Temp While Conditioning?

[jetfoley]

So, I figure temp will make a differance in conditioning of beer to one degree or another... What is your ideas on this? My two options are really just 3 degrees (kegerator) or room temp, which at the moment is low 30s. I suppose I could put it in my brew fridge at around 14-18, but that will stop me brewing which I'd rather not do.

Does low temps slow the conditioning? And will high temps promote esters?

 

[felten]

Chemical reactions occur faster at higher temperatures, so esters and other compounds will occur faster, but so will oxidisation. The rule of thumb is for every 10c increase, chemical reaction rate will double.

If you want to age your beers for long term you should do it at a low and stable temperature. Stuff also drop out of solution faster at lower temperatures, the closer to 0 the beer is the faster it will clear compared to a higher temp, but whether you want to store it at that temp for a few years is up to you. I store mine at a unused fridge at a little higher than normal fridge temps.

 

[MHB]

Going to depend a bit on exactly what you mean by Condition
Condition really means putting the fizz in, but people use Cold Condition to mean dropping the yeast out, Lagering which is dropping out Polyphenol/Protein complexes and a bunch of other shades of intent or combination of all three of the above.
Mate, get yourself a decent temperature controller they are available for as little as $30, after proper hygiene temperature control is the best investment you can make in your brewing. You really cant make good beer at 30oC.
MHB

 

[felten]

I figured you meant storage, not conditioning for carbonation >_<

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

snip

Going to depend a bit on exactly what you mean by "Condition"
Mate, get yourself a decent temperature controller they are available for as little as $30, after proper hygiene temperature control is the best investment you can make in your brewing. You really can't make good beer at 30oC.
MHB

+1. I had this proved to me in all its glory.

I ended up making beer in summer (which I normally avoid like the plague), because I ran out after giving too much away.

My inability to store it at a reasonable temp (and ferment at a reasonable temp) has led to my last couple of beer being an extremely poor version of beer. Metho'ey and with some pretty average flavours. It's beer, but not as I normally brew it.

I've now invested in a temp controller, and with the batch that has been already fermented at house temp, it'll get racked and put into colder storage in a vain attempt to clean out the esters and nasties.

I'll then do my next batch purely at the fridge temp and middle range for my yeast.

Lesson learned, beer wasted and me pretty upset at it all.

Goomba

 

[manticle]

The guy has a temp controller as specified in the first post.

JetF - in a recent thread Thirsty Boy suggested conditioning colder is better. Certainly warm temps can play havoc with most beers.

Presuming you know that you need some time around 18 degrees for any kind of natural carbonation to occur but after that (or ignoring that if you are force carbing) cooler is better.

 

[jetfoley]

Sorry, you misunderstood me. I brew at 14-18 degrees, for 2 weeks, in the last 3-4 days i drop temp to 3 degrees. What im asking now is, at what temps should i STORE the beer so it can age nicely, I have in the past just stored it in the shed that gets hot as buggery, and recently i have storeed it in kegs in my kegerator (3 - 5 degrees) , but i have been noticing it still tastes a bit young after a month or so of storage (or conditioning as I call it, hence the confusion)

 

[manticle]

As mentioned - cool as you can.

 

[jetfoley]

As mentioned - cool as you can.

So if I condition at 4 degrees will I need to do it for longer than a month be for I crack it? Or is a month still enough?

 

[Phoney]

If you're carbonating in bottles, it wont carbonate at any less than 15C - at least.