Beer Forum

I brewed an IPA on Sunday, let the wort cool to 60f before pitching (safale 05) on Monday. I sniffed the airlock lastnight and noticed the temp was 62f. When I sniffed it afterwork today, it was up to 70f. I know know vigerous fermentation generates some heat, but 8f? Ambient temp in the house is usually around 60.

My question is, do I put a heating pad with a temp controller on it to keep it at 70? or should I ramp it up to 72-74 to let it finish? After listen to the Pope and Palmer, I know temp controll is crutial, but I do not have a fermentation chamber at this point. Its currently in a spare shower with a sweatshirt over it. Ive brewed too many under attenuted beers in the past and I want this one to come out stellar. I'm done kidding myself that shitty homebrew is good. Any thoughts or ideas would be apreciated.
Cheers Bitches!
Mike in NH

fluffhead wrote: I sniffed the airlock lastnight and noticed the temp was 62f. When I sniffed it afterwork today, it was up to 70f.

That's an incredibly temperature sensitive nose you've got there!

spiderwrangler wrote:

fluffhead wrote: I sniffed the airlock lastnight and noticed the temp was 62f. When I sniffed it afterwork today, it was up to 70f.

That's an incredibly temperature sensitive nose you've got there!

Ahh Shit..hahaha. The temp strip on the carboy. My weiner is way more sensitive to temp than my nose is. This time of year I sport the peach pit and the acorn. Thats a good temp guage

To attempt to cool it down you could try the wet shirt evaporation cooling method, this could knock down your temp a few degree. You could also try to keep whatever temp it has been at stable, it seems like most everything the Pope and others have said, is to keep your temperature from fluctuating. With the beer being an IPA you might have enough strong hop flavor to cover some of the off flavors from your yeast fermenting at higher temperature.

I wouldn't worry too much at this point. US-O5 is quite a forgiving yeast and even if your temperature drops it will still continue pumping away. If it were me, I would probably move the fermenter to a slightly warmer spot (not 60F ambient) once you notice the fermentation temp on the strip start to cool, b/c as that fermentation subsides a bit, the temps will naturally drop and you will want to try to keep them as steady as you can now. Your beer will turn out great, have no worries...