I'm trying to minimize the huge swings in temperature I have with my fermenting beer. The ambient temps in my garage can range from mid 50s to low 70s in the summer (Seattle).

I'm fermenting an IPA with WLP001 Cali Ale. I want to end up with a dry beer (recipe below). The optimal fermentation temps for this yeast are between 68F and 73F.

I want to use my sanyo kegerator for climate control http://www.google.com/products/catalog?sugexp=chrome,mod%3D10&q=sanyo+kegerator&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=4847909180156935756&sa=X&ei=7wi5T8CpBuSYiALW9uHJBw&ved=0CMwBEPMCMAA

Questions:
1. Will I get fusels at 68?
2. What will happen if I ferment between 62F and 67F?
3. What temp should I set my kegerator to? It doesn't have a digital regulator. I have to turn a little knob either to the "warmer" side or the "cooler" side.

Recipe:
Grain Bill -
5lb Maris Otter
5lb American Two-Row
1lb Crystal 40
.5lb Carapils
.5lb Corn Sugar

Hop Bill -
2oz Columbus (pellet)
1oz Simcoe (whole cone)
1oz Amarillo (whole cone)

Yeast -
WLP001

Procedure -
Sparge Temp = 170
Strike Temp = 160F
Mash Temp = 150F for 70 minutes

Mash for 1hr, transfer runoff to separate container and store in kitchen fridge for two days

Boil -
Columbus 90min
Simcoe 60min
Columbus 30min
Amarillo post-boil 30min

Transfer to carboy at 90F, pitched yeast between 78 and 80 (got antsy in my pantsy hopefully this doesnt screw things up).
Cranked kegerator down to 32F, threw the beer in quickly and brought beer temp down to 65 within a few hours.
Got great activity two days after pitching. Temps have been hovering around 65 to 68 for the last two days.
Plan on dry hopping with some 1oz simcoe and 1oz amarillo pellets when fermentation slows down

With the majority of the beers I brew, I like to cool the wort before pitching to a few degrees under my desired target fermentation temperature. I then pitch and let the yeast and the wort slowly rise to the fermentation temp I had in mind where I will then hold that temp for a few days and slowly bump up the fermentation temps towards the end of fermentation to help the yeast clean up after themselves and attenuate properly.

I have fermented with Cal Ale yeast as low as 60 deg F, with no issues or underattenuation. At 68 degrees your fusels should be kept in check with this yeast providing your OG wasn't too big. At 62-67 F your yeast will love this range for fermenting and will produce a nice, clean beer. I think you would be better fermenting on the lower range if possible, so try to figure out where your dial should be set for this so you can have it for future brews.

Brewing in the Winter, outside, sucks, but the lower temps in the "basement" offer premium fermentation temps. Stay on the low side of the yeast's desired range, to keep the Esters in check. My $0.02. I too like to chill down below this range, say 58F to 60F for ale yeasts, and let the exothermic fermentation process bring the temps up naturally.

With that said, I am on Inventor as I type, drawing up the Conical so I can modify it to fit into my 5.0 Cuft Oster, as I love to brew in the good weather!

** Thread Hijack in Process **

So, kbar and brewinhard, what's the temp of the starter you pitch? I hear alot about wort temp for pitching, but what temp should the pitched yeast be?

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With a actual temp contoller, I would just put a thermometer in the fridge and start taking readings over time. see what temps are holding up in there.

I typically cold crash my starters to let the yeast settle out to the bottom. I then pull out my starter flask halfway through the brewday to let the starter and yeast warm up a tad. I have never taken any temp readings on the starter/yeast flask, but I do know that it is most definitely quite colder than the chilled wort temps. I have always thought that pitching colder yeast into a warmer wort was the way to go. Better than pitching warmer yeast into a colder wort at least which can lead to yeast shock and increased lag times as they slowly adjust to the colder environment.

Cool, thanks for that. I've been thinking about it lately and couldn't really find an answr.

I handle mine similarly. About half way through the brew day I'll decant the beer off the top (having already cold crashed it a few days prior) and throw it back on the stir plate to rouse the yeast and "dechunk" the slurry.

I'm thinking I need to hold out a little longer before spinning it up though. I believe the yeast is a bit too warm when I pitch it. Maybe I'll wait until I start chilling the wort to decant and rouse. I'll give it a shot on Thursday night when I brew and see what happens.

Thanks!

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Update: The beer came out FANTASTIC with regards to dryness. Very clean and leaves the pallet right away.