Fermentation Temperature

[LavaChild]

Hello,

I am still researching and prepping for my first brew (Wherry, obviously!). The only space in my flat where I can put the FV is in our dining room. It's not ideal but I've not got a better location and unfortunately our garage does not have electricity (and would otherwise be too cold).

Over the past few days I've been doing a few experiments with a thermometer:

1) Filled a pint glass with water, left it for 24 hrs to reach room temp. Put thermometer in and over 24 hrs the min/max was 15/16 deg C.

2) Left the thermometer in open air (I assume this works?). In the same time frame I've seen 15 - 17 deg C.

The room has central heating which is seldom used but is occasionally. It was actually used for approx one hour in (1) above.

So my questions are:

a) How important is temperature during fermentation? I've read 18 - 22 deg C. Clearly 15 - 16 is below this... Does this rule it out entirely?

b) How important is temperature fluctuation during fermentation? Is a cyclical (say) 2 deg C okay?

Following these questions - What is the best value for money way (remembering this is for a first brew and so I do not want to invest too heavily in case it does not work out) to get to a temperature and consistency that would satisfy (a) and (b) above. I've seen heat mats, brew belts, and immersion heaters. All around £20 (without a stat!) which is probably about okay budget wise.

Thank you.

 

[froidy]

A heat pad would probably get you close to 18-20deg which should be good :) a couple of degrees fluctuation is okay (at least my beer seems to turn out fine)

 

[Underground Joe]

Temperature control, behind proper sanitation, is the second most important thing can do. Yeast likes a stable temperature and it will get stressed with regular fluctuations. Heat belts and pads are a bad idea unless they are connected to a temperature controller measuring wort temperature. Yeast fermenting in wort is exothermic meaning that it will produce heat. I'd you want to ferment at 20 degrees you do not want your fermenter to be in a room that is twenty degrees. The old advice of fermenting beer in an airing cupboard is so wrong but so often repeated.

 

[Ballard]

I use these (ebay item number coming up) 321247157794


thermostatically controlled and fully submersible. Adjustable too so you can find the temp right for your yeast. Cheap too!

 

[keith1664]

a) Very, at that temperature an ale yeast will be very slow. You'e too high for lagers but you might have some luck with Weisse.
b) You want to keep the temperature of the wort stable, however 20L of wort isn't going to react very quickly to changes in the ambient temperature, so it depends on which is changing by those 2 degrees.

I'd imagine the best method would be to find a warmer spot / insulate or turn up the heating. Then if you want to progress look at spending some cash on a longer term solution.

 

[Underground Joe]

A heater by itself isn't good enough. In the early stages of fermentation you will more likely be needing to cool the wort, not heat it. A second hand fridge (£10-£20), an STC 1000 temperature controller (£15) and some sort of heater are what you need.

 

[jonnymorris]

A second hand fridge (£10-£20), an STC 1000 temperature controller (£15) and some sort of heater are what you need.

Doesn't really fit with his criteria of not investing too much (time if not money) and, whilst a great solution is IMO a bit over-kill for his requirement. At this time of year I doubt the need to cool will be necessary (in the UK at least). An aquarium heater is your best bet.

 

[pogierob]

At those temps you should be ok with ale yeasts.
Allowing for heat produced by the brew itself you should be right, just allow more fermentation time.

 

[Underground Joe]

A second hand fridge (£10-£20), an STC 1000 temperature controller (£15) and some sort of heater are what you need.

Doesn't really fit with his criteria of not investing too much (time if not money) and, whilst a great solution is IMO a bit over-kill for his requirement. At this time of year I doubt the need to cool will be necessary (in the UK at least). An aquarium heater is your best bet.

It probably is overkill for making for his first kit, but how often do we brewers buy something just to have an extra toy or something shiny when we've been making perfectly good beer without it?

If he's fermenting indoors then I doubt a heater would be required at all except maybe right at the end of fermentation if he can't move it somewhere warmer.

 

[evanvine]

You could limit your brewing to spring and autumn. :whistle:

 

[rpt]

Some ale yeasts will work fine at 15-16C e.g. Nottingham and S04. I'd suggest buying one of these yeasts and using it instead of the one that came with the kit. The Wherry yeast has a habit of sticking anyway so at a lower temperature it is even more likely.

 

[sometime]

Hello everyone ....my c/h boiler packed up yesterday luckily we have a open fire/beer.but I got a IPA evildog & wherry on the go 5days in ,I can't get the boiler part to mid week so can I just drop the aquarium heaters straight in the fvs that wot you meen ? Cheers

 

[coyspurs]

Dont know if it is right or not but I sit my FVs and DJs on an electric blanket on a worktop set on lowest heat, check now and again with a themometer and seems to stay around 20c, this is in an unheated outhouse, the brews I have done seem to be ok!

Mike

 

[Scott33b]

I'm a newbie on here so just my opinion, not experience.
I've got my fv in another plastic box with water in it. I put a tank heater in this water.
Then you have no problems with sterilising.

 

[evanvine]

I've got my fv in another plastic box with water in it. I put a tank heater in this water.

You are bang on the button! :thumb:

 

[Ballard]

i pop the aquarium heaters right into the fv, soaked in a tub with a milton tablet before use and then rinsed and its absolutely fine. but, if floor space isn't at a premium, I can see the value in heating water and putting the fv into it (like a bain marie)

 

[sometime]

Helloo.....sorted cheers,got a big plastic box from pound land yesterday filled it with water put the fvs in it with a heater and it works great .bubbling away nicely .so don't think wherrys got stuck ....