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82-84 degrees during primary fermentation - how big a problem is that?
I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6
gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6 hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock. My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees. I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower, and has better cooling than the kitchen. How frantic should I be about 82-84 degrees? Are there any suggestions for keeping it cooler? Another newbie question .. when it comes to for racking into a 6-gallon carboy, I am going to have to move it from where it is now. Since that will stir up a little sediment, should I wait, say, overnight to let that settle back? |
>How frantic should I be about 82-84 degrees? Are there any suggestions >for keeping it cooler? on a white this is bad.... you got to do white cool 65-68 degrees, if not you will lose al lthe flavor. On a single batch, you should get it into a tub and get some ice around it and water and try get it cooled down. People in my wine club turn unsed freezers (chest) plugged into a temperature control switch into a fermentor for whites. I have used old refrigerators, especially old old with lots of room. I can some time get three to four carbuys in them. They don't run often since the mass of the wine hold the temperature for awhile plus I kee[p mine at 68 degrees. Rule on whites....you got to ferment cool!!! on the other hand 82-84 would be great for a red wine |
I am doing a BrewKing Symphony kit (white). I fermented it at 82 degrees,
that was as cool as I could get it. I talked to the expert at BrewKing before making it and he told me that the wine would actually have more flavor and advised me to go ahead at 82 degrees. The wine is not finished yet, but I have to believe the guy at BrewKing is probably right. I would check with the manufacture on each individual kit. > on a white this is bad.... > you got to do white cool 65-68 degrees, if not you will > lose al lthe flavor. |
"Kevin" > wrote in message ... > I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6 > gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast > supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6 > hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock. > > My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which > goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating > thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees. > > I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room > hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower, > and has better cooling than the kitchen. Too late for this batch. Next time you'll be more proactive with the temperature control. Try to keep whites below 70ºF. 60ºF is even better. Tom S |
Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch?
It was around 82 degrees for maybe the first 36 hours before I took the previous poster's suggestion to ice down. Changing out ice packs every 12 hours, I seem to be able to keep it around 68-70. Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling. That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10 days. "Tom S" > wrote: > >"Kevin" > wrote in message .. . >> I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6 >> gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast >> supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6 >> hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock. >> >> My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which >> goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating >> thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees. >> >> I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room >> hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower, >> and has better cooling than the kitchen. > >Too late for this batch. Next time you'll be more proactive with the >temperature control. Try to keep whites below 70ºF. 60ºF is even better. > >Tom S > |
Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch?
It was around 82 degrees for maybe the first 36 hours before I took the previous poster's suggestion to ice down. Changing out ice packs every 12 hours, I seem to be able to keep it around 68-70. Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling. That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10 days. "Tom S" > wrote: > >"Kevin" > wrote in message .. . >> I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6 >> gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast >> supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6 >> hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock. >> >> My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which >> goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating >> thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees. >> >> I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room >> hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower, >> and has better cooling than the kitchen. > >Too late for this batch. Next time you'll be more proactive with the >temperature control. Try to keep whites below 70ºF. 60ºF is even better. > >Tom S > |
Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch?
It was around 82 degrees for maybe the first 36 hours before I took the previous poster's suggestion to ice down. Changing out ice packs every 12 hours, I seem to be able to keep it around 68-70. Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling. That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10 days. "Tom S" > wrote: > >"Kevin" > wrote in message .. . >> I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6 >> gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast >> supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6 >> hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock. >> >> My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which >> goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating >> thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees. >> >> I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room >> hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower, >> and has better cooling than the kitchen. > >Too late for this batch. Next time you'll be more proactive with the >temperature control. Try to keep whites below 70ºF. 60ºF is even better. > >Tom S > |
I always ferment my beer and wine at what ever temperature my house is. In
the summer it is about 82 degrees. I have not made the kit you are making yet, but if I were to make it in the summer it would get fermented at 82 degrees. All of my wine and beer turns out great. I would finish it at the lower temp and it should be just fine. "Kevin" > wrote in message ... > Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch? > > It was around 82 degrees for maybe the first 36 hours before I took > the previous poster's suggestion to ice down. Changing out ice packs > every 12 hours, I seem to be able to keep it around 68-70. > > Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation > bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling. > That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid > bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10 > days. > > "Tom S" > wrote: > > > > >"Kevin" > wrote in message > .. . > >> I'm a newcomer to this hobby, and I just started my first batch .. 6 > >> gallons using a Vino del Vida Chardonnay kit. Using the dry yeast > >> supplied with the kit, it appears that fermentation started in just 6 > >> hours or so based on the bubbles coming through the airlock. > >> > >> My concern is temperature. The stick-on digital thermometer (which > >> goes to 80) wasn't reading anything, so I went and bought a floating > >> thermometer. To my surprise, it reads 82-83 degrees. > >> > >> I've relocated the fermenter from the kitchen to the great room > >> hearth, which I believe should be a little cooler because it is lower, > >> and has better cooling than the kitchen. > > > >Too late for this batch. Next time you'll be more proactive with the > >temperature control. Try to keep whites below 70ºF. 60ºF is even better. > > > >Tom S > > > |
Temperature effects three aspects of your fermentation:
Flavor/Aromatic Profile, maceration (in reds) and yeast viability. Vigorous yeast, which are most often supplied in kits, tend to ferment fast and generate a lot of BTU's so trying to control the temperature somewhat is good for many reasons. For whites, cooler temperature will allow the development of esters from the yeast that with enchance the aroma of the wine. It will also prevent off flavors and aromas, by not stressing the yeast and therefore keeping the correct metabolic pathways open. In reds the effect of warming temp[erature with enchance thermal maceration, giving good procurement of grape tannins and neccesary for good round mouthfeel. However, for many yeast temperature above 85 can be lethal especially once alcohol levels begin climbing. So yeast however can trive up to 100F. The moral of the story is that constant temperature is the best rule of thumb. Yes, whites are best fermented cooler than reds, but the key is keeping the temp within a tight range to promote good fermentations. |
"Kevin" > wrote in message ... > Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch? I didn't say that. You learn something with each batch - even if you end up dumping it out. I've dumped my share too. :^( > Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation > bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling. > That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid > bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10 > days. Right. Lose the spigot. That thing is useless anyway. Buy a new primary and a tub big enough to hold it with some ice around it if need be. Another option is to run the primary in a refrigerator with some temperature control. That works well for small batches if you set it up with an external temp controller. The built in controller in refrigerators runs too cold for winemaking. Tom S |
"Kevin" > wrote in message ... > Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch? I didn't say that. You learn something with each batch - even if you end up dumping it out. I've dumped my share too. :^( > Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation > bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling. > That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid > bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10 > days. Right. Lose the spigot. That thing is useless anyway. Buy a new primary and a tub big enough to hold it with some ice around it if need be. Another option is to run the primary in a refrigerator with some temperature control. That works well for small batches if you set it up with an external temp controller. The built in controller in refrigerators runs too cold for winemaking. Tom S |
"Kevin" > wrote in message ... > Ouch. So, you think I'm wasting my time with this batch? I didn't say that. You learn something with each batch - even if you end up dumping it out. I've dumped my share too. :^( > Among the things I learned from this is that a primary fermentation > bucket without spigot would have given me more options for cooling. > That little sucker gets in the way a little. If it was just a solid > bucket, then I could let it occupy a bath of cool water for the 6-10 > days. Right. Lose the spigot. That thing is useless anyway. Buy a new primary and a tub big enough to hold it with some ice around it if need be. Another option is to run the primary in a refrigerator with some temperature control. That works well for small batches if you set it up with an external temp controller. The built in controller in refrigerators runs too cold for winemaking. Tom S |
"Kevin" > wrote in message ... > What effect does temperature have on s.g. reading? I started at 1.072 > and measure 1.06 something after 36 hours. But those readings were at > higher temperature. I just read almost 1.07, but that was at 58 > degrees. Doesn't your hydrometer have a built in thermometer and temperature correction table? Many of them do, and that's kind of useful. Mine also has a scale that has Brix, S.G. and potential alcohol side by side. I sometimes refer to it even if I'm not actually measuring a must or wine. Tom S |
"Kevin" > wrote in message ... > What effect does temperature have on s.g. reading? I started at 1.072 > and measure 1.06 something after 36 hours. But those readings were at > higher temperature. I just read almost 1.07, but that was at 58 > degrees. Doesn't your hydrometer have a built in thermometer and temperature correction table? Many of them do, and that's kind of useful. Mine also has a scale that has Brix, S.G. and potential alcohol side by side. I sometimes refer to it even if I'm not actually measuring a must or wine. Tom S |
Kevin,
Stop worrying, this batch is going to be fine too. Temperature does affect the hyrdometer reading, but only a little bit. If it read 1.072 at 86 F it was actually 1.075 at 68 F, the standard temperature most hydrometers are now calibrated at. I can send you an excel file with all of that done for you. It's a pain to figure out for some of us. At 58 you would subtract about 1.5 points, so if it read 1.070 it's actually about 1.0685. If that was your initial reading it's odd, it seems too low for me. That seems to be only a 10 % alcohol level if all goes well. (That's not bad either, it just seems a little low.) it's not an uncommon practice to start fermentation at a higher temperature until the yeast gets going and then lower it, somewhat like you did. 58 is not a bad temperature to ferment a white at. I doubt you blew much of the aromatics off. You let it go a little too long if it got to 85, but all is far from lost. (The fermentation creates heat, so once it's fermenting nicely you start to cool so it's does not rise too much.) If the aroma and taste seem flat see if your wine shop stocks AR 2000 from DSM and add about 1 gram to the 6 gallons, it will improve it immensely. It's only for whites and will fix you right up. It's hard to judge this if you are just starting out but you want to develop those senses anyway, so just make a call on it and remember what it seemed to be like since it will continue to evolve. If in doubt, add the AR 2000. I am not arguing with any of the advice you have been given, it's a all good. I'm just telling you wine usually turns out fine in spite of what we do to it if the basics are followed. Cool fermenting of whites is never a bad idea as far as I am concerned, just try to make sure you don't get so cool that the fermentation stops. The idea is to ferment a white slowly, and you are doing that from the looks of things. Joe > This will be an interesting first batch, then. I may have gotten a > little carried away with the ice, and the must is now 58 degrees. That > means it has had a 24-26 degree variation during its first 72 hours. > I'm still keeping it iced a little but hope to bring it to about 65 > degrees where I will keep it constant for the rest of the primary > fermentation. > > What effect does temperature have on s.g. reading? I started at 1.072 > and measure 1.06 something after 36 hours. But those readings were at > higher temperature. I just read almost 1.07, but that was at 58 > degrees. > |
I actually fermented a White Zinfandel using a BrewKing kit at a constant 72
degrees and it turned out great. I gave about 15 bottles away and everyone really enjoyed the wine and asked for more..free wine, what should I have expected from them? I can't wait to try the next one at a lower tempeture and see if the wine is improves beyond that of the first batch. Brandon |
Kevin wrote:
> > What effect does temperature have on s.g. reading? I started at 1.072 > and measure 1.06 something after 36 hours. But those readings were at > higher temperature. I just read almost 1.07, but that was at 58 > degrees. > Check out the calcs page on my site. Among other things there is a calculation for adjustments to hydrometer readings due to temperature differences. If the difference is under 10 degrees Fahrenheit, then I wouldn't worry, but your temperature differences definately rate checking the proper adjustment. Marc http://home.sunlitsurf.com/~mshapiro/ -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
Kevin wrote:
> > What effect does temperature have on s.g. reading? I started at 1.072 > and measure 1.06 something after 36 hours. But those readings were at > higher temperature. I just read almost 1.07, but that was at 58 > degrees. > Check out the calcs page on my site. Among other things there is a calculation for adjustments to hydrometer readings due to temperature differences. If the difference is under 10 degrees Fahrenheit, then I wouldn't worry, but your temperature differences definately rate checking the proper adjustment. Marc http://home.sunlitsurf.com/~mshapiro/ -----= Posted via Newsfeeds.Com, Uncensored Usenet News =----- http://www.newsfeeds.com - The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! -----== Over 100,000 Newsgroups - 19 Different Servers! =----- |
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