Wine Temperature,Most recipes mention that wine should be fermented at room temperature. Right now room temperature at my place is around 65F in the day and 55F at night. Is that warm enough?
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EtOHRx // Jul 7, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Yes. You can go a bit higher but it comes down to the flavors you want in your final wine.
During fermentation, there are several factors that winemakers take into consideration during the process. The most notable is that of the internal temperature of the must. The biochemical process of fermentation itself creates a lot of residual heat that can take the must out of the ideal temperature range for the wine. Typically white wine is fermented between 64-68 °F (18-20 °C) though a winemaker may choose to use a higher temperature to bring out some of the complexity of the wine. Red wine is typically fermented at higher temperatures up to 85 °F (29°C). Fermentation at higher temperatures may have adverse effect on the wine in stunning the yeast to inactivity and even "boiling off," that is to say that the CO2 gas and heat generated will carry flavor and aromatic chemicals away. Some winemakers may ferment their red wines at cooler temperatures more typical of white wines in order to bring out more fruit flavors.
To control the heat generated during fermentation, the winemaker has to choose a suitable vessel size or to use cooling devices of various sorts, from the ancient Bordeaux traditions of placing the fermentation vat on top of blocks of ice, to today’s modern use of sophisticated fermentation tanks with built in cooling rings.
A risk factor involved with fermentation is the development of chemical residue and spoilage, which can be corrected with the addition of sulfur dioxide (SO2), although excess SO2 can lead to a wine fault. A winemaker who wishes to make a wine with high levels of residual sugar (like a dessert wine) may stop fermentation early either by dropping the temperature of the must to stun the yeast or by adding a high level of alcohol (like brandy) to the must to kill off the yeast and create a fortified wine.
Poj?me na pivo.
wmayers99 // Jul 7, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Your wine needs to be a touch warmer – around 75 to 85 degrees F. It will ferment, sort of, at those cooler temperatures, but may not produce a satisfactory product. The longer it sits in the fermentation vessel, the greater the risk of contamination and oxidation – which will give ya vinegar, not wine.
oikos // Jul 7, 2010 at 8:53 pm
No, but there are a couple of things you can do to adjust the temperature. First, insulate the fermenter. You can either have a form-fit jacket or you can just wrap it in a blanket, coat, what-have-you. That will retain the heat from the fermentation. Second, check various places around your house. Temperatures vary all over the place. As a rule, the higher off the floor, the warmer the temperature. The top of the refrigerator may not only be warmer but it has (usually) the most stable temperature in the house. Third, if all else fails, you can buy heaters designed for fermentation vessels.