Beer Forum

So I have just started brewing in my new apartment with a new 1 gallon fermenter, mashing in my kettle, and storing my stuff in my closet. Space is an issue (no way can I get a fridge with the space I have). So I have been checking my temp of my fermenting porter and the ambient temp of my closet every day for the last week, and it has stayed consistent at 74 degrees. when I first racked it my carboy I kept a damp towel around it, to try and keep the temp down. It was successful for a couple of degrees but it wasn't getting it down that low.

So my question is, am I screwing myself with a 74 degree fermentation temp? Am I really limiting my styles that I can make? Besides putting the carboy in a bowl of cool water with a towel around it to wick up the water, is there another way to lower my temp? Am I okay to let it rise to 74 if I am able to keep it down in the 60's for the first couple of days of fermentation?

I know I need to get my temp under control, because I want to enter competitions at some point. At least the great thing with having a small space and 1 gallon carboys is I am brewing much more often now. Going to get another one so I can brew every week and rotate : )

I guess that is it. Thanks in advance and if you have any other thoughts or questions please let me know.

If I read correctly your are fementing in a 1 gallon jug. That should not be too hard to control via swamp coolor/ice cubes, wet t-shirt etc. Just get one of those discarded plastic cat litter containers which should fit.
If you are entering comps, lowering your temps to proper rates can make a huge difference.
As they say, anyone can make wort, it is all about fermenation.
Good luck.
Fritz

72-74F isn't an ideal starting temp for the majority yeast strains but it doesnt mean its ruined.

Not having some form of temperature control does limit your results and what styles you are able to brew.

It's certainly better when you can start an ale around 66-68F for atleast the first few days.

With a one gallon glass fermenter you should be easily able to make a small cold water bath
for it to keep the temp low, you can always freeze some empty plastic bottles and swap them out
as needed. The wet tshirt is certainly helpful for wicking and I know some folks will also use
a small fan to help with cooling.

Brewing in close quarters certainly isnt easy but dont let it deter you from brewing!

Thanks for the tips. I definitely had been thinking about getting some kind of bucket/box/pot to cool it down in. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't getting more stuff than I need to. Definitely not deterred. Made a Grapefruit Honey Ale on this system and it came out really nice. Can't wait to taste the porter. Got a couple weeks though.

In the meantime I will get some kind of container to make a bath for the jug. Now when I am taking the temp, the temp of the "bath" water should be equal to the target temp for the wort, correct? That way I know that at least the wort is cooling down to get in equilibrium, right?

Pardon my physics ignorance. Its been a while. LOL

Yo Sustainabrew, holy smokes, an all Brooklyn thread
Sounds like you bought one of the kits from Brookyn Brew Shop at the Flea.
Bring in a few bottles to a Guild meeting when done, would love to check it out.

Regarding temps, it will be well be worth spending $ 3.00 to get a fermometer (one of those stick on thermometers) and place it on the fermenting vessels. The heat inside the jug will always be about 3-6 degrees warmer than the ambient/room temps. This way you can moniter your fermentations temps more acurately. So to answer your question the bath water should be cooler, but you still need to moniter via the strip on your jug. Normally once in the morning and once at night. Either add ice or warm water accordingly to the water bath.
Cheers.
Fritz

BROOKLYN!!!

Thanks for the info Fritz. Was actually going to pick up some supplies at Brooklyn Homebrew in Sunset park soon, so I will make sure I get the fermometers.

Will definitely bring my last bottle to the meeting (next wed, right?). Could use any suggestions I can get. Also will bring my porter when it is done. Should be ready for the Dec. meeting.

See ya soon.

well, ya know there are a lot of factors besides temperature. If 74 is your fermentation temp and you are brewing in a one gallon jug... and lets assume you are brewing normal strength beer. If you pitch a whole vial or smack pack of something super clean like the California Ale Yeast you aren't going to get as much cell growth which will limit the phenolic compounds and also the Cali Ale stays clean tasting at highter temperatures than say a British or London yeast.

My opinion is brew with what you have and taste it. Are you actually getting funny tasting beer? Unless you are dedicates to a particular style like a super clean American pale ale, just use the right yeast and make a beer that is appropriate for the flavors the yeast give off at your fermentation temperatures.

For example. At a fermentation temperature of 74F and using 001 you could make a killer Nut-Brown ale. The slight fruityness of the higher temp would actually taste very good. You could even try the London ale in a Nut-Brown at that temperature. Porters, stouts... anything brown or darker be a good bet.

There are two valid solutions here. Either force the temperature to be where you want it or chose your beer style and yeast selection to fit the temperature your fermentation is naturally at.

AND, as others have noted. If you do cool the jug, you only need to keep it 68 or below for the first two or three days. After that let it ramp up to ambient and you'll be fine.

No fear.... just make beer!

Don't forget that the ambient temp tends to be LOWER than the fermentation temp, because fermentation is exothermic (ie, it produces heat). In a typical 5 gallon carboy at high krausen, the temp can be up to about 8 degrees higher than the room. The greater the surface area to volume ratio gets, the more heat stays trapped inside because it can't radiate out. Your 1 gallon jug should be better than the bigger vessels in this regard, but it will be more apt to swing with changes in ambient temp, because the lower volume requires less heat to move the temp.

The big ester differences have been mentioned, but the thing that hasn't been mentioned is that fusel alcohol production increases with higher temps. Fusels lend a harsher, solventy alcohol flavor/aroma and this beccomes more pronounced especially in higher gravity beers.

The water bath solution is simple and effective. A t-shirt draped over a carboy with the bottom in the water does wonders. Maybe you can arrange a similar setup with a kid's t-shirt over the 1 gallon jug?