Temperature of fermentation, mainly...
- Thread starter sangrim
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I am sure you will get many more experienced responses than mine, but I will start:
A) Significant. It is very important to stay within the recommended temperature range for your yeast. Personally, I try to stay near the bottom of the range, since high temperatures can lead to fusels - a "hot" alcohol taste that can take a long time to age out. Most yeasts should be fine if you stay within the recommended range, but some (ex. Lavin D47) require lower temperatures when used for mead.
B) Less important than during primary fermentation.
C) While a wine cellar temperature (ex. 55 - 60dF) may be ideal for and bulk aging, it is less critical than the temperature during your primary fermentation. I expect that higher temperatures during these stages will affect your mead over time, but not in the short term. One side effect of high temperatures may be a sherry-like oxidation flavor.
edit: BTW, if you are below the recommended temperature range, you may stall your fermentation, and temperatures at the low end of the recommended range can take longer to complete.
A) Significant. It is very important to stay within the recommended temperature range for your yeast. Personally, I try to stay near the bottom of the range, since high temperatures can lead to fusels - a "hot" alcohol taste that can take a long time to age out. Most yeasts should be fine if you stay within the recommended range, but some (ex. Lavin D47) require lower temperatures when used for mead.
B) Less important than during primary fermentation.
C) While a wine cellar temperature (ex. 55 - 60dF) may be ideal for and bulk aging, it is less critical than the temperature during your primary fermentation. I expect that higher temperatures during these stages will affect your mead over time, but not in the short term. One side effect of high temperatures may be a sherry-like oxidation flavor.
edit: BTW, if you are below the recommended temperature range, you may stall your fermentation, and temperatures at the low end of the recommended range can take longer to complete.
From my understanding, temperature is most important during fermentation. You should try and keep temperatures in between the low/ high figures suggested for the yeast strain you are using.
Post fermentation I believe temperature is less relevant however I believe that a colder temperature is preferred. Many individuals actually cold crash for months after first racking to help with clearing and maybe other benefits.
I am no expert on this however and am strictly speaking from my experience and how I treat my meads
Sent from The Age of Legends, trapped inside a Stasis Box
Post fermentation I believe temperature is less relevant however I believe that a colder temperature is preferred. Many individuals actually cold crash for months after first racking to help with clearing and maybe other benefits.
I am no expert on this however and am strictly speaking from my experience and how I treat my meads
Sent from The Age of Legends, trapped inside a Stasis Box
Fermentation temp plays a huge role in the ester profile (and the bouquet resulting from complex interactions between alcohols, acids, and esters during aging). It is very strain dependant; as an example D47 can be used safely between 64F and 68F, it can produce very cool flavors at 68-72F but it takes a long time for the fusels to mellow at these higher (relatively) temps, whereas D21 if fine up to 76F and can get a bit "hot" at 76-82F, but still be great after aging, and D10 can work at 55-74F with little difference in ester profile (just a difference in aromas being blown off).
As for lees aging, temp increases the effect slightly, so I get equivalent sur lie character in 7mos at ~7XF that I can get in 9mos at say 60F (somewhere around there).
As for plain aging, anything less than 100F is fine! I'm serious. Me and medsen age our meads at ambient down here in south florida anywhere from 72-82F (on my side), with no (or little) ill effects. I will say maderization works magic on meads, though you'll have to ask Medsen about the specifics he uses (it works very well) or look on some of the wine forums.
Sent from my Motorola DynaTAC 8000X using Tapatalk
As for lees aging, temp increases the effect slightly, so I get equivalent sur lie character in 7mos at ~7XF that I can get in 9mos at say 60F (somewhere around there).
As for plain aging, anything less than 100F is fine! I'm serious. Me and medsen age our meads at ambient down here in south florida anywhere from 72-82F (on my side), with no (or little) ill effects. I will say maderization works magic on meads, though you'll have to ask Medsen about the specifics he uses (it works very well) or look on some of the wine forums.
Sent from my Motorola DynaTAC 8000X using Tapatalk
