fermenting temps

[manisfive]

I am fermenting my first brew right now. It's at the 36-48 hour mark. I rehydrated the yeast a.couple of hours beforehand and pitched it at 60 degrees. My ambient temp in my basement I believe is about 70 degrees. The temp has slowly risen to 70 in the fermentor. I was hoping it would hold off till tomorrow to hit 70. Do you guys think I will get alot of off flavors from this? If so, will they dissipate by letting it set for 3-4 on the yeast cake?

 

[Jlaw3000]

Search "swamp cooler" on this forum and do that ASAP if you are using an ale yeast. Belgian strains like it warm. Fermentation is very yeast and recipe specific.

If you don't do anything it will probably stay where it's at temp wise which really isn't too high. Don't worry though

 

[WoodlandBrew]

Agreed. A water bath will help regulate the temperature. The larger the block of ice you use the longer it takes to melt which means the temperature will be more stable.

http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/09/swamp-cooler.html

Large swings in temperature will stress the yeast as well. If you are adding several gallons of ice and it is all melting you might be doing more harm than good.

 

[manisfive]

I have read the threads dealing with swamp coolers and I plan on that in the future. I was curious how detrimental the high temp was going to for this beer. Basically is it ruined? It's northern brewers Irish red w/ specialty grains. My next is the "le petite saison"

 

[brettg20]

What yeast are you using? 70 isn't terrible for an ale yeast.

 

[BigFloyd]

What yeast are you using? 70 isn't terrible for an ale yeast.

True for most. Not terrible, but not ideal. Hope you're not using Nottingham at that temp.

 

[Jlaw3000]

Heck no it's not "ruined," it will simply taste different than it would have at lower temperatures assuming there is no infection or anything, better or worse is totally subjective. Likely it will be delicious and you will never know what the alternative could have been because it happened as it happened. Just try to keep it from going much higher. Cheers!

And don't worry, wait a few more days and take a sample... For gravity reading of course... .

 

[brettg20]

True for most. Not terrible, but not ideal. Hope you're not using Nottingham at that temp.

I ferment at 68-70 all the time with White Labs 001, never once had any issues or off flavors. No experience with Nottingham so can't chime in there...

 

[paraordnance]

Carboy submerged in water bath is the best way to regulate fermenting temperature sans dedicated temperature controlled fermenter, heck even in temperature controlled environment I would prefer to have my fermenter submerged to help compensate for temperature spikes. Large volume of water has great thermal mass and temperature fluctuations are minimal.
I ferment most of my beers that way with thermowell, monitoring and constantly adjusting surrounding water temperature with frozen water bottles. Although I do have temp controlled freezer but like to do it old fashioned way. This way I check on my beer every 4 hours or so, unless I'm sleeping. Temperature swings are usually no more than 2-3F which is very acceptable in my opinion. My tub is insulated as you can see with spray foam and holds temperature very well. My fermentation room is also kept around 60F during fermenting so its little easier to hold it where I need it. On a pictures below is a Kolsch (Wyeast 2575 Kolsch II) fermenting full force, 5.5 gal in 6 gal carboy and never needed a blow off tube. Fully attenuated in 6 days!
Since I got a thermowell I noticed that a difference between beer temperature and surrounding water in a tab usually no more than couple degrees. 1-2 F is what I see for the most part with both thermometers calibrated. So for those who doesn't have thermowell you can closely monitor temperature of water in a tub minus 2 F will give you beer temperature and you will be golden!

 

[manisfive]

Okay I just got home and it's up to 74 degrees. I know this is bad. I have a cheap tub I could fill up with cold water and use as a make shift swamp cooler. Is this worth doing on this ferment or is it to far gone? I don't want to shock the yeast. Thanks for all the comments guys. I'm definitely going for a swamp cooler for my next batches.

 

[Jlaw3000]

Really it's not so bad , put it in a tub of 70* and add some ice slowly as you go. Never get the water too much colder than the carboy. Try to bring it down 4-5 degrees over the next 24 hours, really though it will be fine !

 

[acidrain]

You never said what kind of yeast.

 

[manisfive]

. . . the nottingham. . .

 

[BigFloyd]

. . . the nottingham. . .

Sorry mano. That one functions at low temps very well (I've used it down to 55*F), but it's likely to give you some off-flavors at the higher temps you're talking about. Hopefully, they'll be the sort that will condition out with time. Be prepared to let this batch sit in the bottles for a while.

 

[manisfive]

Okay guys I got the tempature down and I feel like the initial fermantation is starting to subside. I don't plan on bottling this thing untill at least the three week mark or later. I was curious as to everybodies opinion on what temp I should attempt to for the rest of this wait. Should I take it out of the swamp cooler and let it acclimate to the ambient temp or should I leave it in the swamp cooler? This whole process has been really exciting even with all my tempature problems. I can't wait to start my next brew.

 

[BigFloyd]

Okay guys I got the tempature down and I feel like the initial fermantation is starting to subside. I don't plan on bottling this thing untill at least the three week mark or later. I was curious as to everybodies opinion on what temp I should attempt to for the rest of this wait. Should I take it out of the swamp cooler and let it acclimate to the ambient temp or should I leave it in the swamp cooler? This whole process has been really exciting even with all my tempature problems. I can't wait to start my next brew.

I'd leave it in the swamp cooler and try to keep it in the low-mid 60's.

 

[Jlaw3000]

^x 2

 

[manisfive]

So . . . How do you guys get a temp reading from your worth once it's in the cooler, besides what's already been posted in this thread? I have a glass thermometer that came with my kit and right now it's setting in the cooler water. The stickon thermometer is fully submerged. I can't imagine it being real accurate. The temp of the cooler is at 64. I let the beer set in 70 degree water for about 12 hours and then I cooled it down from there.

 

[manisfive]

Oh yeah . Thanks for all the advice guys.

 

[manisfive]

I took a gravity reading tonight and the beer is down to 1.01. I plan out letting it continue to age for another three weeks at least. Maybe it is just my imagination but I think I can feel the slightest burn in my sinuses when I tasted the sample. I know this is extremely green beer. How much of what I taste if I am tasting harsher alcohols will they ester away? I had a hard time finding a difinitive answer here and on the ol' fandangled google. Also, the kit says to transfer to a secondary. I don't plan on doing that. Is there anybody who wants to try to talk me into it I would listen.

 

[BigFloyd]

It's hard to say for sure, especially at this stage of things, but I'm afraid you might be tasting some fusel alcohols in there which were caused by the Nottingham yeast being under stress at the high ferment temps.

I do not know this for a fact, but I've been told that fusel alcohols will not condition out. Let's hope it's some other off-flavors you're tasting. At this point, the only way to know for sure is to prime, bottle and give it time. There's no need to transfer it to a secondary.

Don't be discouraged. You're certainly not the first, nor will you be the last, person to find out the hard way that Notty really is a lower temperature ale yeast that you simply cannot allow to run much above 68*F.

 

[manisfive]

The sample almost tasted like a lager. Weird.

 

[manisfive]

*update* Five weeks in the fermenter, one week in the bottle. The beer has a really weak mouth feel. It also has a bitterness that I don't know can be contributed to the hops. I know extract brews will always lack mouth feel. I might have compounded this problem by not steeping the grains enough. How much can I expect this beer to change over the next two weeks?

 

[BigFloyd]

*update* Five weeks in the fermenter, one week in the bottle. The beer has a really weak mouth feel. It also has a bitterness that I don't know can be contributed to the hops. I know extract brews will always lack mouth feel. I might have compounded this problem by not steeping the grains enough. How much can I expect this beer to change over the next two weeks?

One week in the bottle is 2-3 weeks away from being ready to sample.

Whoever told you that extract brews will always lack mouth feel told you wrong. If you want, you can make one that is quite chewy.

 

[manisfive]

Thank you. That's what I wanted to hear.