Fermentation Chamber "Rotation & Temps"

[anthropod]

I brew 90% Ales. But...of course, temps do vary greatly for the strains I like to use.

I have a great fermentation chamber.
It's a Delfield Milk Cooler (NLFAC Shelleymatic)

It can hold four carboys. Because it's a milk cooler, it's not hard to get the carboys in and out.

Here is my dilemma, I like to brew fairly often. Lately its been once a week, but now that I have 6 Kegs going (The current max I can serve) I bet it will be closer to once every three weeks.

Here's what I have been doing, but I don't know that it is wise.

I give each brew a week in it's ideal temp range, then rotate the carboys and the new brew get's the temp its yeast prefers. The other brews have to just take the new brew's temp. For the most part its 5 degrees max different. But sometimes its a little more.

So at what point do you feel that the "ideal" temp is optional?
If a fermentation temp has been well controlled for a week is that enough? Two weeks? etc.

Or....is my idea of using one chamber for 4 different yeasts not a good one.

 

[StoutNoDoubt]

I just ordered one of those Cool Brewing Fermentation Bags. Hope its worth all the hype people have been giving it. I don't have room for a dedicated fermentation chamber like yours but I also only brew a batch at a time and after the first week, the yeast is done fermenting all the sugar which I then just let the beer sit at room temp without having any off flavors usually. That first week or so of fermentation temps is crucial I have discovered. Anyhow, I have lots of brewing to do since I haven't been able to do so due to me selling my house and moving......

 

[jtratcliff]

My understanding is that after the first 3-4 days, temp control is less of an issue than for those first few days of active fermentation...

 

[StoutNoDoubt]

That just may be the case. Some beers ferment quicker than others

 

[revco]

I think your idea is fine, so long as you don't start throwing lagers into the mix. Five degrees ain't gonna change much after a week of heavy fermentation. If you get into lagering, you'll need to clear out any ales, unless you can time it right and consider it a "cold crash" for the ale. After that, you probably can't do an ale until you're done lagering. It can be a little trickier planning-wise when/if you start doing lagers.

 

[gregkeller]

One thing i'd be slightly worried about would be taking a yeast that you started out at 68 and then dropping it down to 62 or 60 after a week if final gravity hasn't been reached yet. I would be more comfortable bringing the temps up rather than down until final gravity is hit because the cooling might cause the yeast to stall out. I always like to pitch a few degrees cooler than intended ferm temp, so pitch at 66 for a beer i want to ferment at 68. set the temp controller for 68, so the yeast warm things up with their metabolism, then maintain 68 for a couple days (maybe 3-7 depending on yeast strain and original gravity etc.) and then ramp it up .5-1 degree every day or every other day until i get it to 72 or so. At that point just let it ride until its done and/or I get around to kegging it.

So if i was in your situation and i had a beer actively fermenting at 68 and was getting ready to put the next beer in at a lower temp, i would pull the other carboy out and let it sit somewhere in your house thats at 68-72 degrees if possible to finish up. I guess you could plan things so your next beer was always going to be fermented at the same or warmer temps as the prior one also.

I'd just try and stay away from cooling off an actively fermenting beer that's all.