Fermentation Temperature Control (Updated!)

I thought I’d break out of my recent beer review mode and get back to homebrewing (mainly because I finally got a chance to brew again the other day.)  I brewed up a second version of my award winning English barleywine, coming in at 1.104 starting gravity, and realized I’d need to work hard on getting the fermentation temperatures just right on it. 

Over the years I have found that recipe means less than fermentation control when it comes down to making a great beer.  There are lots of ways to get better control of your fermentation and I’ll go over a few of them today.  First off some helpful hints. 

1) Most yeast put out fruity esters and higher fusel (paint-thinner) alcohols at higher temps, so keeping the beer in cooler temps will help retard that process.  Some beers benefit from those esters–take German Hefeweizen and some of the Belgian ales, so pay attention to your desired goal and the specifications of the individual yeast.  All of the yeast companies publi …