[JT]

I don't know about the rest of you, but I keep my house at a cozy 69* right there in the middle if the ale ferment temp range. I just toss the bucket in the corner and let 'er rip!

Now if your doing a lager, you can place the fermenter on a hard floor like tile or concrete and that'll suck the warmth right out of the fermenter.

Granted that's not all that scientific or controlled, but you're in the beginning stages, you'll still make damn good beer using that loose method.

The problem is that yeast create heat while fermenting, especially during more active fermentation.  Your room temp may be 69, but your beer temp could from 75-80 degrees.

Huh, showed my newbie side there I guess. I understood it as the temp it was sitting in, not the temp inside the fermenter. Thanks for the pointer.

(Sheepishly sits back to be schooled some more.)

Yeah no worries at all man, we all did the same thing.  I actually thought the off flavors in my beer were coming from my water.  When switching water didn't work, I blamed extract and went all-grain.  It was some time before I learned about temp control.  Temp control is right up there with cleaning and sanitizing as far as importance and I think a lot of places don't point this out to beginners.  For your next batch, grab a stick-on "fermometer" and slap it on the outside of your bucket (put it on up higher than midpoint if you plan to submerge your bucket/carboy in water, but not above the beer line).  Really pay attention to the temp, especially for the first few days.  This is when the yeast is growing and chowing down on simple sugars.  Try to keep that temp no higher than 67, and many will tell you to go cooler.  Whichever temp you decide on, keep it there with no swings up or down.  After 3 days or so (depending on yeast strain, pitch rate and original gravity), it isn't as critical and warming it up a couple degrees can keep the yeast active to finish fermentation and even clean up some off flavors. 

[klickitat jim]

I have high tech for my main beers... but I also do some long secondary sour beers on fruit. I put those in my spare closet next to water heater. The idea being its the most stable temp in the house. But im thinking about redneck upgraring that. I'll build a little styrofoam box out of that sheeting available at building centers. Then put my long term fermenters in that with a small heat pad hooked to a cheap single stage controller. That would reduce the occasional low swings in the winter. On those, if it held it at 68 or above I'd be happy.

[JT]

I have high tech for my main beers... but I also do some long secondary sour beers on fruit. I put those in my spare closet next to water heater. The idea being its the most stable temp in the house. But im thinking about redneck upgraring that. I'll build a little styrofoam box out of that sheeting available at building centers. Then put my long term fermenters in that with a small heat pad hooked to a cheap single stage controller. That would reduce the occasional low swings in the winter. On those, if it held it at 68 or above I'd be happy.

Redneck engineering is great.  I built a steam exhaust canopy out of that same foam board.  One side was covered in foil sheeting already, so that was the inside.  Total cost was around 50 bucks instead of over $1000 for a stainless hood of the the same size. 

[mbalbritton]

Thanks for the thread Dtown Joe Brown! And thanks for the tips guys. If my beer tastes good now, can't wait to see what it tastes like after better temp control!

[mbalbritton]

Fermenting another batch. Did a stout with a 1.07 OG. It's been really active for 3 days. I've monitored the temp and I guess I have a pretty sweet spot in my house. No kind of temp control for my fermenter, just tossed it in the corner and it's been sitting at 67-69* constantly..


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