Stable temps

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BoisBlancBoy
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Stable temps

Post by BoisBlancBoy »

I just did some very interesting reading from the parent site about controlling the temp of your ferment. It explained that if you can hold you ferment at steady temp of 68F then it would create far less esters and off flavors.

In my very limited experience so far the ferment has a rise, peak and fall in temp over its duration without any interference from me.

My question is how would you setup to try and keep the temp stable? I guess I'm asking how to keep it from warming too much? Keeping it warmer is a little less complicated.

Another question is: Does keeping the ferment for stable make for a noticable cleaner tasting product or not?
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Re: Stable temps

Post by bellybuster »

Stable and lower temps certainly make a huge difference in beers.
As far as keeping the temp stable, the initial rise in temp is unavoidable. It is gonna go up. You can minimize by refrigeration or other means of cooling. I use a fridge with a temp controller
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MitchyBourbon
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Re: Stable temps

Post by MitchyBourbon »

I wouldn't try to prevent it from the natural temp cycle that is caused by its own activity. At our scale (assuming 5 to 10 gal ferments) we don't see large swings of temp due to yeast activity. I haven't, I ferment in 6 or 8 gallon vessels.

I would imagine that large swings in temp would produce a noticeable taste in the wort. I would think that good cuts on a pot still might not be able to eliminate the off flavors entirely.
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Re: Stable temps

Post by scout »

I would not worry about trying to keep your mash at a steady temp for the duration, it isn't going to happen. Like you've been told by others, the temp of your mash will rise at the onset and then it will taper off at the end. It also depends on what mash your fermenting. I make a corn/rye mash with malted barley or malted corn. 1/2 of the malt goes in while the mash is still warm in temp. The way I make my malt (air dried in a barn) allows for the natural yeast on my farm to settle in and get happy. I don't let the malt that goes in get completely dry, just dry to the touch, then it gets cracked not ground before being tossed in to the mash. My mash starts to take shape once the corn and rye have cooked for around 1 1/2 hours at a bubbling simmer, this is then let to cool for ten minutes then I add some water, about a gal. and stir the cook, this sets till it cools to around 85 degrees with a cooks std. thermometer, (long stainless spike end). This mix goes into the barrel, I stir it all up good several times during the set up ( cooked mash goes into the muslin pot lined wood barrel (50 gal) water added and stirred, first half of malt goes in and it's stirred, sugar goes in and it's stirred. mash has water added till it is a pretty loose mix. This cools to around 74 f then the other half of the malt (this portion is where my yeast comes from) is stirred in and I put the wood lid on (it just sits on the rim of the barrel and keeps critters and dirt out). This sits by a south facing window and I let it sit till the next day when I stir it one last time. From there it will usually be about 5 days before I look at it again, by 7-8 days it is ready to run usually. The working mash will heat up somewhat but in the wood it never gets as hot as it would in a plastic or metal container. I tried a plastic barrel once and it did get very warm to the touch when I stirred the toping with my finger to taste check it.
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Re: Stable temps

Post by Prairiepiss »

68 deg f bakers yeast wouldn't even start.

Temp ranges are dictated by the yeast used. Each has its own range.

And maintaining a constant temp. Both cooling and heating. Isn't going to be an easy task. Or cheap. About the easiest and cheapest way would be an old fridge with a temp controller and heating element.

Homebrew beer guys do use stuff like this. So there is information on how to do it out there. If you really wanted to do it. But I wouldn't waste much time on it.
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ga flatwoods
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Re: Stable temps

Post by ga flatwoods »

Keep it in your house somewhere. Perhaps with the other skeletons in your closet! Cant stsy more stable than that hardly!
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Re: Stable temps

Post by biggeroots »

I would not worry about trying to keep your mash at a steady temp for the duration, it isn't going to happen. [quote="scout"]
I use this litte gadget. its a laboratory circulator, keeps the temp EXACTLY at 25 centigrade.
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BoisBlancBoy
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Re: Stable temps

Post by BoisBlancBoy »

Pretty fancy!
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Re: Stable temps

Post by biggeroots »

Yeah i know, i bought it by mistake before my interest in distillin. It was meant to have had a flow cooler with it. Would have been ideal for me tripple coil too!
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Re: Stable temps

Post by cooldood »

I beg to differ with others but keeping a steady temp is easy

For my beer I use a STC-1000 from eBay for $20. I keep the fermenter in a fridge and plug the fridge into one side if STC. I have heat pad in the fridge plugged into the other side of STC. IT WILL keep the fridge to +- 2 degrees
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Re: Stable temps

Post by biggeroots »

great idea. you must have a dual action controller?
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Re: Stable temps

Post by cooldood »

You cant go wrong with the STC-1000
it is an a aquarium controllerwith two outputs. one is used for cooling the other heat. It is dirt simple too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/110V-10A-Mini-D ... 461c6cc468

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Re: Stable temps

Post by biggeroots »

Yes thats ideal. I'm a little confused though. As the ones i see have a two outputs i.e. one for cooling option and the other for heating option, but i thought they can only be selected one at a time. Perhaps the one above is a real dual jobby?
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Re: Stable temps

Post by cooldood »

I know this one uses both and I would think most other do too.
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Re: Stable temps

Post by biggeroots »

I just looked at some similar and the options on the backs are different. I.E. one has a wire link option to lock the settings. Another only has one output, but can be altered for cool or heat. Seems you picked the right one for the job. Thanks for that. Now i can buy likewise. :)
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Re: Stable temps

Post by piratekev »

Does it run the fridg to keep the heat pad from overheating the mash?
And you will be able to keep a 75° F temp in the mash bucket?
Heck, if it does all that I will be ordering one tomorrow.
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Re: Stable temps

Post by biggeroots »

Hi. I would imagine the controller will switch either on depending which is more powerful, and what the ambient temperature of the room is.I might be wrong though! ?
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Re: Stable temps

Post by cooldood »

The way this works is you have a set point lets say 68 degrees.
When the ambient temp drops to 66 it will turn on the heat pad until it hits 69 ish. If it gets too warm and hits 72 it will turn on the the fridge until it hits 67 ish
The heat and cooling are never on at the same time
Really cheap and works great. It will keep your fermentation within 2 degrees of set point
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