Correct brewing temp.

The Homebrew Forum

Help Support The Homebrew Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Tys

Active Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2017
Messages
21
Reaction score
0
Location
NULL
So I've finally got my fermentation fridge up and running using a small tube heater and a inkbird 308. I have 20ltrs of coppers Mexican brewing away in there but what is the ideal temp to set it at. The more I read on the internet the more im getting confused as some people say to brew lagers at around 20c and then others say to brew lagers as low as 10c. Who's right and Who's wrong?
Currently it's set at 18c
 
There's a bit of mucking about to make "accelerated" or "pseudo" lager (like many UK lagers are). Temperature provides the option for plenty of mucking about whatever the beer.

But I'd stick to the "accepted" methods of lager (traditionally, but not exclusively, bottom fermenting) yeast cool (maybe not as cool as 10C, 12-14 will do?) and ale (often top fermenting) yeast warm (18C). Until you want to start mucking about that is.
 
I think there is a big difference between a beer tasting like one expects a Lager and real Lager. I have done only kits, and never found a kit beer yeast which will do much under 18°C even then it depends where measured, with a sensor under a sponge or bubble rap so insulated from outside 18°C is lowest, but where using a stick on temperature stick it measures some where between ambient and fermenter temperature so you may see some activity at lower temperatures.

Even with just kit beers the temperature varies, the Australian beers tend to have a yeast able to work at higher temperatures, British kits start around 19.5°C and after a few days lift to around 22°C.

With dried yeasts the temperature required seems to be higher, I bought a Youngs Lager yeast packet, but at 10°C it was dormant, I am told with liquid yeasts you can go down to 6°C which is the whole idea of Lager.

So short answer is look at the data sheet for the yeast.
 
For the first couple of days I don't use any heat on the FV as the initial burst of fermentation will generate its own heat so I tend just to let it get on with it. After that I try an keep it at or 21c as the Coopers Cerveza comes with an ale yeast if you used it.
 
There's always a bit of variation in temp if you read enough. Lagers IMO should be around 10°C. If however the kit is telling you a different thing, I'd probably go with that.

18°C seems a reasonable temp for most yeasts I think
 
From what I've heard it's unlikely that the kit will have come with a true lager yeast and will instead use a clean ale yeast. I'm brewing a bock just now with Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager yeast, it's specified range is 8-12c for lagers so I fermented rather arbitrarily at 10c. Seems to have gone fine but I do need to confirm FG.
 
Hi!
Many kits that purport to be lagers are really "pseudo" lagers; they are brewed with ale yeasts at ale temperatures, 18°C to 20°C.
You could swap out the kit yeast with a true lager yeast and ferment low and slow, 12°C or thereabouts.
Wilko sells Gervin Ale yeast - that gives good results at the low end of its temperature range, but you need to pitch double the amount.
Cooper's European Lager kit is supplied with a lager yeast, but the recommendation is that it won't be ready for three months because, as with all lagers, it needs a long, cool conditioning process.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top