All the Key Temperatures for Brewing Holiday Ale
| Stage | Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Strike Water | 162°F (72°C) | Heat to this before adding grain. Will drop when grain added. |
| Target Mash Temp | 152°F (67°C) | Ideal for balanced body/fermentability. Hold for 60 min. |
| Mash Range (Low) | 148-150°F (64-66°C) | More fermentable wort → drier, lighter body beer |
| Mash Range (High) | 154-158°F (68-70°C) | Less fermentable → sweeter, fuller body beer |
| Rolling Boil | 212°F (100°C) | Maintain vigorous boil for 60 minutes. No lid! |
| Pitching Temperature | <75°F (<24°C) | Cool to this BEFORE adding yeast. Ideally 65-70°F. |
| Danger Zone | >90°F (>32°C) | Yeast stress/death. Never pitch above this! |
| Ideal Range | 64-68°F (18-20°C) | Cleanest fermentation, balanced esters |
| Acceptable Range | 60-72°F (15-22°C) | Will ferment fine, may have more/fewer esters |
| Too Cold | <58°F (<14°C) | Yeast may go dormant, sluggish/stuck fermentation |
| Too Warm | >75°F (>24°C) | Produces fusel alcohols, harsh flavors |
| Conditioning Temp | 65-75°F (18-24°C) | Room temperature for carbonation (2+ weeks) |
| Serving/Storage | 38-45°F (3-7°C) | Refrigerator temp after conditioning complete |
| Star San Solution | Room Temp | Works at any reasonable temperature |
| Yeast Rehydration (optional) | 95-100°F (35-38°C) | If rehydrating dry yeast before pitching |