Fermentation Temperature Control for Homebrew

Probably the most important thing you can do to improve your final beer quality, besides basic sanitation, is controlling fermentation temperature. Yeast is a living organism and how well it ferments the beer (or wine) can be impacted by temperature. Too cool and it may stall out and not fully ferment the wort. Too hot, and it may produce higher alcohols and other off-flavors that make the final beer unpleasant to drink. We go over a few important steps to get your fermentation temperature under control.
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[@angriface1603]

God. That could not have been more clear! Perfect instructional video! 😚👌

[@jacktorrance7639]

fermented a few at hot temperatures and had to much of an ester taste "bananas". dumped the whole batch. invested in a temp control unit and now ferment at 64 for 3 days then at 66 the remaining fermentation time. Trust me, this brings out awesome flavors. Good investment and awesome flavors. Great video. thanks for sharing.

[@NorthernBrewerTV]

Good to hear you got it dialed in!

[@lynchinjesus]

Do you use this temp control rig from the video or did you do a glyco system?

[@robertdodds6683]

Thanks alot, this video has been really useful for a rank amateur like me. Happy brewing!

[@NorthernBrewerTV]

Most excellent to hear. Temperature control is definitely a game-changer in quality of beer. Cheers!

[@peterswatton7400]

Here in New Zealand the temperature is cool in winter so I put my fermentor into a bigger plastic container. fill with water. and maintain a constant temperature with a fish tank heater. Budget solution. I have observed the increase in temperature when the wort is fermenting well in the early stages.

[@NorthernBrewerTV]

The first 48-72 hours of fermentation definitely sees an increase in internal temperature as the energy of fermentation basically heats the wort a bit. Your system sounds like a great solution for the temp control puzzle. Cheers!

[@starrychloe]

Is there a wrap-around external cooler that will refrigerate a large 5 gallon bucket? Maybe an insulated blanket and chilled water circulator?

[@Majnun74]

This is my biggest problem with homebrewing. I've heard the heating mat actually heats up the trub sitting at the bottom of the vessel producing off flavors.

[@johno7617]

My favorite subject because i love saisons (hot yeast)!!

[@mrlarkin6416]

I've been fermenting a strong ale for three days and had a sniff of the airlock "banana smell" so just be careful with too much heat 🔥

[@shadowmarine978]

Thanks for the video!

[@JasonBlack66]

3:39 wait what? Heating mode (on a thermostat) for a fridge? That doesn't sound right!?!?

[@NorthernBrewerTV]

Some brewers might hook the controller up to a heat source (wrap, lamp, heater in chest), etc to keep fermentation warm, so the controller has both functions in case someone has been cold and hot in a single space.

[@lynchinjesus]

Where I live it's 65 all year around. But I think I'll get a glyco chiller and insulation jacket when I upgrade to a conical to get batches precise

[@andreileonov5293]

Anybody knows Skeleton Coast craft beer recipe or at least what hop should I use .Thanks,guys

[@MrK-ti5lt]

Very clear, simple video. Thanks !

[@hg1651]

makes me wonder how anyone made an ale before all the tech was around.

[@darranowen9704]

Hi please can you help me I just got myself a glass carboy what is the best heat pad,belt, for the job being glass I need help to find the right one for the job.thank you again.

[@SpoiledToPerfection]

Great video, thanks for sharing! Even though I live in an area that is pretty moderate temperature wise, there's been many times where I've avoided brewing because of fluctuations or the temp was just all wrong for the type of beer I wanted to make. These are very useful tips! If you enjoy other kinds of fermented foods, you may enjoy our channel as well. Cheers!

[@joshuapinter]

Well, this was an exceptionally done production. Highly professional, succinct and extremely informative. Well done! Any recommendations on smart thermometers we can use to monitor the temperature of the fermentation over time?

[@NorthernBrewerTV]

Thanks for the good word. We appreciate it! The Tilt is our suggested smart themometer/hydrometer. It's easy to use and the most accurate of the ones we've tried over the past few years. www.northernbrewer.com/products/tilt-wireless-hydrometer-and-thermometer-red

[@spectrumhomebrew]

Great video , simply and accurately explained! enjoyed! Cheers

[@jduckett1985]

How about a guide to getting your big mouth bubbler lids to stay in place?

[@jafarym77]

jduckett1985 hahaha that's funny, I'm glad I went with regular carboys instead of those big mouth bubblers.

[@uqox]

I'm not joking here, I ended up using bungee cords. That's my SOP since I came home to the lid at a 45 degree angle to the mouth of the carboy. I got lucky that most of the blow-off still went through the blow-off tube.

[@LonelyRavenProductio]

Dry off the lid, and the neck of the carboy. They will pop up when wet, but seat well and not creep up when dry.

[@hadleyhunter6008]

If you have a 3D printer, someone posted a solution on thingiverse.com. It clamps around the neck, tabs rotate over the lid to lock it in. I printed it and It works perfectly. www.thingiverse.com/thing:2451253

[@paskrell]

Thx!!!

[@jakebarron8810]

If you sanitize the probe with Star San can you simply put the probe in the fermentation or is there a reason for a thermal well?

[@NorthernBrewerTV]

I suppose you could if you seal the point of entry into the vessel in way to make sure there is no oxygen in/out. I don't think there's a reason why you couldn't if you covered your bases there and in making sure it'c completely sanitized.

[@mikejeffery8371]

Very helpful. Thanks!

[@davidcampbell4429]

Is there a link where you can buy these

[@gregoryperry4886]

Very cool Video

[@DrtERotinBasstrd]

A great video. Thanks for sharing it. Cheers!

[@kennychall]

hi how do you check if yeast is dead or good,?

[@NorthernBrewerTV]

Are you talking about dry yeast or liquid yeast specifically? Most packets should have a Manufacture Date or a Best By Date. A good rule of thumb for liquid is that they start to degrade after three months, but I've pitched packets that were 6-9 months old that still fermented fine -- IF they were stored cold, that is. For liquid yeast, you could always make a starter and look for the telltale signs of fermentation: foaming/krausen, wort becomes cloudy, etc. Hope this helped. If not, tell us more about your situation.

[@CW5Light]

Love the video's! and the great perspective on temp control!

[@alexgordonepic]

timer on fridge! yes that's what i need in texas

[@Steven-wq2nr]

Nice

[@NorthernBrewerTV]

Thanks.

[@bakobasque]

If you have a refrigerator and use a controller, what would you use and a heater to warm it up when needed?

[@chaist94]

you could use an electric blanket or a heating pad. my controller has two plugs, one for heating and one for cooling. They will cycle alternately as the outside temperature changes.

[@xxrex]

Agreed. I use a seedling heater mat from the garden store. Works like a champ.

[@yolobro2071]

Nice video bjørn

[@mipcstv]

Tell me you are viking, with out telling me you are viking. Hi I am bjorn

[@NorthernBrewerTV]

Alternatively... Hello, I am from Minnesota. (Said with a thick MN accent)

[@alansproul6325]

Good video

[@charleshatt1281]

HISS-TUR-EE-SIS

[@xsoul6838]

But how made 1000bcs old wine without theese tool's?

[@iforce2d]

It probably tasted like puke

[@edwardgoldentooth4491]

wotta loada bollix

[@slipknot73745]

All that extra cost from buying a fridge, heating element, temp controller, then the energy bills of powering all of those...I want my beer to taste semi-pro, but is this really worth it?? Egh.

[@xsoul6838]

Just u need to proper guide to help all

[@Quinny1394]

WTF, using a wine fridge or something that's gonna drive up the electricity bill, you might as fkn well buy beer at the bottle shop. Smh