How cold is too cold?

[2020 Pandemic Hooch]

Getting ready to add yeast to my must and am a little concerned about the temps in my "fermentation room"..

We've been having warm, then cold weather, and I've been tracking temps and I am averaging about 68 degrees for the past week (high of 74 and low of 61 degrees. I think I'm ok, but the weather for the next week looks on the cool side, so I'll likely be around 65 degrees on average.

Is this too cold to properly ferment?

 

[mainshipfred]

Depends on the wine and yeast. I like fermenting my whites as low a 50 if the yeast strain will support it and many will. If you're doing reds as long as you get a good starter and a proper yeast you should be fine. Once the fermentation starts it will generate its own heat.

 

[Scooter68]

And since the ferment will generate it's own heat - IF you want to raise the temperature you could wrap the bucket in a blanket until temps warm up a bit.

 

[cmason1957]

You have nothing to worry about with an average temp of 68 F. I ferment in my basement all thre time, using many different yeasts. They will all handle 68F quite well.

 

[Rice_Guy]

Commercial yeast should all work at 50F, it just takes longer. If you are willing to look at lager yeast you will find 40F can be used.

 

[2020 Pandemic Hooch]

Depends on the wine and yeast. I like fermenting my whites as low a 50 if the yeast strain will support it and many will. If you're doing reds as long as you get a good starter and a proper yeast you should be fine. Once the fermentation starts it will generate its own heat.

It will be an apple wine, starting with about 30 pounds of chopped apples, and using lalvin EC-1118 Champagne Yeast.

Thanks, David.