APA at cooler ferm temps?

[hopshead]

My favorite pale ale is now fermenting at a much cooler temperature than normal. My recipe is about 90% 2 row, 8% Munich, and 2% crystal 60L, and 1 oz of centennial hops 60min, 1/2 oz cascade at 15min and 5min, and US-05 dry yeast. I was supposed to mash these grains at 152, but I missed my mash temp and mashed in at 148. Now, consider that - a drier beer with less body, it is currently fermenting at about 65 degrees. I normally ferment this beer at 68 or 69F. Basically, my house is little colder during the winter months and my carboy in a water bath is keeping the fermentation temps colder than normal. I wonder what the hell this beer is gonna taste like? Are the cooler ferm temps gonna make the yeast drop sooner than normal and counter act the drier beer (resulting from lower mash temp)? Or, is the cooler ferm temp gonna make the beer more clean without an affect on the body? Should I drain some the water in water bath and try get that temp up a little? Well, either way it is making beer - I am just curious how these different conditions are gonna affect the taste of my apa.

[Thirsty Boy]

My favorite pale ale is now fermenting at a much cooler temperature than normal. My recipe is about 90% 2 row, 8% Munich, and 2% crystal 60L, and 1 oz of centennial hops 60min, 1/2 oz cascade at 15min and 5min, and US-05 dry yeast. I was supposed to mash these grains at 152, but I missed my mash temp and mashed in at 148. Now, consider that - a drier beer with less body, it is currently fermenting at about 65 degrees. I normally ferment this beer at 68 or 69F. Basically, my house is little colder during the winter months and my carboy in a water bath is keeping the fermentation temps colder than normal. I wonder what the hell this beer is gonna taste like? Are the cooler ferm temps gonna make the yeast drop sooner than normal and counter act the drier beer (resulting from lower mash temp)? Or, is the cooler ferm temp gonna make the beer more clean without an affect on the body? Should I drain some the water in water bath and try get that temp up a little? Well, either way it is making beer - I am just curious how these different conditions are gonna affect the taste of my apa.

Just a thought or two.. no real conclusions on the final taste.

Mashing at a higher temperature produces more dextrins.. these are sugars that add body and mouthfeel properties to a beer... but dextrins aren't sweet. Just try tasting a spoonful of maltodextrin powder ... not sweet.

Fermenting lower might, not will, but might, mean that your yeast will drop out before it has finished dealing with all the fermentable sugars.. ie a classic low attenuation beer.

BUT - the fermentable sugars that it leaves behind ARE sweet.

Now they will also contribute to body and mouthfeel, but it will be different to having mashed higher and produced a less fermentable wort in the first place.

Thirsty

[Pseudolus]

Mashing at a higher temperature produces more dextrins.. these are sugars that add body and mouthfeel properties to a beer... but dextrins aren't sweet. Just try tasting a spoonful of maltodextrin powder ... not sweet.

Is it true that ALL of the larger molecules produced by higher mash temps are not perceived as sweet by human tastebuds? I know this is true of the largest of the molecules. But are there some molecules, somewhere in the middle - call it the "sweet spot" (heh) - that don't end up as yeast food but do come across as sweet to people?

[Thirsty Boy]

Mashing at a higher temperature produces more dextrins.. these are sugars that add body and mouthfeel properties to a beer... but dextrins aren't sweet. Just try tasting a spoonful of maltodextrin powder ... not sweet.

Is it true that ALL of the larger molecules produced by higher mash temps are not perceived as sweet by human tastebuds? I know this is true of the largest of the molecules. But are there some molecules, somewhere in the middle - call it the "sweet spot" (heh) - that don't end up as yeast food but do come across as sweet to people?

Probably not... but near enough for government work. Like I said, taste some maltodextrin powder.. one assumes that this is basically th stuff we are talking about, barely-not sweet

Thats my take on it anyway

[TMB]

I'm not sure, but it seems like a few degrees shouldn't affect attenuation but it might affect how long it takes to attenuate. Other than that, you should get a cleaner tasting beer. 65 sounds pretty good to me.

[Pseudolus]

I know maltodextrin isn't sweet. I'm not sure how similar the results of adding maltodextrin to a recipe are to those of raising the mash temp.

Anyway, on the original question, I agree that there shouldn't be any appreciable attenuation drop at 65F. That doesn't actually strike me as particularly cold for that yeast. I've fermented it down at ~62F with no problem, and I've heard about others going into the upper 50s.

[Thirsty Boy]

I know maltodextrin isn't sweet. I'm not sure how similar the results of adding maltodextrin to a recipe are to those of raising the mash temp.

Continuing the vague hijack of this thread (its slightly on topic...maybe??)

I reckon its probably exactly the same, or pretty near. You raise mash temps, favour the Alpha Amalayse over the Beta, produce relatively more dextrins... dextrins from malt ... maltodextrin.

I assume (probably wrongly) that thats exactly how they get maltodextrin in the first place.

Its just a common misconception that I was trying to discourage... high mash temp equals sweet beer... nope. Less fermentable yes, sweet, not really. Its incomplete attenuation of the fermentable sugars that gives sweetness, or at least mostly anyway.

[Test_Engineer]

I would say, drier, cleaner, and maybe slightly thinner that you are used to tasteing.

I actually prefer a drier PA if it is a hoppy beer. You might find that you will be able to drink this beer a lot faster than your normal/previous process.

You could always remove the water bath and let the fermentation temp rise up a bit to help it finnish out, but I think this yeast will do just fine at 65. Only thing to watch is if the temp drops even more after primary fermentation(not as much heat is produced after the primary is done).