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Date: 19 Jun 2006 13:47:23
From: Don Levey
Subject: Summertime brewing - Styles? Temp control?
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So yesterday I got to do the one thing I had wanted for Father's Day:
brew some beer. This is my second batch since I restarted after a
10-year hiatus, so of course everything went perfectly :-).
Anyone who was in the northeast US yesterday undoubtedly knows that
it was very hot - about 95 F in my backyard. Yes, that's hot, when
the humidity is 80% or higher; I lived in Sacramento for a few years,
and it really is different. Anyway, apart from keeping extra
contaminants (sweat pouring down my face) out of the wort, another
difficulty presented itself: fermenting temp.
To keep things a little cooler, I got out a large (20 gal?) Rubbermaid
container and placed the carboy in there. I then filled with cool water
up to the shoulder of the carboy. I places a t-shirt over the carboy
both to protect from light and to provide an evaporation wick. This
is in my 75F basement, and the water temp itself seems to hover between
66 and 70. I float a few bottles of ice to keep the temp down a little
more if I can.
I think, though, that this will bring me some fluctuations - will this
be a problem? Is this a decent strategy? I can't afford a fermenting
fridge right now, either in acquisition or operation cost, or for that
matter in space either. Are there particular styles which are more
suited to higher temps?
--
Don Levey $ cd /pub
Framingham, MA $ more beer
NOTE: email server uses spam filters; mail sent to salearn@the-leveys.us
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Date: 19 Jun 2006 21:12:23
From: Wayne
Subject: Re: Summertime brewing - Styles? Temp control?
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Don Levey wrote:
> Anyone who was in the northeast US yesterday undoubtedly knows that
> it was very hot - about 95 F in my backyard. Yes, that's hot, when
> the humidity is 80% or higher; I lived in Sacramento for a few years,
> and it really is different. Anyway, apart from keeping extra
> contaminants (sweat pouring down my face) out of the wort, another
> difficulty presented itself: fermenting temp.
Are there particular styles which are more
> suited to higher temps?
This would be a great time to try your hand at a saison. Lots of good
recipes out there, but go easy on the spices if you use them at all.
Use the White Labs 565 yeast in this beer. Keep the fermentation temp
at 65°-70° for the first 36-48 hours then let it go up to 85-90° for the
next 10 days to 2 weeks. Sounds all wrong to ferment a beer like that,
but this particular yeast in this style is wonderful handled that way.
I have done a couple this way and will be doing it again this week for a
competition.
Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company
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Date: 20 Jun 2006 12:44:03
From: Don Levey
Subject: Re: Summertime brewing - Styles? Temp control?
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Wayne <bugeaterbrewing@charter.net > writes:
> Don Levey wrote:
> > Anyone who was in the northeast US yesterday undoubtedly knows that
> > it was very hot - about 95 F in my backyard. Yes, that's hot, when
> > the humidity is 80% or higher; I lived in Sacramento for a few years,
> > and it really is different. Anyway, apart from keeping extra
> > contaminants (sweat pouring down my face) out of the wort, another
> > difficulty presented itself: fermenting temp.
>
> Are there particular styles which are more
> > suited to higher temps?
>
> This would be a great time to try your hand at a saison. Lots of good
> recipes out there, but go easy on the spices if you use them at
> all. Use the White Labs 565 yeast in this beer. Keep the fermentation
> temp at 65°-70° for the first 36-48 hours then let it go up to 85-90°
> for the next 10 days to 2 weeks. Sounds all wrong to ferment a beer
> like that, but this particular yeast in this style is wonderful
> handled that way. I have done a couple this way and will be doing it
> again this week for a competition.
>
Wayne,
Thanks for the suggestion; that may be the next on my list. As it is,
the APA is bubbling along nicely right next to me; the water bath with
occasional ice blocks is keeing the temp between 64 and 68 as far as I
can tell. We'll see how it goes. The Scottish Ale I did a few weeks
ago should be ready to drink in another week or so, and I'm anxious -
first one in a decade.
--
Don Levey $ cd /pub
Framingham, MA $ more beer
NOTE: email server uses spam filters; mail sent to salearn@the-leveys.us
will be used to tune the blocking lists.
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Date: 19 Jun 2006 10:53:34
From: Scott L
Subject: Re: Summertime brewing - Styles? Temp control?
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Don Levey wrote:
> I think, though, that this will bring me some fluctuations - will this
> be a problem? Is this a decent strategy? I can't afford a fermenting
> fridge right now, either in acquisition or operation cost, or for that
> matter in space either. Are there particular styles which are more
> suited to higher temps?
I do exactly the same thing myself. But I'd suggest trying to keep the
water temp below 65 F. The fermenting beer is actually a bit warmer
than the water it's sitting in.
For ice, I use frozen 16-ounce water bottles. They're like "cold
batteries," keep a bunch in the freezer and switch them out whenever
you see the temperature start climbing. I typically only need to change
them once or twice a day, unless it's really freaking hot out.
I'm not sure about which styles are best at warmer temperatures, but
there are definitely YEASTS which are better at higher temps.
California Ale (Sold as Wyeast 1056, White Labs WLP001, or Safale
US-56) is a very clean yeast that does better at slightly higher temps
(as well as fermenting well at low temps). Danstar Nottingham dry yeast
is also very clean and would be a good choice.
Scott
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Date: 19 Jun 2006 14:14:57
From: Don Levey
Subject: Re: Summertime brewing - Styles? Temp control?
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"Scott L" <scott-sp02@neuralnw.com > writes:
> Don Levey wrote:
> > I think, though, that this will bring me some fluctuations - will this
> > be a problem? Is this a decent strategy? I can't afford a fermenting
> > fridge right now, either in acquisition or operation cost, or for that
> > matter in space either. Are there particular styles which are more
> > suited to higher temps?
>
> I do exactly the same thing myself. But I'd suggest trying to keep the
> water temp below 65 F. The fermenting beer is actually a bit warmer
> than the water it's sitting in.
>
I'm working on it, but eventually I have to go to work. I'd also
say I need to sleep, but I've got kids so sleep is right out...
> For ice, I use frozen 16-ounce water bottles. They're like "cold
> batteries," keep a bunch in the freezer and switch them out whenever
> you see the temperature start climbing. I typically only need to change
> them once or twice a day, unless it's really freaking hot out.
>
That's what I'm working with. Anywhere from 16 to 48-oz bottles.
Whatever I could find and freeze yesterday.
> I'm not sure about which styles are best at warmer temperatures, but
> there are definitely YEASTS which are better at higher temps.
> California Ale (Sold as Wyeast 1056, White Labs WLP001, or Safale
> US-56) is a very clean yeast that does better at slightly higher temps
> (as well as fermenting well at low temps). Danstar Nottingham dry yeast
> is also very clean and would be a good choice.
>
The American Pale Ale I did yesterday is using Wyeast 1056, so I
feel better now.
--
Don Levey $ cd /pub
Framingham, MA $ more beer
NOTE: email server uses spam filters; mail sent to salearn@the-leveys.us
will be used to tune the blocking lists.
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Date: 20 Jun 2006 08:21:21
From: Dukester
Subject: Re: Summertime brewing - Styles? Temp control?
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"Don Levey" <Don_RCB@the-leveys.us > wrote in message
news:m3mzc9ghqs.fsf@dauphin.the-leveys.us...
> Anyone who was in the northeast US yesterday undoubtedly knows that
> it was very hot - about 95 F in my backyard. Yes, that's hot, when
> the humidity is 80% or higher; I lived in Sacramento for a few years,
> and it really is different. Anyway, apart from keeping extra
...
> Don Levey $ cd /pub
> Framingham, MA $ more beer
95 in Massachusetts? I feel lucky; I'm staying cool in the deep south of
Mississippi where we've only hit 90 a few times this month.
Cheers!
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Date: 20 Jun 2006 14:27:29
From: John Bleichert
Subject: Re: Summertime brewing - Styles? Temp control?
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Dukester <dontbothermedukes909@withspam.yahoo.com > wrote:
> "Don Levey" <Don_RCB@the-leveys.us> wrote in message
> news:m3mzc9ghqs.fsf@dauphin.the-leveys.us...
>
>> Anyone who was in the northeast US yesterday undoubtedly knows that
>> it was very hot - about 95 F in my backyard. Yes, that's hot, when
>> the humidity is 80% or higher; I lived in Sacramento for a few years,
>> and it really is different. Anyway, apart from keeping extra
> ...
>> Don Levey $ cd /pub
>> Framingham, MA $ more beer
>
> 95 in Massachusetts? I feel lucky; I'm staying cool in the deep south of
> Mississippi where we've only hit 90 a few times this month.
>
> Cheers!
>
>
Yeah it was scorching in NY this weekend too. As a result, I had my
first outdoor brewing session. There was *no* way I was boiling wort
in my house...
http://home.earthlink.net/~syborg/rye_pale_wort.jpg
Woohoo new outdoor activity!!
-----------------------------------------------
John Bleichert syborg@earthlink.net
The heat from below can burn your eyes out!!
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Date: 20 Jun 2006 12:04:58
From: Richard Kaszeta
Subject: Re: Summertime brewing - Styles? Temp control?
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"Dukester" <dontbothermedukes909@withspam.yahoo.com > writes:
> 95 in Massachusetts? I feel lucky; I'm staying cool in the deep south of
> Mississippi where we've only hit 90 a few times this month.
I hit 96 in rural NH, which wasn't fun, but since I spent several
summer in TN in college, wasn't that bad either.
As far as brewing goes, I've got a basement that's blasted out of the
solid granite of the hill. In the dead of winter my basement will get
as cool as 58-60F, while in them summer, it never gets warmer than
65F. So fermenting in the basement is a pretty workable arrangment,
although I occasionally have to dig out the brew belt for some primaries.
--
Richard W Kaszeta
rich@kaszeta.org
http://www.kaszeta.org/rich
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