Fermentation in Basement - Ambient temps from 60-68F -

[Jcoz02]

Just getting started brewing, and have yet to brew my first batch - should be next week!

In researching, one thing I want to take very seriously (besides sanitation) is precise fermentation control.

I want to control temps within 1 degree F. But it is difficult to get a head start on that without understanding the heat produced by fermentation. Is there a resource on the heat produced via fermentation? Obviously the strain of yeast, type of fermentation vessel, and size of the fermentation vessel would all be possible variables......

I was also looking for some helpful tips for fermentation temps If my ambient temps in the winter are specifically between 60-64 F.

I plan on getting a classic style fridge and a 2-stage Ranco along with a heating element, so I can theoretically control temps to ferment anything from a lager to say, a saison.

In the meantime however, what fermentation temps do you think I could feasibly control within 1 degree with just the ranco and a heating element?

If I use buckets, how does that effect the type of heating element I can use vs having a carboy, if at all?

I ask because at the moment that will guide me to the types of beer I will attempt to brew in the near term. Otherwise its going to be very difficult IMO to tweak a recipe without consistent fermentation temps.....I'd rather not chase my tail like that.

Thanks in advance, Jcoz.

[siwelwerd]

Just getting started brewing, and have yet to brew my first batch - should be next week!

[...]

I ask because at the moment that will guide me to the types of beer I will attempt to brew in the near term. Otherwise its going to be very difficult IMO to tweak a recipe without consistent fermentation temps.....I'd rather not chase my tail like that.

If your basement is at 64, brew any ale you feel like. If it's closer to 60, you may want to be a little choosier with your yeast, but can still do a fair number of ales (and potentially some hybrids). IMO, there are so many variables going on when you start brewing that the nuances of being that precise with your fermentation temperature are likely to be lost on you, so I wouldn't obsess over it just yet . RDWHAHB

[cornhole]

Just getting started brewing, and have yet to brew my first batch - should be next week!
...
Thanks in advance, Jcoz.

My answer is... it depends. I like to build my own equipment and controls, "I'm a pretty techie guy". Are you more likely to buy a solution or build one?
My temp control is a modified home digital thermostat to switch on an off an electrical outlet box. See wortomatic.com for the design. I have a workshop that remains cold during the winter months, so i put my fermenter in a large water bath that is thermostatically heated by aquarium heaters and water is constantly circulated by some small submersible aquarium pumps. There are soooooooo many ways to skin YOUR cat. Your best friend (IMO) is searching and reading this forum and the homebrew talk forums. The BN forum is much more friendly (IMO) and the other forum seems to me to be full of "tubby know-it-alls" who will tell you "do-it this way" or why are spending so much to do what you want to do". I go to the HBT forum for ideas to complete my own projects. My $0.02 -CH

EDIT: +1 on previous reply. Relax on the thought of having precision out of the chutes. Make some beer, developing techniques and practices happen over several if not hundreds of batches. It's a hobby!!!

[Jcoz02]

Just getting started brewing, and have yet to brew my first batch - should be next week!

[...]

I ask because at the moment that will guide me to the types of beer I will attempt to brew in the near term. Otherwise its going to be very difficult IMO to tweak a recipe without consistent fermentation temps.....I'd rather not chase my tail like that.

If your basement is at 64, brew any ale you feel like. If it's closer to 60, you may want to be a little choosier with your yeast, but can still do a fair number of ales (and potentially some hybrids). IMO, there are so many variables going on when you start brewing that the nuances of being that precise with your fermentation temperature are likely to be lost on you, so I wouldn't obsess over it just yet . RDWHAHB

But that's exactly why I ask, I'm trying to eliminate a variable......

In the winter it is going to be about 60ish.....I figured at those temps you could feasibly control a temp within 1 degree using only a ranco and heating element.

Say something that need to ferment at 68 or 70. Ambient temps should theoretically do the cooling without need for a fridge.

What I dont know is how much heat the fermentation will will give off on its own, at least for primary fermentation.

[Jcoz02]

Just getting started brewing, and have yet to brew my first batch - should be next week!
...
Thanks in advance, Jcoz.

My answer is... it depends. I like to build my own equipment and controls, "I'm a pretty techie guy". Are you more likely to buy a solution or build one?
My temp control is a modified home digital thermostat to switch on an off an electrical outlet box. See wortomatic.com for the design. I have a workshop that remains cold during the winter months, so i put my fermenter in a large water bath that is thermostatically heated by aquarium heaters and water is constantly circulated by some small submersible aquarium pumps. There are soooooooo many ways to skin YOUR cat. Your best friend (IMO) is searching and reading this forum and the homebrew talk forums. The BN forum is much more friendly (IMO) and the other forum seems to me to be full of "tubby know-it-alls" who will tell you "do-it this way" or why are spending so much to do what you want to do". I go to the HBT forum for ideas to complete my own projects. My $0.02 -CH

I'm more likely to do whatever solves the equation for the least amount of money.

But solving the problem is first, then value engineering.

I know I can find a hundred ways to heat or cool and control the temp, I think the thing I'm most lacking is a resource for yeast/ferment heat generation.

I mean, I guess at the time being I'm trying to nail down the range of temps I can precisely control fermentation at without a cooling element involved.

from there I can search and find the best way to heat and control that heat.

[Wutz]

But that's exactly why I ask, I'm trying to eliminate a variable......

In the winter it is going to be about 60ish.....I figured at those temps you could feasibly control a temp within 1 degree using only a ranco and heating element.

Say something that need to ferment at 68 or 70. Ambient temps should theoretically do the cooling without need for a fridge.

What I dont know is how much heat the fermentation will will give off on its own, at least for primary fermentation.

Well, I can always count on at least three degrees of temp difference between temps inside and outside my plastic fermentor. Oftentimes, I'll see a little more like five degrees and rarely up to seven degrees. Most often, though, about five degrees is pretty consistent.

I've been brewing beers around 1.050 at a volume of 5.5-ish gallons into a 6.5 gallon Ale Pail or 6 gallon Better Bottle making a two-liter starter.

That'll give you a data point to start from.

[Jcoz02]

But that's exactly why I ask, I'm trying to eliminate a variable......

In the winter it is going to be about 60ish.....I figured at those temps you could feasibly control a temp within 1 degree using only a ranco and heating element.

Say something that need to ferment at 68 or 70. Ambient temps should theoretically do the cooling without need for a fridge.

What I dont know is how much heat the fermentation will will give off on its own, at least for primary fermentation.

Well, I can always count on at least three degrees of temp difference between temps inside and outside my plastic fermentor. Oftentimes, I'll see a little more like five degrees and rarely up to seven degrees. Most often, though, about five degrees is pretty consistent.

I've been brewing beers around 1.050 at a volume of 5.5-ish gallons into a 6.5 gallon Ale Pail or 6 gallon Better Bottle making a two-liter starter.

That'll give you a data point to start from.

This kind of begs another question: Getting an accurate temp reading from outside a plastic bucket...how do you measure that? I see the strips used for glass carboys....

Is that just a general rule of thumb for temp reading difference or is it generally always warmer inside (indicating fermentation heat) no matter the ambient temp?

I don't know if that question made sense or not..

[siwelwerd]

But that's exactly why I ask, I'm trying to eliminate a variable......

Sorry if I wasn't clear; I was trying to say that there are a lot of other variables (such as pitching the proper amount of healthy yeast) going on that can have a much larger impact; it makes more sense to get those dialed in before dealing with the more nuanced ones. Hopefully you'll nail them all on your first brew; I just know that I sure didn't!

What I dont know is how much heat the fermentation will will give off on its own, at least for primary fermentation.

Like most things in brewing, the answer is "It depends". I have two beers going right now, pitched at the same time, and one is chugging along at ambient+3F, the other at ambient+6F. You're likely to see something like that at the beginning of fermentation, and then it will drop off as fermentation slows. If ambient is below 65, you should have no problem fermenting an ale below 70.

To answer your other question, you will want to either get a thermowell, or what I do is tape the probe from the Ranco on the side of the carboy, and use some bubble wrap or a small towel to insulate it from the ambient temp to be sure it is reading the temp of the carboy.

RDWHAHB; a lot of this are things particular to your equipment setup that you will learn by doing. I know it's tempting to try and predict everything ahead of time, but this is nigh impossible--do something, take good notes on it, and tweak it next time if the result is not quite what you wanted.