6 replies to this topic

[BarelyBrews]

I have been trying to target sixty degrees start when i add the yeast , it gives me some room to go up as currently in my fermentor. Then i try to keep it down to sixty-six to no higher than sixty eight degrees. This is new for me, credit to denny or someone else more experienced .

[ncbeerbrewer]

For ales I have to say that it depends on the beer I am brewing and the yeast I am using. I have bought into the philosophy to chill 2-3 degrees below your intended fermentation temp and pitch the yeast then let it rise as fermentation starts then hold it there as it progresses. I have found that 68 degrees for US-05 gives a nice fermentation and I have used yeast like 1272 and fermented them down at 64 degrees. So overall my answer would be that it varies depending on beer style and yeast but I always chill 2-3 below my fermentation temp for pitch then let it warm up a few degrees.I voted 63-64 as a midpoint to what I do overall.

[3rd party JKor]

I start it at the fermentation temp, maybe a degree or two below.

[DaBearSox]

I can't remember what book I read but i remember seeing that if you pitch within 10 degrees of your fermentation temp you should be fine.

[ncbeerbrewer]

I can't remember what book I read but i remember seeing that if you pitch within 10 degrees of your fermentation temp you should be fine.

I have to comment though, how can that be good. I mean if I wanna ferment at 62 degrees I don't wanna pitch at 72 and continue to chill down. I would think 10 degrees below would be fine but why go that low as well. I think the 10 degrees above would really not be advised especially in lagers. $0.02.

[Big Nake]

I have also seen that your pitch temp should be at or below your target fermentation temp. For all of my beers (ales and lagers), I do my normal chill and then put the brewpot in the deep sink with ice and water (I use more ice for the lagers and get the temp into the high 40s, low 50s) and then pitch. For ales, I probably get the wort into the high 50s or low 60s and then I ferment in a swamp cooler where the temp stabilizes between 60 and 65, depending on season. I like my beers smooth and I like to keep esters to a minimum. I don't make beers where warm primary temps are called for (hefes, belgians, etc). When yeast swims in wort that is over the ideal range, off-flavors can form. I voted 60-62°.

[consumptionjunction]

I think, so long as you pitch into a wort that's warmer than your yeast slurry, you should be fine. From what I've heard from some of the yeast guys from (either from Wyeast or White Labs, can't remember which), you can warm pitch and slowly (1 degree per hour) bring it down to fermentation temperatures. During this phase, the yeast would appreciate the warmer temperatures for the sake of their aerobic phase. During this phase it will help them multiply and they are not yet releasing the flavor compounds most people worry about at high temperatures. Pitching into colder temperatures can shock the yeast, and lead to longer lag times.