Wort getting warm during fermentation

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natedoggaz

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Hello,

My first post!

I found this site VERY helpful when cooking my first batch.

OK, here is my issue and to make a long story short..

I pitched the yeast at about 70-72 degrees this past Saturday.
Now the temp on the glass carboy (in my closet) is about 76-78.

Is this too warm for the fermentation to occur? Should I try cooling it down?

Would there be any adverse effects in having the temp that high for a day or so?

I used California Ale Yeast WLP001.

Thanks!

Nathan
 
That is higher than ideal for most yeast strains. You will still have beer, but it is likely that there will be some undesirable "off-flavors" from the high temperatures. Try searching for "swamp cooler" and "son of a fermentation chiller" for cheap, easy ways to regulate fermentation temperatures
 
Also, minor detail - once you pitch the yeast, it's beer! No longer wort. Yeehaw for amazing creatures.
 
Thank you very much - I will put the carboy in a tub of water tonight and try cooling it down, there is a LOT of krausen in the carboy, almost to the point where I need a blowoff tube.

Hopefully no damage has been done...but, its also a learning process. I may not notice if the flavor has been altered.

I do live in Arizona where it gets hotter than hades in the summer - it is going to be tough to keep the carboy and wort cold without some sort of chiller in a few months...

ND
 
natedoggaz said:
Thank you very much - I will put the carboy in a tub of water tonight and try cooling it down, there is a LOT of krausen in the carboy, almost to the point where I need a blowoff tube.

Hopefully no damage has been done...but, its also a learning process. I may not notice if the flavor has been altered.

I do live in Arizona where it gets hotter than hades in the summer - it is going to be tough to keep the carboy and wort cold without some sort of chiller in a few months...

ND
Click to expand...

Ya I live in AZ also. My first couple of brews were fermenting way to warm but they were very drinkable, if not delicious. Right now though is a good time for those of us with out temp controls to brew. House is about 65 and the brews don't seem to go above 70-71. Good luck bro-ham!
 
Do you like Belgian styles? Many Belgian yeast strains are happy in the high 70's or even low 80's. I live in NC, and it also gets hotter than hades in the summer here too. I often brew Tripels ans Saisons in the summertime because I do not have a temp-controlled ferm chamber (yet)
 
I like all kinds of beers!

I will drink Budweiser with NASCAR peeps, to Guinness with the Irish folk...

The one I am brewing now is an American Honey Porter (extract kit) full boil
I wanted to try something easier to get back into the delicious hobby.

There is no way I can just stick the carboy in my garage in the summer - it can easliy get to be OVER 100 in there, maybe as high as 110!

I am not sure if a fermentation chiller can sustain that type of hot temps all day long...

ND
 
I just got into this addictive hobby as well via the common "gateway drug" of a Mr. Beer kit (got one for Christmas and then someone at work gave me one their husband didn't want, so I've got two happily fermenting now).

I keep reading about sanitation and temp control being the two most important factors to making good brew, followed by patience (the hard one for me, but I'm learning).

I was blessed to have a chest freezer sitting unused in my Texas garage (hot in summer, sometimes cold in winter) that I rigged up as a ferm chamber for about $30 (STC-1000 plus light-bulb-in-paint-can heater). I'm hopeful that the ability to set whatever temp I need is going to help give me some good results (good enough to share with friends and co-workers anyway). I wanted to nail that part of it down and develop good sanitation before stepping up to bigger batches and more complicated styles. It's also helped make me the envy of some of my more experienced brewing friends who don't have such a setup (yet). I've already offered to build the control box for two of them if they'll buy the parts. :D

If you have the room, keep on hunting the Craigslist ads. Even in the smaller towns, fridges and freezers are common listings. Some of them are quite inexpensive. Either work great when you add a controller.
 
Thanks Floyd! The space is a bit of a concern, and the power consumption as well. I already have a fridge in the garage unfortunately and a bunch of other crap in there as well making space a premium. If I do constuct some type of fermentation chamber and find room in my garage for it, it has to be power conscious. My electric bills in the summer easily top $500....urgh.

The carboy is in a closet now - sitting in a large pail of water. Temperature is holding at around 70-72 degrees and still burping away. By putting the carboy in the water brought the temp down quite quickly.

Only way to tell if that initial higher temp fermentation has any effect on the taste is to wait another 3 or so weeks unfortunatley...

ND
 
natedoggaz said:
Thanks Floyd! The space is a bit of a concern, and the power consumption as well. I already have a fridge in the garage unfortunately and a bunch of other crap in there as well making space a premium. If I do constuct some type of fermentation chamber and find room in my garage for it, it has to be power conscious. My electric bills in the summer easily top $500....urgh.

The carboy is in a closet now - sitting in a large pail of water. Temperature is holding at around 70-72 degrees and still burping away. By putting the carboy in the water brought the temp down quite quickly.

Only way to tell if that initial higher temp fermentation has any effect on the taste is to wait another 3 or so weeks unfortunatley...

ND
Click to expand...

That method (swamp cooler) is what i use also. I usually keep two 2-liter soda bottles filled with water and frozen in my freezer. That way I can cool the fermenter even more if I need to. One frozen bottle added to the water in the bucket does alot to cool the beer even more. I have found this to be especially helpful in the summer months. Usually swapping out the water bottles 2x each day will keep ferm temps in the high 60's, even when the house is in the mid to high 70's (with the a/c on!) in the summertime.
 
Tomorrow will mark 1 week since I cooked this batch...
Hopefully the fluctuation in temp wil not cause any weird tastes to come out - if they do, oh well...I'll drink the fruits (beer) of my labor anyway =)

It is still burping away - about once every 15-20 seconds as of this morning...so something is still going on inside.

When the temp jumped up to 76-78 degrees when the fermentation was in full swing, and the fact that I cooled it off prettty quickly after the responses on this post that the temop was too high... Would an issue be created in the fermantation from cooling it down too fast? It went from 76-78 down to 72 probably in less than an hour...

Thanks!

Nathan
 
natedoggaz said:
Tomorrow will mark 1 week since I cooked this batch...
Hopefully the fluctuation in temp wil not cause any weird tastes to come out - if they do, oh well...I'll drink the fruits (beer) of my labor anyway =)

It is still burping away - about once every 15-20 seconds as of this morning...so something is still going on inside.

When the temp jumped up to 76-78 degrees when the fermentation was in full swing, and the fact that I cooled it off prettty quickly after the responses on this post that the temop was too high... Would an issue be created in the fermantation from cooling it down too fast? It went from 76-78 down to 72 probably in less than an hour...

Thanks!

Nathan
Click to expand...


I'm having a similar issue. I've got an American IPA going now. Pitched this past Sunday a bit too cold (60) and the temp has been steadily rising. Just hot home and checked it at 76. It's been bubbling at a pretty good clip from about 12 hours in. Actually it still is bubbling so I was hesitant to cool it down. I added water to the container that the carboy is sitting in and am now rethinking that decision.
How did yours turn out?
 
Mine turned out just fine...got nearly 6% apv if my calculations were correct. The higher temp for a day or so (before I put carboy in water) did not seem to cause any effects.. I was totally worried about it the whole time - but it ended up just fine. I kept it brewing for an extra week ( 3 instead of 2 per directions) just in case...
 
IIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFF, and that's a big if, I don't find a good use for my second chest freezer soon, I'll get ahold of one of you guys and work something CHEAP out for it. You'll still want to get a temp controller, but it helps 100% with keeping temps where you want them.

GL on the brews.
 
Hackwood said:
IIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFF, and that's a big if, I don't find a good use for my second chest freezer soon, I'll get ahold of one of you guys and work something CHEAP out for it. You'll still want to get a temp controller, but it helps 100% with keeping temps where you want them.

GL on the brews.
Click to expand...

OK cool - how big is your chest freezer?

You can rig it to keep temps at 60-70 degrees?

My garage faces west so it gets direct sunlight in the summer and can easily get to be 110+ in there..
 
I'll have to check CUft, but I got both fermenters in there and the hump was clear for setting the probe in a big mug of water.
 
I had a temp problem with my first batch also, it was an IPA.. it fermented for about 2 days in mid to high 70's before I got it into a Rubbermaid container with water and cooled it to mid 60's. I judged it a little harsher but someone said it was the best beer they've ever had.
 
Definitely look into the swamp cooler builds on the site. They're affordable and effective. Fermentation temperature control is, in my opinion, the most important aspect to brewing. If you can't control your temperatures within the recommended range for your particular strain, look into more forgiving styles like saisons.

Oh, also - it's brewing not cooking! Cooking a batch is what meth heads do.
 

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