Brewing temperature - consistently warmer or fluctuate?

[rb982]

Hi Everyone,

First time brewer here!

So I have a Coopers Canadian Blonde on the go. My setup is a fermentation bin in a water bath with an inkbird temperature controller and an aquarium heater. I have a target temperature set at 20 degrees (a good temperature for this brew I am told). Trouble is, I have nowhere to keep the bin that is cool enough and I can't maintain temperature. Inside my house averages 23 degrees during the day and only drops down slightly at night, and my shed gets the sun and hits 24 degrees during the day and the heater keeps it at 20 degrees overnight. I am not quite ready to invest in a cooler/fridge setup and attempts to cool the water with ice etc are laborious and have little effect.

My question is, is it better to consistently maintain it at a higher temperature such as 23 degrees, or let it fluctuate between 20 overnight and 23 during the day?

I understand that 23 degrees will still provide me with a drinkable beer, but I am told a cooler temperature will produce a better beer (my brother did this brew at 20 degrees consistently for 10 days and it was delicious!), but will this much fluctuation in temperature be ok for my brew, or shall I keep it at 23 at all times?

Advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! :)

 

[Tetsuo1981]

Hi Everyone,

First time brewer here!

So I have a Coopers Canadian Blonde on the go. My setup is a fermentation bin in a water bath with an inkbird temperature controller and an aquarium heater. I have a target temperature set at 20 degrees (a good temperature for this brew I am told). Trouble is, I have nowhere to keep the bin that is cool enough and I can't maintain temperature. Inside my house averages 23 degrees during the day and only drops down slightly at night, and my shed gets the sun and hits 24 degrees during the day and the heater keeps it at 20 degrees overnight. I am not quite ready to invest in a cooler/fridge setup and attempts to cool the water with ice etc are laborious and have little effect.

My question is, is it better to consistently maintain it at a higher temperature such as 23 degrees, or let it fluctuate between 20 overnight and 23 during the day?

I understand that 23 degrees will still provide me with a drinkable beer, but I am told a cooler temperature will produce a better beer (my brother did this brew at 20 degrees consistently for 10 days and it was delicious!), but will this much fluctuation in temperature be ok for my brew, or shall I keep it at 23 at all times?

Advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks! :)

FWIW when I started I had no temperature control at all, just stuck it under the stairs in a cupboard and let it get on with it and it worked. That was an ale and I've made a Cerveza in a similar fashion and I dare say I had greater temp fluctuation than what you've got. I was lucky enough to score a free fridge from work and now have and inkbird set up with it. Anyway, untill you can get a 'decent / steady' temp control I wouldn't sweat it too much.

Short version: stable temp is best but in lieu of that a temp that doesn't vary to wildly will do,so long as its with the temp parameters of the yeast

 

[MyQul]

Temp fluctuations are far worse than a higher temp. 23C isnt that high. I purposely brewed my last mild at 23C (to very top end of the yeast's temp range) to get the yeast t produce losts of fruity esters. Coopers yeast has good temp tolerance and should be able to handle 23C
For your next brew get some English Ale yeast (actually nottingham yeast) from wilko. I've had it up to about 26C no problems in summer time. Or get some Kviek from cross my loof

 

[Drunkula]

As above and adding that some yeasts really don't like temperature variations, s-04 especially as when temperature drops it can think it's done and will drop out. I read this on a few places after I had months of trouble with s-04.

 

[rb982]

That's great, thanks everyone!

I have brought my bin inside the house. Temp is consistently between 23 and 24 degrees now. Took a gravity measurement today. Looking and tasting good :)