Primary ferm temperature question

[TXMeadGuy]

Okay, so I have all the Lalvin Yeats strains at my disposal, and I've read the data sheets concerning alcohol tolerances and fermentation temperatures. With that being said, which is best to use at fermentation temperature of 72 degrees Fahrenheit? I tried searching but no results showed up. Thanks in advance.

David

 

[PitBull]

I think that the general consensus is that KV1-1116 is the Swiss army knife of yeasts. I believe that Medsen did side-by-side testing and got great results at higher temps with it.

 

[EJM3]

Depending on what you are going for you can use:

K1V - 50°F to 95°F Good all around yeast
71B - 59°F to 86°F Good for red and acid musts you want to have a reduction in acid 20% to 30%, Never leave on lees EVER!
RC212 - 68°F to 86°F Great for fruit and berry mels
1118 - 59°F to 77°F Champagne yeast, goes fast blows volatiles out the airlock.
QA23 - 59°F to 90°F Great for highly clarified musts (honey)

There are more but those are what I have the stats on in front of my face ATM, YMMV

 

[TXMeadGuy]

Thank you everyone for the replies. I was wanting to use the 71B, but thought 72 F would be too high.

David

 

[Medsen Fey]

Please don't confuse the temperature tolerance of the yeast with the range that is good for a traditional mead fermentation. 71B will generally not make a good traditional at 80°F+. EC1118 will make a very poor batch of mead at 77°F. If you are making a berry melomel, the higher temps may not be as big an issue (though I have made some fusel-ridden berry batches).

You can use 71B at 72°F but if you can keep it below 70 you may be happier with the results sooner.

Sent from my THINGAMAJIG with WHATCHAMACALLIT

 

[TXMeadGuy]

Yes, I'm making a Raspberry melomel. I used one can of Vintner's Harvest Raspberry puree in primary, and plan to use a second can in secondary. My starting gravity is 1.120. I pitched 10 grams of 71B (after rehydrating with 12 grams of Go Ferm Protect). Temps in my apartment are 72 degrees during fermentation. I could go lower but my family wouldn't be too thrilled. lol

 

[Medsen Fey]

A swamp cooler can lower the temperature a few degrees without affecting the rest of the house

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[EJM3]

+1 to Medsen, but add: You can also just put your carboy into a large enough container to hold a few gallons of water, slip and old t-shirt on (silly logo optional, points if you make a face to stick on top as well) and you have instant swamp cooling. You can add ice to it if it is particularly hot (Summer), using blocks is best as chips will cool too rapidly (possibly thermal shocking your yeast into hibernating) and then not cool long term and run too hot. I use a combination of these to keep my ferments at a reasonable temp during the Summer. The house temps here can get over 82°F in the Summer as we have no A/C, except in the bedroom, and no way can either of us lug it up and down the stairs.

 

[fuelish]

+1 to Medsen, but add: You can also just put your carboy into a large enough container to hold a few gallons of water, slip and old t-shirt on (silly logo optional, points if you make a face to stick on top as well) and you have instant swamp cooling.

Yes, swamp cooler is pretty standard here in east TN in the summer, a nicely effective low-budget temp control.....I keep a bunch of store bought bottled waters in the freezer and rotate them in and out a couple times a day, (I prefer an old sweatshirt...holds more water) and I always have a floor fan blowing across it , and I HAVE put an old leftover Halloween mask on top for fun....my wife thinks it's creepy, but she doesn't typically see my fermentors, she's just interested in the final product(s)