First brew - need some advice

[mavenson]

Hi all,

Would love to seek your inputs on my first brew. Currently finished the boiling phase and it’s been fermenting for 3 days already.
I’m following the recipe as provided below:

https://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/08/29/german-lager-recipe-all-grain/

The problem here is that my fermentation temperature is around 21-23degrees (as I live in a tropical country), as compared to the prescribed fermentation temperature that the recipe calls for (10 degrees). While the recipe stipulates 3 weeks primary fermentation, what is your advice with respect to such a time period at such a higher temperature ( as yeast activity would be increased ). My intuition would be to reduce the fermentation time to compensate for the higher temperature ( as I read that prolonged fermentation) may introduce off-flavors to my beer.
What’s your advice? Greatly appreciated!

Additionally, any other pointers should I take note during my fermentation?

 

[cactusgarrett]

You can't have "prolonged fermentation". If your beer finishes fermentation and it sits in its fermenter longer, there is no problem with that. Just because fermentation will be complete sooner, that doesn't mean you're on the clock to bottle or get it off the primary yeast cake. The higher temp for a lager yeast means only 2 things: it will finish faster than it would have if it were colder, and it is more likely to throw off flavors you're not expecting. The only time keeping your beer on the yeast cake too long turns into a problem is on the order of months and months: the dead yeast can give off-flavors (look up "autolysis"), but this takes quite some time - more than you're dealing with.

PLENTY of people make lagers with lager yeast fermented warm, as well as with ale yeast (do some searching on this site). For your next batch, do some research on warm temp lagers to choose a yeast that will give the desired result at warmer temps.

 

[Rob2010SS]

You can't have "prolonged fermentation". If your beer finishes fermentation and it sits in its fermenter longer, there is no problem with that. Just because fermentation will be complete sooner, that doesn't mean you're on the clock to bottle or get it off the primary yeast cake. The higher temp for a lager yeast means only 2 things: it will finish faster than it would have if it were colder, and it is more likely to throw off flavors you're not expecting. The only time keeping your beer on the yeast cake too long turns into a problem is on the order of months and months: the dead yeast can give off-flavors (look up "autolysis"), but this takes quite some time - more than you're dealing with.

PLENTY of people make lagers with lager yeast fermented warm, as well as with ale yeast (do some searching on this site). For your next batch, do some research on warm temp lagers to choose a yeast that will give the desired result at warmer temps.

+1 to this. The only thing I would add to @cactusgarrett comments is in regards to off flavor. If there's any off flavors, it's going to be produced in the early stages of fermentation. Cutting the time in primary fermenter down from 3 weeks to 2 weeks is not going to have an effect on off flavors. Off flavors are more of a factor of yeast health than fermentation time.

 

[mavenson]

You can't have "prolonged fermentation". If your beer finishes fermentation and it sits in its fermenter longer, there is no problem with that. Just because fermentation will be complete sooner, that doesn't mean you're on the clock to bottle or get it off the primary yeast cake. The higher temp for a lager yeast means only 2 things: it will finish faster than it would have if it were colder, and it is more likely to throw off flavors you're not expecting. The only time keeping your beer on the yeast cake too long turns into a problem is on the order of months and months: the dead yeast can give off-flavors (look up "autolysis"), but this takes quite some time - more than you're dealing with.

PLENTY of people make lagers with lager yeast fermented warm, as well as with ale yeast (do some searching on this site). For your next batch, do some research on warm temp lagers to choose a yeast that will give the desired result at warmer temps.

Thank you!