US-05 at 75 degrees ....

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StretchBrew

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Alright ... before I even start, last night I already RDWHAHB but ... I had my freshly brewed APA in the fermented with US-05 in the basement that was brewed Wednesday afternoon. When I checked on it last night after work, the ambient temp was at 75 degrees. I moved it to where I thought it would be about at the 70 mark and as of this morning it's still at 72. Couple questions...
1)How much damage do you think was done while it was at 75 for 24 hours?
2)Do you think it's going to be mediocre if it stays at 72 degrees for the next 3 and a half weeks?
3)After 48 hours in 70+ temps, would it be worth it to try to do a swamp cooler for it?

I know, I know ... beginner's worries but still ... this is my 1st mini-panic post and my 4th batch of beer so i think i'm allowed :p heh! Really I'm leaning towards just let it ride and RDWHAHB , but I need some reassurance. I'm really counting on this beer being awesome in 8 and half weeks for late July when I'm on vacation. I just don't want to mess it up!
 
75F is upper range for that yeast. Temp range is 59F-75F,but I've heard 60-65F is good. Just leave it in primary at even 70F if you can for 3 weeks or so to finish & clean up. It def comes out better,then 3 weeks in the bottle & into the fridge till it clears again is quite good.
 
Boleslaus> yeast was pitched @ 5pm ... there might have been some bubbling around 9-10 o'clock. could have happened sooner i guess, I didn't look before then though.

unionrdr> I did see that on the package about 75 being the high end, but I know at around 66-68 would be perfect so... I got nervous. I plan on leaving it in the primary three and a half weeks, and it will be in the bottle 5 weeks before I start hitting it. I could cut a week off the bottle conditioning time & add a week to primary if you think the yeast will clean up better with 4 and half weeks.

On an unrelated note (to the yeast) but speaking of clearing I threw in a tablet of whirlfloc in just for the heck of it with 15 min left in the boil to try to get it to clear real nice. I never used it before, so I'm kind of excited to see how that works out. Might have been unnecessary, but what the hell, right?
 
Sorry for some mildly bad news: My understanding is that most of the damage from too-high fermentation temps takes place in the first 24 hours. It's still a good idea to get the temp down if you can anyway, though.

The good news is that while a hot fermentation is bad for (most styles of) beer, it's not that bad. Your beer will be fine; keep the temps under better control next time and it will be even better!
 
unionrdr> I did see that on the package about 75 being the high end, but I know at around 66-68 would be perfect so... I got nervous.

It's not just that, it's also that early fermentation tends to be hotter than ambient. The beer could easily have been 80F at points last night.

The long conditioning times you are planning should mitigate most of the off-flavors from what I understand. You're doing great!:mug:
 
1 - You might get some off flavors but the beer will be OK. A guy brought in some warmer fermented beer and I think it was S-05. There was some clove type flavor in it.

I think the first 72 hours are key. You could try to get it down to 70 or so and it might still help.

Fermentation temperature control is one of the biggest things in making good beer.
 
In my experience,the initial ferment -first 4 days approx.- are when temps are most critical. I just try to maintain that,or get down to a good temp ASAP. Keep it there to finish & clean up goes a long way to make it better. Besides bottle time,where 3 weeks or so for average gravity beers is just fine. But don't discount fridge time. It drives co2 back into solution,clears it up more,& compacts yeast sediment a bit more. 5 weeks may not be needed,but try finding the shortest time to get it where you like it.:mug:
 
Damage has been done. The first few days are definitely the most important. Also, that "range" is based on wort temp which is always higher (usually 5-10 degrees when active) than ambient.

It'll still be safe and drinkable, just don't expect to win any awards with it.
 
Relax dude. The "damage" they speak of isn't that bad. My ferm temps for my first couple brews were uncontrolled at 72ish ambient, and the yeast didn't ruin the beer.

Definitely do something to get your temps under control for your bext batch tho. Try a wet towel around the carboy with a fan blowing on it. That's all I use and I keep temps below 70 now.
 
Yes,the damage has been done. no it's not permanent. Usually is fixable if you let it sit in primary to finish up,& 1-2 weeks to clean up. Bottle conditioning goes even further to help fix this. I can tell you from personal experience. I got rid of so much of every off flavor known to man in my 1st brew,that only a little teeny eeny weenie bit was left way in the back. Too much tap water top off. I now boil at least 2.5 gallons. Then top off with natural spring water. But don't ever think most of these can't be fixed..they can to a high degree if caught & controlled asap.
 
The most important time period in terms of Esther production and other flavors is during the reproduction phase. This can be from 0-72 hours out. The only way to tell would be in a clear vessel.

After O2 has been consumed and critical mass is reached then the yeast begin active, anaerobic, fermentation.
 
US05 is a pretty forgiving yeast. As others mentioned 75 degrees is the top end for it. I had a couple batches get that hot with it and they turned out just fine. Let it sit as recommended for a couple extra weeks in primary and you should be golden.
 
Just verifying, it is recommended that it be left in the PRIMARY to get rid of any damage and not transfer to a secondary vessel?
 
Immediately after pitching, I always put my carboys into two, different-sized, stacked plastic tubs, one inside of the other. This allows me to add cold water to the inside, smaller tub and also use ice packs to get it even cooler if necessary. This is my standard operating procedure for all of my brews. This way, I can better control hot fermentations and then, once it has died down a bit, siphon the water out of the tub, warm it up if need be and better control the temps.

Hope this helps...

WD
 
I pretty much use no other yeast except 05 and 04. Ferm at 72-74 and leave it on the cake for ~3 weeks. Never had any off flavors and always get great compliments on the beer. They are as posted above a very forgiving yeast especially giving time to clean up (in which 04 will make a brick in your fermenter lol).
 
Sound great ... I feel much better. This won't happen again. short story long is it just got warm here in the passed week or two and my coal stove is still running in the basement to keep the moisture out til I get a new dehumidifier this weekend. Once the stove it out it'll be good and cool down there, i just didn't think it was THAT warm on the other side of the basement (it's divided into two rooms) but it sounds like It will be ok. now it's time for a beverage now that the weekend has begun!!! I'll raise my glass to you guys! You all rock! =) Thanks!!
 
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