Brewing: Which temperature should I ferment ale beer at?

Question

I want to brew beer and I wonder which temperature I should ferment it at? I want to brew ales like IPA and Pale Ale.

What difference does different fermentation temperatures have on the beer? Are there different temperatures needed when brewing different kinds of beers with different yeasts?

I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because it belongs on https://homebrew.stackexchange.com/ — farmersteve, Sep 18 '18 at 22:33
@KenGraham you really don't believe this shouldn't be in a stack about brewing? — farmersteve, Sep 19 '18 at 13:37
@Rouse you keep asking brewing questions that would be better answered over at the Homebrew stack exchange. https://homebrew.stackexchange.com/questions/1172/ale-fermentation-temp-too-cold/1175#1175 — farmersteve, Sep 19 '18 at 14:40
@farmersteve This question is quite compatible on both sites. — Ken Graham, Sep 19 '18 at 23:45

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 18 '18 at 05:02

Short answer: 17-20C (62-68F) is good for ales.

The temperature of fermentation is exceedingly important for the final beer. Too low (< 15C) can cause the ale yeast to go dormant, stalling the process. While a high temperature (> 25C) can cause a rapid ferment, where the yeast creates excess esters and fusel alcohols.

Yeast also generate their own warmth during fermentation. A commonly cited value is that the ferment is around 3C above ambient temperatures.

There are exceptions to this of course. Some beers ("Saison" for example) are fermented much warmer.

Brewing: Which temperature should I ferment ale beer at?

1 Answers1