Should I be concerned??

[Reilly]

I have in the primary a WE eclipse pinot gris kit. I pitched the yeast on 6/30
The temp was 75 on 6/30 & 7/1. Today, the temp spiked to 81 degrees. There is still good fermentation going on with plenty of bubbles and great smells. I don't want the temp spike to interrupt progress.
Should I be worried about the temp?
How can I reduce the temp to between 70-75 ?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Sammyk]

Fermentation will cause the temperature to rise.

 

[JohnT]

This should not be any concern. A by-product of fermentation is heat. This is normal, but you may loose some of the more "fruity" characteristics if the heat goes much higher (say, up to 90 degrees).

This in itself is not really a bad thing and some winemakers actually prefer a "hot" fermentation for that very reason.

You are not a risk of having your fermentation shut down due to high temps. An active fermentation can go over 100 degrees is need be. For now, keep you eye on it and don't worry.

In case you do need to cool it down, fill an empty, plastic soda bottle 1/2 full with water and freeze it. If the temp truely needs to come down, simply float the frozen bottle in the wine (with the cap on, of course).

 

[Reilly]

This should not be any concern. A by-product of fermentation is heat. This is normal, but you may loose some of the more "fruity" characteristics if the heat goes much higher (say, up to 90 degrees).

This in itself is not really a bad thing and some winemakers actually prefer a "hot" fermentation for that very reason.

You are not a risk of having your fermentation shut down due to high temps. An active fermentation can go over 100 degrees is need be. For now, keep you eye on it and don't worry.

In case you do need to cool it down, fill an empty, plastic soda bottle 1/2 full with water and freeze it. If the temp truely needs to come down, simply float the frozen bottle in the wine (with the cap on, of course).

Thanks for the bottle suggestion. I don't want to lose the "fruity" characteristics so I may use this to get the temp under 75.

 

[Putterrr]

To moderate temps during the summer, I have placed my primary in a laundry tub and filled with water. The water will want to be at room temp and the wine will want to heat the water to its temp. you will end up in the middle which is usually just above room temp. you can also add ice to the tub if need be

cheers

 

[bakervinyard]

Reilly, If you decide to put the water jug in your primary don't forget to sanitize it. I use oblong tubs then put ice around the primary, within hours it will be cooled. Bakervinyard