First brew question/issues

[Corneykeg]

I am making a lagunitas IPA clone for my first brew and I think it's going well. A few possible concerns though.

I steeped my grains for 45 mins and the temp went from 150 and got up to 180 at the highest before I dropped it back down. Hopefully not a huge deal

I didn't have my brew pot boiling yet but added in the water from above, which took a while before I got a boil. Hopefully not a,huge deal.

Pitched sat at midnight around 80 and a real violent fermentation, . Clogging up the s airlock and white yeast/beer coming out of airlock in the middle of the night and when I am at work, which ran out of star san during bubbling out. Changed over to blow off tube today. I will never use an s airlock again, since I was stressed all day at work worrying I would come home to a mess. Luckily I placed the carboy in a open storage container. Collected the mess. Don't think it's a big deal either.

Just wanted your input to see your thoughts.

 

[eastoak]

fermenting at 80 degrees you may not have a lagunitas clone, sorry.

 

[Corneykeg]

I am keeping it now at 74, which hope it helps. Live in FL and its hot hot outside, eventually will get Johnson controls for a college fridge but for now swamp cooling it.

 

[NewWestBrewer]

I am keeping it now at 74, which hope it helps. Live in FL and its hot hot outside, eventually will get Johnson controls for a college fridge but for now swamp cooling it.

Keeping the water at 74 or the brew? Would most likely be a couple of degrees higher in the bucket. Even 74 is pushing things...most likely will still have a good beer but most likely not a clone, unless it said to ferment at 74. In regards to the airlock, I think a lot of people use blow off to start and then airlock once fermentation has settled down.

 

[Corneykeg]

The sticker on the carboy lists 74' but just hope it tastes good for my first go around. Not really that picky its identical, but wanted to make sure my mistakes ipdidnt lead to skunk.

I can remove the blow off cap and put a sanitized thermometer in and test? Good idea or not?

 

[Corneykeg]

Plus I plan on using peach extract in the corney, so an exact clone doesn't matter.c I just wanted the lagunitas as the base IPA.

 

[NewWestBrewer]

The sticker on the carboy lists 74' but just hope it tastes good for my first go around. Not really that picky its identical, but wanted to make sure my mistakes ipdidnt lead to skunk.

I can remove the blow off cap and put a sanitized thermometer in and test? Good idea or not?

No I think you should leave it. Just try and cool it a little, try to get sub 70. More ice more frozen water bottles should do the trick. As I said..this still should be a good beer and WELCOME TO THE OBSESSION.

PS. Unless you get an infection beer is pretty hard to screw up. It might not be what you want but it will still be beer.

 

[glick]

I would get some ice in that water to get the beer temp down if it's not already too late. Fermenting that warm is going to give you some interesting flavors and maybe fusels.

 

[Corneykeg]

Sweet thanks for the input

 

[eastoak]

if this fermented anywhere between 74-80 then you will probably not have a good beer. yeast love those high temps and they will go nuts fermenting the wort but will be producing fusel alcohol among other off flavors. most ale yeasts do best under 70, i usually ferment american ale yeast at 64-65 give or take a degree since my controller is not super precise. the first 12 hrs of fermentation are critical as far as temperature.

 

[eastoak]

don't get discouraged, this is a common thread post here, we've all done the old uncontrolled fermentation at some point.

 

[Corneykeg]

I used White Labs WLP001 California Ale yeast

We shall see!

Sounds like digital controlled is almost a requirement, especially in Fl summer

 

[wilserbrewer]

Sounds like digital controlled is almost a requirement, especially in Fl summer

Well sort of but not really. As mentioned above, the first stage of fermentation is the most critical! Next time I would chill your wort down to the low sixties and pitch the yeast, then temper the swamp chiller with frozen soda bottles. Be careful not to go too low!

If you start cool, it is a lot easier to keep in check for the first couple days!

If you start hot, it will run away from you as you noticed...cheers!

 

[Corneykeg]

So is the issue the beer could be better at fermenting at a constant 68 degrees? Or is the beer possibly undrinkable now because I couldn't control temp in that range?

 

[eastoak]

So is the issue the beer could be better at fermenting at a constant 68 degrees? Or is the beer possibly undrinkable now because I couldn't control temp in that range?

undrinkable is subjective but it will probably be thin and have strong, solvent like flavors.

 

[eltorrente]

It's too late to cool it down - the damage is mostly done in the initial stages of fermentation (first 24hours or so). Cooling it after it had already gone crazy at 80degrees means lots of diacetyl production, and the yeast isn't going to be eating it all up in the later stages.

Normally, you'd want to wait to pitch your yeast at a lower temp - sub-70degs (I pitch yeast for PA and IPA at 62), and let it rise in temp after a few days, to keep the fermentation going and allow the yeast to eat the diacetyl. Your fermentation profile was backwards (starting very high, and ending low).

Next time wait for as long as it takes to cool your wort down before adding the yeast.

btw, it will taste nothing like Lagunitas IPA. Maybe it will be drinkable though, but now you can learn from your mistake.

 

[Corneykeg]

Got it. Thx for the advice. I will be doing another brew anyway in a few weeks, so will get it right before then.