Conditioning temperature in the summer

[drf]

I'll be starting my first brew soon and am concerned about temperatures. Unfortunately there's only one place in the house I'm going to be able to keep the beer - on the kitchen table. I reckon the fermentation temperature will be OK, I'll be keeping an eye on it anyway. Having said that, do you get a significant temperature rise from the fermentation? The ambient temperature in the room probably ranges from 17-20 most days.

I invisage conditioning being more of a problem, it's going to have to stay in the same place so it might be a bit warm. I suppose the best I can do is wrap the pressure vessel in a damp towel and hope for the best?

If conditioning temp is too high, what can result? Is it mainly a case of the CO2 not staying in solution, or might odd tastes develop?

Cheers

 

[dennisking]

I put the FV into a tub with cold water up to the level of the beer. Add 2 or 3 ice packs twice a day and it keeps the beer a good constant temp. Probably helps my garage is not too hot.

 

[highwayman]

I am a bit worried about 46 Litres of Bitter that I have fermenting. I used Nottingham. It's in the garage which is shaded. I have not put it in any water bath etc but its going too fast for my liking. Bubbles are being expelled through the air lock constantly . I wonder if beer can be ferment too fast..Any one any idea??? :?

 

[brewersdroop]

I have an alternative perspective for you- We are here for the most part to create real ale. We want to create an ale that is more in tune with the natural order of things than the mass produce sh*te. To do this dont we have to be in tune with the seasons and accept that the beer we create in the summer months is going to reflect the natural conditions of the season. This is how wine is created. Each season creates its own characteristics in the wine and the wines is enjoyed for it. Creating a beer that tastes the same each time is over rated

 

[Aleman]

However in the days before refrigeration beer was not brewed during the summer months, hence you had keeping beer and Old ales . . . Old ale was brewed in March and sent to the publican in october. . . . .

I would guess that the upper limit (IMO) for fermentation is about 25C much above that and you end up producing an excess of fusel alcohols (propanol etc) and these can produce bad hangovers . . . they also taste 'hot' and harsh, almost whisky like.

Can fermentation produce a lot of heat? . . . I've had a difference of 5C between fermenting wort and ambient . . . and if your ambient is 25C that's a considerable difference. . . . The old trick of covering the FV in a towel in a bath of water and directing a fan at it can bring the temperature of the FV down by as much as 5C . . . and if you shove a couple of 2L PET Bottles full of frozen water in the water bath you can reduce the temperature even further.

Most commercial craft breweries have some sort of temperature control . . . those that don't have consistency problems batch to batch . . . and attribute this to the 'mystique' of 'real ale' . . . when in reality its poor process control, and a limited understanding of the brewing process.

 

[brewersdroop]

A commercial brewer by its very nature has to maintain consistency. Customers expect to get the same beer every time they buy a beer with the logo.
I think it is commendable to be in tune with nature and limit your beer production during summer months ( I do ), however lets all try the odd brew at odd temperatures during summer and just see what we get.

who knows we might find something special. of course it could also be sh*te.

 

[prolix]

strike one up for sh*te. I tried a brew in the summer heat and got a funky feast, not worth the hops, grain and effort. but I do summer brew in the temp drops now, for instance today as the temp this week will be 18, 18, 16 and after that it does not matter. the fermentation will be mostly done and won't produce heat.

so average day night of 15c should give my garage the perfect brew temp