My first AG Brew - is temperature in FV critical?

[luke_tucker]

Hi all,

Yesterday was my first foray into all grain brewing and I think I have the bug already. I have read a lot on this forum and in books about the processes, and it seems to be a trail and error business - which I'm excited about.

I would appreciate a bit of guidance with regards to fermentation temperatures. Living in a draughty old house in Cornwall with no central heating, room temperature is often around 15 degrees.

So, I've put the first brew under the stairs with a sleeping bag wrapped around it, put a high watt bulb in and lined the walls with tin foil. I left it all night, and it's at a stable 18 degrees. A bit of a bodge job, but does this sound like it will do the trick?

Thanks for all the help I got just reading through old posts before I started. Luke

 

[abeyptfc]

yeah 18 degrees is ideal, your wanting between about 18 and 24 degrees if its a normal ale your making. just watch the temp doesn't drop too low overnight as it may take longer to ferment. what did you make? did u take any pics of your brewday? I recently started AG on 1st June and done 3 brews already, not tried any of the beers yet though.

 

[Dave1970]

Stable 18 C sounds good, is that the wort temp or the air temp?

 

[graysalchemy]

I would keep it 18-21 if I was you, so don't try putting it in an airing cupboard or next to the central heating. It should be fine. You could wrap it up in a sleeping bag if the temp of the beer is dropping below 15c. The temp of the beer is usually a couple of degrees above the ambient air temp. :thumb:

 

[luke_tucker]

Thanks everyone. Air temp is 18 and the wort is 20 degrees, so I'm happy with that.

abeyptfc - I guess it's an amber(ish) ale that should be pretty hoppy with EKGs, Northen Brewer and Cascade aroma hops...

And I do have a few pictures. How do you upload them? I think this will be the first of many though. I'm guessing waiting is the hardest part.

 

[abeyptfc]

register with photobucket.com, follow the steps to upload, when you've uploaded pics hover over it with ur cursor and a wee box will come up with codes in it, copy n paste the one with IMG and then paste it on the forum.

 

[luke_tucker]

This should illuminate my set-up in all its glory. Thanks for the help.

Also, I know this is another question, but with conditioning, is the rule of a week per 10 OG points a good one to go with?

 

[graysalchemy]

Yes after bottling keep at fermentation temp for 1 week the condition in a cool place at 1 week per ten points so a 1040 beer will be 1 week + 4 weeks :thumb:

 

[luke_tucker]

Yes after bottling keep at fermentation temp for 1 week the condition in a cool place at 1 week per ten points so a 1040 beer will be 1 week + 4 weeks :thumb:

Much obliged. Better write a keep off note then - more to myself than anyone.

 

[jonnymorris]

I'm intrigued... you're doing AG and yet asking good but fairly basic questions (no offence).

Have you just dived in at the deep end?

 

[shearclass]

Yes after bottling keep at fermentation temp for 1 week the condition in a cool place at 1 week per ten points so a 1040 beer will be 1 week + 4 weeks :thumb:

So is that for ever 10 points above 1.000, or for every 10 points gravity drop?

Cheers

 

[jonnymorris]

So is that for ever 10 points above 1.000, or for every 10 points gravity drop?

The former is the rough guide, i.e. a 1060 OG beer would benefit from 6 weeks conditioning etc.

 

[jonewer]

Maturation time also depends on the hopping. A beer with loadsa hops will take longer to condition.

 

[luke_tucker]

I'm intrigued... you're doing AG and yet asking good but fairly basic questions (no offence).

Have you just dived in at the deep end?

Not too much offence taken.

I guess so. I've read a lot about AG brewing, but I prefer to learn by doing - and if there's help at hand on here, then why not utilise it?