[Hokerer]

ferm temps is essential

If you learn nothing else from this, you're still coming out ahead.

[jamminbrew]

While I agree that ferm temps are important, being a little on the high side shouldn't be a problem... I recently toured the Great Divide brewery, and was quite surprised to learn that they ferment ALL of their ales between 72-75*. And they make some of my absolute faves...

[majorvices]

Agree they make some fine beers. But, I'm not sure what yeast strain they use - could it be a house strain? Also not aware of their practice - I betcha they pitch rather cool, in the 60's for instance. Having homebrewed for over 15 years (and now professionally for almost 1 year) all I can say is that for the most part under 70 is crucial for most ale strains, though not all. It is a good guideline to follow. But let your own experimentation guide you. Some strains can be fine if they sneak up over 68-70 (if not ideal). Some may not be as fine as one would hope.

[tschmidlin]

There is a lot more to it than temp.  Their yeast may be good at those temps, but it could be other factors too.  For homebrewers, keeping it cool is a lot more important due to the size and shape of our fermenters.  The pressure in larger fermenters suppresses the formation of esters and higher alcohols, so unless you are fermenting under pressure, keep it cool.

[punatic]

Before I got my Jeffrey Dahmer Special (a 24 cu.ft chest freezer)  I fermented lagers in a "squatty body" Gott water keg.  I could fit a 5 gallon glass carboy in there, and there was room in the annular space between the carboy and the water keg walls to put blue ice blocks in there.  I had two shifts for the blue ice blocks.  One shift would be installed in the morning before I left for work, while the other shift was in the freezer.  Then when I got home in the evening I'd trade out the warm ones in the cooler for the frozen ones in the freezer.  I used no water.  Just blue ice.  I kept a sticky LCD thermometer on the side of the glass carboy.  The beer in the carboy stayed in the 48 - 52 degree F range all of the time.  This was in Florida, in the summer, in an un-air condtioned room.

To lager my beers back then I took the vegetable drawers out of the bottom of my refrigerator and put cases of homebrewed lager down there to lager.

It wasn't real fancy or sofisticated, but  I gotta say I brewed many batches of some damn fine Munich Helles that way.

When you've got the brewing bug you figure out ways to get'er done.

[euge]

I bought a freezer just to make ice for my homebrewing. It's all about being resourceful and imaginative.

[Will's Swill]

There is a lot more to it than temp.  Their yeast may be good at those temps, but it could be other factors too.  For homebrewers, keeping it cool is a lot more important due to the size and shape of our fermenters.  The pressure in larger fermenters suppresses the formation of esters and higher alcohols, so unless you are fermenting under pressure, keep it cool.

Are you talking about pressure due to the depth of the fermenter, or do breweries actually pressurize their fermenters?  Or maybe the fermenters are sealed and pressure builds from the fermentation?  I haven't intentionally fermented in a corny under pressure, but it might be an interesting experiment.

[tschmidlin]

Some of them might let the pressure build, but mostly it is because of the height of the fermenters.