas for 1 and start drinking. That is the nice thing about this beer, quick turn around.
I have fermented from 65-72 with this beer and could tell no difference. Did one batch with 05 and did not like it as much as the Notty, so I only use Notty for it now. I does not last long around here.

[John Sand]

Thanks Ink. It's cooling, and probably only spent about 12 hours over 70. But I am trying to manage temps, feeling that many of my early batches were not quite right.

[Brewbirds]

I'm right there with you John. Those first few days of ice management are a stresser.

[Inkleg]

If you can put it on your Birthday/Christmas list. A used fridge and a STC-1000 controller takes a lot of stress out of fermentation temperatures.

[Brewbirds]

If you can put it on your Birthday/Christmas list. A used fridge and a STC-1000 controller takes a lot of stress out of fermentation temperatures.

Oh it is on mine I can promise you that, this ice chest thing is a challenge.

[John Sand]

I'm actually pretty good with ice. This is the first time it went over, I underestimated the amount of ice needed to keep a double batch cool. The fridge is in the future, I more need space and electric capacity in the fermenting basement than cash. Old fridges are pretty easy to find. Ironically, I gave away two in the last year! That was before needing temperature control in July.

[mtsoxfan]

I've been hemming and hawing over that purchase for a while. In CT while we do have temp swings, my basement satys pretty consistant. I have an enclosed area with an a/c unit keeping cool in summer. Not as exact as the Johnson, but I'm confident in it staying within 2*. The winter, I move into rec room. That is the questionable area. Since I only watch TV there, I try to save money by heating as needed. So it can swing from 64 - 72. Fermenting is usually consistant inside the pail, but often wonder about conditioning bottles, with less mass. That may be less of a point as I'm moving into kegging.
What is the opinion on the 64-72 swing temps?

[RickBeer]

I just take off the summer... Basement's already dropped a few degrees in the past few weeks, figure by mid-September I should be all set. PIPELINE is the word of the day...

pipeline.jpg (9.88 KiB) Viewed 2133 times

[mtsoxfan]

Is that the Alaskian pipeline? I had a neighbor back in the 70's who went up there as a hardnosed, ironworker, ballbusting S.O.B. (but would always take care of everyone) and came home a pot smoking, fun loving, easy going, peaceful man. loved him both ways...

[Inkleg]

What is the opinion on the 64-72 swing temps?

For fermenting not so good, but once it in the bottles it won't hurt it. One of the biggest taste changes to my beer came from steady fermentation temperatures. That and pitching enough yeast.

[mtsoxfan]

Thanks. It must be a mass thing for 5 gal pails. I never have gotten more than a 2* change during fermnting, even with the 8* or so room swings. Now that we have heat pumps heating the house instead of oil, I should just set it and forget it, eliminating temp swings altogether...

[John Sand]

I find that the mass of the fermenting wort dulls any temperature swings. It settles in the middle. I believe the same is true of a case of bottles, the liquid and glass takes a while to warm and cool, finding an average. In any case, I can't arrange temp control over conditioning beer, except to put it in warmer or cooler spots in the house.