My curiosity is getting the better of me, and I kinda want to dabble in beer brewing. But, it seems a lot of beer yeasts need cooler temperatures than some of the yeasts used for mead making. My fermentation area is around mid to high 70s. Are there *any* easy beer recipes I can attempt, or are beers going to be off limits?
Warm brewing?
- Thread starter Echostatic
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There are many ale recipes that will work just fine in the mid 70s.
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It's gonna be pretty tough for you to create beer to style in temperatures like that, since during fermentation the yeast also normally add a few degrees to the ambient temp. SOME styles, such as a hefeweizen, can benefit from a little heat, but even with that there is a definite limit.
More info here: http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-1-3.html
Good luck!
More info here: http://www.howtobrew.com/section1/chapter8-1-3.html
Good luck!
Thanks fellas, I reckon a small batch couldn't hurt to see what happens. I knew ales fermented warmer than others, but didn't know if I was too warm.
Talk to someone at your FNHS. Chances are, you're far from being alone in this situation. Different strains of yeast have difference temperature tolerance levels -- ale yeasts, for instance, are 'warmer' yeasts while lager yeasts are decidedly cold yeasts. A knowledgeable FNHS rep should be able to point you in the right direction.
If the temperature of your brewing/fermenting space is fairly warm there are several tricks you can employ to lower the temperature of your fermenter. The How To Brew page snuesen links to has one idea. Another one is to set the fermenter in a bucket/tub wider than the fermenter. Fill the tub with cool water. Then put a t-shirt over the fermenter (as if the fermenter was wearing the t-shirt), making sure that the bottom of the shirt is submerged in the water. The water will wick up the shirt, keeping the entire fermenter cool.
(The only problem with this method is changing out the water when it reaches room temperature.)
If the temperature of your brewing/fermenting space is fairly warm there are several tricks you can employ to lower the temperature of your fermenter. The How To Brew page snuesen links to has one idea. Another one is to set the fermenter in a bucket/tub wider than the fermenter. Fill the tub with cool water. Then put a t-shirt over the fermenter (as if the fermenter was wearing the t-shirt), making sure that the bottom of the shirt is submerged in the water. The water will wick up the shirt, keeping the entire fermenter cool.
(The only problem with this method is changing out the water when it reaches room temperature.)
I can't figure out for the life of me what "FNHS" stands for, but I'm gonna assume it's something along the lines of "local brewing company". Which is a good idea, as I suppose the locals have to deal with this too.
Supposing I could find something to put a fermenter in, frozen water bottles could probably be swapped out to keep things cool without having to change the water.
Supposing I could find something to put a fermenter in, frozen water bottles could probably be swapped out to keep things cool without having to change the water.
FNHS = Friendly Neighborhood Homebrew Store
That sounds reasonable to me. I suggest smaller Gatorade bottles. They're bigger than standard water bottles and stay frozen longer. (They're my standard go-to bottles for use in coolers in the summer.
The 70s are a perfectly fine place to be when doing many kinds of ale. You will get a more estery profile for most yeast strains than a fermentation done in the 60s, but if you plan for it then you can make great beer. A "proper" saison actually "requires" you to finish the fermentation in the 80s. And saisons are great beers, so you could look into those.
If you wanted to start basic, I would suggest getting a neutral ale strain like an American or Californian ale. They should be a little less fruity than the British strains when you're up in the higher temperatures.
Also, if you get the wort down into the 60s before you pitch the yeast, then let it warm up naturally, you should reduce the ester production somewhat.
If you wanted to start basic, I would suggest getting a neutral ale strain like an American or Californian ale. They should be a little less fruity than the British strains when you're up in the higher temperatures.
Also, if you get the wort down into the 60s before you pitch the yeast, then let it warm up naturally, you should reduce the ester production somewhat.
I've had pretty good luck using Wyeast 1056 in the mid 70s.
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If you have a place that stays mid to high 70s you're in great shape for moving to beer.
Per Akueck: Saisons like it warm. The last one I brewed one went in to the low nineties. the Wyeast strain was considered tolerant to 95. It has aged out, after 7 months, to be fantastic. It was good young, but a bit sweet.
As a beer maker first, a mead maker second (yea, I know...) I would suggest a simple pale ale first, though.
As was mentioned, fermenter in a tub (like the colorful toy tubs you can get at target or walmart). Then fill with water to several inches below the beer wort surface. Add frozen water bottles and swap out as you suggested. Primitive temp. control that works well in my garage in the central valley of CA, where it is already in the 90's. I am currently doing this with a pale ale.
With a ferment area that only gets to mid 70's you won't have any trouble maintaining a good temp. for beer.
Nothing like a homebrew!
Per Akueck: Saisons like it warm. The last one I brewed one went in to the low nineties. the Wyeast strain was considered tolerant to 95. It has aged out, after 7 months, to be fantastic. It was good young, but a bit sweet.
As a beer maker first, a mead maker second (yea, I know...) I would suggest a simple pale ale first, though.
As was mentioned, fermenter in a tub (like the colorful toy tubs you can get at target or walmart). Then fill with water to several inches below the beer wort surface. Add frozen water bottles and swap out as you suggested. Primitive temp. control that works well in my garage in the central valley of CA, where it is already in the 90's. I am currently doing this with a pale ale.
With a ferment area that only gets to mid 70's you won't have any trouble maintaining a good temp. for beer.
Nothing like a homebrew!
Well, maybe it won't be so impossible then. The "FNHS" is open until 6pm tomorrow, so maybe I can make it up there after work and ask some questions. If not, there's always saturday.
I've brewed a fair amount of beer over the years and never worried too much about temperature. I live in the midwest and usually ferment in my basement, which can get up into the 70's in the summer, easy.
One addition to the t-shirt in water trick is to put a fan on the beer. The t-shirt (or a towel) wicks up the water from the tub and the fan helps it to evaporate. The evaporating water uses heat, which lowers the temp of the carboy. This way you don't have to chill the water in your tub.
Personally, I like to start my fermentation at warmer temps (around 70-80) because this allows the yeast a nice head-start over anything else in the carboy. However, I do start it in the basement, so my temp probably drops within a few hours.
Go for a nice pale-ale and relax, don't worry... (you know the rest).
One addition to the t-shirt in water trick is to put a fan on the beer. The t-shirt (or a towel) wicks up the water from the tub and the fan helps it to evaporate. The evaporating water uses heat, which lowers the temp of the carboy. This way you don't have to chill the water in your tub.
Personally, I like to start my fermentation at warmer temps (around 70-80) because this allows the yeast a nice head-start over anything else in the carboy. However, I do start it in the basement, so my temp probably drops within a few hours.
Go for a nice pale-ale and relax, don't worry... (you know the rest).
I got malt extract, hops and yeast to make an american pale ale. My local brew shop may not know a lot about wine and mead but they seem to know a whole lot about beer. I should be good to go, I just got finished bottling my raspberry mead to make room for this project. With any luck, I can start tomorrow.
And as an added bonus, I took a friend with me, and he ended up buying equipment and ingredients to make a stout. Looks like I finally got a brewing buddy!
And as an added bonus, I took a friend with me, and he ended up buying equipment and ingredients to make a stout. Looks like I finally got a brewing buddy!
I was able to start this today. Hopefully I didn't screw up too badly... First I made the mistake of boiling 1.5 gallons of water (as much as I could) and adding the extract and hops to that, THEN boiling the remaining 3.5 gallons, so it sat for a bit. I at least cooled it quickly. However, I wasn't really sure how to seperate the hops from the wort. The pellets kinda disintegrated... With no better ideas, I just dumped it all into a 6 gallon carboy and now hope they won't have a strong negative impact on the beer. After a couple weeks, hopefully it will all be settled into the bottom of the carboy and I can rack it off the gunk and into a 5 gallon carboy for secondary.
If you let the cooled wort sit in your kettle for a few hours, the hop solids will settle out. Then you can carefully pour and leave most of them behind.
Or, you can "whirlpool". Stir the wort in your favorite direction, and the solids will all collect in a cone at the center (after a few hours, again). Then siphon from the kettle at one of the sides and you avoid the gunk stuck in the center of the kettle.
Or, you can give it a rough filter. Pouring through a strainer will keep a good amount of junk behind and also aerate the wort.
Leaving the hop solids in your wort isn't ideal, but unless you plan on leaving them in there for months it shouldn't hurt you.
Or, you can "whirlpool". Stir the wort in your favorite direction, and the solids will all collect in a cone at the center (after a few hours, again). Then siphon from the kettle at one of the sides and you avoid the gunk stuck in the center of the kettle.
Or, you can give it a rough filter. Pouring through a strainer will keep a good amount of junk behind and also aerate the wort.
Leaving the hop solids in your wort isn't ideal, but unless you plan on leaving them in there for months it shouldn't hurt you.
Thanks a lot for the advice and recipes given here)
They are literally the best
Hope to find a lot more helpful info in the board.
They are literally the best
Hope to find a lot more helpful info in the board.
Hey
Another thing you can do during your boil is add some Irish Moss about 5-10 minutes before the end. It helps clear the beer and makes all the undesirables and hops settle to the bottom of the kettle. But I have made several batches with hops left in with fermentation and there are really no ill effects. They'll settle to the bottom of your fermenter with the rest of the trub. If you do use Irish Moss you don't need much.
Another thing you can do during your boil is add some Irish Moss about 5-10 minutes before the end. It helps clear the beer and makes all the undesirables and hops settle to the bottom of the kettle. But I have made several batches with hops left in with fermentation and there are really no ill effects. They'll settle to the bottom of your fermenter with the rest of the trub. If you do use Irish Moss you don't need much.
One more thing
Before I got my current set up for brewing. I had a smallish kettle as well. One thing you can do which is what I did is boil your extract in as much water as you can then use bottled (gallons) of spring water that you let get cold in the fridge to the wort. (no worries about boiling bottled water) This will of course get you to the right OG and also drop the temperature fast. I did this several times and it worked out well.
Before I got my current set up for brewing. I had a smallish kettle as well. One thing you can do which is what I did is boil your extract in as much water as you can then use bottled (gallons) of spring water that you let get cold in the fridge to the wort. (no worries about boiling bottled water) This will of course get you to the right OG and also drop the temperature fast. I did this several times and it worked out well.
