Fermenting at lower temperatures

[Maeloch]

My first batches of JAO are on their way and I was thinking of doing one or two more before Christmas. However, as I work away, I'm lodging and have one of two places available to store my mead:

1) A walk-in cupboard in an unheated spare room.
2) My room, unheated in the day, heated at night.

As the winter approaches I guestimate the cupboard will be somewhere around 5-15°C/40-60°F. My room will be slightly warmer, however will swing all over the place temp-wise between day and night as the heating and fire go on.

My questions therefore are: Which place is best? And, as I'll be working at low tempuratures - and I guess using yeast that's happiest at them - does this favour a particular style of mead?

(I'm thinking of a lemon JAO)

 

[theEnvoy]

My first batches of JAO are on their way and I was thinking of doing one or two more before Christmas. However, as I work away, I'm lodging and have one of two places available to store my mead:

1) A walk-in cupboard in an unheated spare room.
2) My room, unheated in the day, heated at night.

As the winter approaches I guestimate the cupboard will be somewhere around 5-15°C/40-60°F. My room will be slightly warmer, however will swing all over the place temp-wise between day and night as the heating and fire go on.

My questions therefore are: Which place is best? And, as I'll be working at low tempuratures - and I guess using yeast that's happiest at them - does this favour a particular style of mead?

(I'm thinking of a lemon JAO)

Nice.. Lemon JAO. Not sure about the yeast question, but here is how I get around the temperature swings (should be avoided) in the winter -- I place the fermentation vessel in a larger tub (a cooler, in my case) of water, and place an aquarium heater ( I bought at Petsmart for 17$ US). It keeps the fermentation at a steady 70 degr. F even as ambient temp swings into low 50's. Don't think that electricity usage is noticeable at 25 watts...

 

[Riverat]

Perhaps the temps in your room may be a bit more stable in some corner or another, and cooler toward the floor?
Any number of yeasts have lower limits of 10 degrees C K1V 1116, DV10 and RHST might be good choices

 

[Maeloch]

Perhaps the temps in your room may be a bit more stable in some corner or another, and cooler toward the floor?
Any number of yeasts have lower limits of 10 degrees C K1V 1116, DV10 and RHST might be good choices

Thinking about this, I could probably clear some cupboard space and pack clothes, towels, etc around the carboys. Thanks for the suggestions on the yeasts.

Nice.. Lemon JAO. Not sure about the yeast question, but here is how I get around the temperature swings (should be avoided) in the winter -- I place the fermentation vessel in a larger tub (a cooler, in my case) of water, and place an aquarium heater ( I bought at Petsmart for 17$ US). It keeps the fermentation at a steady 70 degr. F even as ambient temp swings into low 50's. Don't think that electricity usage is noticeable at 25 watts...

I don't have the space right now for a larger tub, but the suggestion is a keeper - I was thinking specialist equipment and $$$ would be needed for heating.

 

[kuri]

I don't have the space right now for a larger tub, but the suggestion is a keeper - I was thinking specialist equipment and $$$ would be needed for heating.

I'm not sure what you're fermenting in or how large a batch you're making, but taking a 6 gallon plastic carboy and cutting off the top would allow you to put a 3 gallon carboy (or anything smaller) inside pretty easily I'd imagine, and wouldn't take up all that much space. Yeast don't like temperature swings, especially fast drops in temperature, so anything you can do to keep the changes small and gradual will help your mead in the end.

 

[Maeloch]

I'm not sure what you're fermenting in or how large a batch you're making, but taking a 6 gallon plastic carboy and cutting off the top would allow you to put a 3 gallon carboy (or anything smaller) inside pretty easily I'd imagine, and wouldn't take up all that much space. Yeast don't like temperature swings, especially fast drops in temperature, so anything you can do to keep the changes small and gradual will help your mead in the end.

I'll pop into the local brew store and get an idea of the fit, luckily it's opposite the pet store, so with one trip I can get a heater. I'm only making 1 gallon test batches.

I'm a pretty keen cyclist and the room has 3 bikes in it already, plus a bunch of wheels, forks, tyres etc under the bed. I really am stretched for space