Free up space in fermenting chamber after 72 hours?

[opalko]

Read on another forum post that the first 72 hours of fermentation are the ones where the temperature is the most critical. Am I correct in my understanding of this in that it sounds like I don't have to tie up the space in the chest freezer I use as a fermenting chamber (at 17-18C) after the first 72 hours or so of a brew whereupon I can move it out of the freezer and to a corner of the room that is probably 24-25C or so for the next several days until the FG is reached? I primarily use US-05 and Windsor and stick to simple pale ales, IPA, and stouts.

Am I off base on this? I tried to do a little more digging but getting stuck finding confirmation.

Cheers!

[Jim]

Actually, I have a feeling that would work. The yeast quite likes a slight increase in temperature while it's cleaning up in the latter stages of fermentation. 17C up to 25C in one go might be a bit much though - anyone else got any thoughts on this?

[ciderhead]

On the basis that it’s 6-12 to get going I’d be nervous about a 72 hour ferment and then into 25.
Irish Ale goes like a bugger and would be nearly done at that time and there are a couple of others. 05 is an amazingly tolerant yeast but personally I still wouldn’t risk a bump until 5-7 days min.
Yeast like in bread tastes and works best at its own pace not ours.
You’ll know if you’ve “cooked it” from fusel alcohols which will taste solventy.
Always always worth a try it but know what to look out for.

[Kingfisher4]

My experience as a novice in the last eight months, with lots and lots of useful help from members of this forum is that whilst your suggestion sounds logical and may work, temperature consistency for the yeast seems paramount.

I have now completed 12 all grain batches and have experienced lots and lots of problems with fluctuating temperatures, as you can imagine from single degrees overnight in January up to over 30° in our utility room recently. An insulating jacket and ice bottles or hot water bottles around the fastFerment has helped enormously, but I suspect you risk unpredictable fermentation. In particular, you may get off flavours from the metabolites or stalled fermentation, which may then make your conditioning difficult.

Surprise surprise I’ve also had issues with conditioning in the garage at high temperatures as well recently!

Really, I would like to set up a brew fridge for the fermentation, when space allows; I will stick with bottles rather than kegs for the foreseeable future, but may also need a conditioning fridge ultimately!

Perhaps try it and see, but be prepared to let the yeast work at its own pace and have slightly fewer, but better quality batches maybe if results suffer!

[opalko]

Sounds like I should probably just wait until the space is freed up when the current batches are done fermenting and not rush it!
Cheers

[Kingfisher4]

Sounds like I should probably just wait until the space is freed up when the current batches are done fermenting and not rush it!
Cheers

It is particularly difficult with the first two or three batches when you’re desperate to start drinking them! They will probably be a lot better with consistent fermentation temperatures though.

[vacant]

Seeing this timely post has prompted me to give it a go as by brew fridge died a couple of months back and yesterday I started fermenting a brew in my kegorator ..... poor warm cornys, I'm drinking a room-temperature beer as I type

So, fridge is set to 18C. In a couple of days I'll get the FV out and hope room temp is around 20-22C.

I'm thinking about options - I could source another fridge but a brew fridge is used once a month and takes up space. I'm thinking I could keg and additionally bottle a few litres then cool bottles in the kitchen fridge while the kegorator was on fermenting duty.

[PhilB]

Hi opalko/vacant

I believe what you are basically looking to do is use the "Brulosophy fast-ferment" approach that he advises for lagers, but up at ale temps with ale yeast ... have a look there (link) for details, where he recognises that this isn't really "his" approach but based on some recognised, well founded studies ... as you'll see in the sub-section headed Primary Fermentation though, the recommendation isn't suggesting you raise fermentation temps "after 72 hours" so much as "once fermentation is more than 50% attenuated", which may be longer or shorter than 72 hours, dependant on yeast type, pitch rate and OG ... I'd suggest that would be the better way of deciding when to move FV/raise temps.

Cheers, PhilB

[opalko]

Cheers PhilB! Any idea what would be the best way to determine that attenuation is 50% complete? Krausen falling off?

[vacant]

have a look there (link) for details, where he recognises that this isn't really "his" approach but based on some recognised, well founded studies ... as you'll see in the sub-section headed Primary Fermentation though, the recommendation isn't suggesting you raise fermentation temps "after 72 hours" so much as "once fermentation is more than 50% attenuated", which may be longer or shorter than 72 hours, dependant on yeast type, pitch rate and OG ... I'd suggest that would be the better way of deciding when to move FV/raise temps.

Coincidentally, I was reading fermentation methods this morning. I'll certainly be checking the gravity before removal as well as making sure the vigorous stage has finished.

[PhilB]

Hi opalko

Any idea what would be the best way to determine that attenuation is 50% complete?

... erm, that would be to measure the gravity, 50% (or more) attenuation is when it's half of OG (or less) ... krausen may be an indicator that fermentation has started, but with strains like US05 it's no indicator of progress, that stuff never seems to drop if you're waiting for it to

Cheers, PhilB

[opalko]

I have to figure out a better way to take multiple gravity readings then as I only brew small batches and several readings will eat into that.
Thanks

[quote=PhilB post_id=836272 time=1534801659 user_id=11764]
Hi opalko
[quote=opalko post_id=836250 time=1534785230 user_id=18648]Any idea what would be the best way to determine that attenuation is 50% complete?[/quote] ... erm, that would be to measure the gravity, 50% (or more) attenuation is when it's half of OG (or less) ... krausen may be an indicator that fermentation has started, but with strains like US05 it's no indicator of progress, that stuff never seems to drop if you're waiting for it to

Cheers, PhilB
[/quote]

[chefgage]

I have to figure out a better way to take multiple gravity readings then as I only brew small batches and several readings will eat into that.
Thanks

Maybe buy a tilt hydrometer then? An expensive buy but that will stop you losing an amount of wort every time you want to take a reading.

[opalko]

Did not know there was such a thing..cheers!

[Robwalkeragain]

I would be really surprised if us-05 and Windsor in a fairly low strength pale weren't well on the way to completing by day 3. What you're reading about is ester production - most of that happens early on, so raising the temperature even to the late 20s is unlikely to cause much obstruction to the ester profile after the first few days. Us-05 can ferment up to 28c comfortably without producing noticeable fusels, can't speak for Windsor specifically but generally English ale yeasts are solid up to Mid 20s.