Brewing styles for hot summer fermentation?

[Richie_asg1]

I live in a mostly wood built house so is difficult to regulate temperatures in the cupboards I use for the FV's.

As such the temps are in the low range - 15-18 degreesC for the winter and 25-30 degrees C for the Summer.

If I can't control these temperatures without a lot of energy being used - can I alter what I brew to suit the temperatures?

If so, what yeasts or ales would I be better attempting at the extremes I get. I understand that ferment temps affect the outcome, so would like to use the temperatures to my advantage.

P.S. I would prefer to stay away from lagers.

 

[stigman]

Look at kviek yeast very versatile style wise saisons are a good call aswell. Or just build a ferm fridge

 

[Harbey]

I'm currently fermenting a rhubarb & ginger Saison at 24C but I believe they can tolerate quite a bit warmer than that (all Saisons, not just the rhubarb &ginger variety :hat:).

 

[steve denholm]

I brewed a few Weisbiers last year mid heat wave, they came out nice and Banana-ey

 

[MyQul]

I dont bother with temp control and use temp appropriate yeasts. Nottingham yeast is an excellent workhorse yeast (and cheap if you buy it from wilko as 'English ale yeast') if your looking for a good all rounder for the temps your working with. I've had it down to 14C during the winter and up to about 27C in the summer

Kviek yeast is defiantely a good yeast for hot weather as it ferments up to about mid 30C's. As harbey says saison is also good for hot weather brewing.

 

[GerritT]

Most English ale yeast perform properly at over 23ºC. I mean, people keep drinking my beer so something must be right.

 

[Zephyr259]

I'm just North of the city and had a similar issue living in an old granite cottage, fermenter LCD strip kept sitting at 14 - 16c when I tried fermenting anytime other than summer. I got a fridge, reptile heat mat and an inkbird which has greatly improved my beer. But otherwise I'd reccomend Wyeast 1728 Scottish Ale as it'll ferment happily down to 13c (probably lower), then for the summer, most suggestions are already there, saisons (but I like to pitch cool then warm) or kveik which I've been playing with recently. Not tried any kveik strains properly cold yet but in theory Voss will ferment down into the teens.

 

[Richie_asg1]

Very useful replies thanks to all.

I think temperature controlled heat mat would help with the lower temps. I didn't have temp control for the last batch but did sit it on a 7W reptile heater but even with a jacket on it wasn't up to the job.

I feel another project coming on...wood base with pond liner for overflows, underfloor heating strip and temperature controller in it. Then brew according to upper temperatures.

Seems like a plan

 

[Zephyr259]

Sounds like a good plan. For comparison my heat mat is the 14w model and I stepped up to 20w (sometimes using both) for kveik.

 

[Slid]

I used Mangrove Jacks M31 for a few Belgians last Summer. All good. Best of the bunch was (and is!) a watered down version of the Westvleveren clone in James Morton's book "Brew".

 

[BridgeBrew]

My advice is get an old Fridge, tube heater, and an STC1000, and make yourself a fermentation chamber. Best thing you will ever do.

 

[Richie_asg1]

It is rather looking like that is the easy way to do things. ....but I never pick the easy way to do things. It always takes me 10x as long and 4x the cost to do things the most awkward way.