Hey all, I have a batch of Caribou Slobber that I brewed last weekend and threw it in a room under the stairs in my basement which usually stays around 66 degrees to ferment. However, when I checked it 24 hours later on Sunday the airlock was bubbling like crazy and the temp in the room was at 72! So I hurried and made room for my primary in my keezer and set the temp up to 65, however, since then I haven't seen a single bubble from the airlock. Now I know Revvy would jump in here and say that my airlock doesn't mean (you know what), but I'm hoping I didn't screw something up with such a high temp start for the yeast and then dropping a good 8 degrees or so. So my question is, have a hurt my yeast with the temp drop, and am I doomed to weird off-flavors due to the high temp snafu? I love moose drool and was really excited when the wife got me this kit for my B-day so I really don't want this batch to be lawn food...
Ferment temp too high 24hrs too much?
- Thread starter MicahB
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72 isn't that high. Sure, 62 would have been better.
Don't worry about it. Damage is done. Most of the fermentation is probably finished. I doubt you'll have lawn food.
Man, lots of panic on the forum tonight. Chillax everyone - homebrewer's rule the chill world.
Don't worry about it. Damage is done. Most of the fermentation is probably finished. I doubt you'll have lawn food.
Man, lots of panic on the forum tonight. Chillax everyone - homebrewer's rule the chill world.
Lemon
Active Member
No worries. Age it an extra week or two if you want (in my experience extra age mellows high temp off flavors).
HootHootHoot
Well-Known Member
I second lemons comment. Age it a little longer. It will taste great!
But 72 is a lot for room temperature, remember that the temperature of the liquid in active fermentation is higher because fermentation is an exothermic reaction. For high gravity beer the differences can be up to 10 degrees at the peak of the process.
But you can't do anything at this point, I wouldn't throw it away, just give it more time to age some off flavours mellow over time.
Also, what yeast did you use?
72F isn'y high at all for the average ale yeast. At the high end on average. All I've gotten from low ferment temps is slower ferment. I did get a tiny hair less fruitiness,but that was it. That,& less likely to need a blow off. Just staying within the yeasts' entire temp range is reasonable.
But I always do let it settle out clear or slightly misty after FG is reached. It cleans up at this same time as well.
But I always do let it settle out clear or slightly misty after FG is reached. It cleans up at this same time as well.
how much off-flavors you would have gotten depends on the yeast used, some are more tolerant than others.
when you say u put it into the keezer and set it to 65F, what temp was it before? i'd guess around 40F, so unless you have a heat supply in it, you probably crashed out a bunch of the yeast which is why its been slow since. if so, you may want to gently rock the FV to rouse some of the yeast back into suspension
when you say u put it into the keezer and set it to 65F, what temp was it before? i'd guess around 40F, so unless you have a heat supply in it, you probably crashed out a bunch of the yeast which is why its been slow since. if so, you may want to gently rock the FV to rouse some of the yeast back into suspension
Around here I regularly have to ferment at 76-78 degrees F A) because there's no way to keep a room cool during summer except AC and B) because SWMBO will turn off the AC as soon as I leave the house (she's the type who could be in the middle of a volcano and ask for a sweater), and C) I don't have a fermentation chamber yet. I've never run into any issues, honestly. Could my beers improve that 1 smidge if it was cooler? Probably, however I've never gotten anything but compliments on my results from nonbrewers and brewers alike.
However I do go out of my way to make sure the yeast is pretty tolerant of higher temperatures during summer, and thats really where your issue will lie. What yeast did you use? For all you know your yeast could be fine up past 80 degrees. What yeast, and from who. Then you can take a look at their spec sheet and see the temperature tolerances.
However I do go out of my way to make sure the yeast is pretty tolerant of higher temperatures during summer, and thats really where your issue will lie. What yeast did you use? For all you know your yeast could be fine up past 80 degrees. What yeast, and from who. Then you can take a look at their spec sheet and see the temperature tolerances.
those specs are for internal temp mind you, not ambient (2-10f difference). most english strains can get some pretty gross flavors over 70F. those first few days are when most off flavors are developed so hopefully with how quickly u brought it down and a lil extra time it'll be like nothing happened
I just did the AG version of Slobber as well and pitched the yeast on 8/9/12 about 3pm and by 10 pm, it was already starting it's work. Yesterday, while not close to overflow, it was extremely active and then today, it's almost thru and the krausen is almost all gone.
I pitched at about 71 but had it in a cooler so it go to 69 quickly and since the 9th, had to slowly lower to 66 where I'll keep it for 3 weeks. I don't think the 70-72 range is a problem with the Windsor yeast though I second the at least 3 weeks of fermentation. I plan on 3 to 3 1/2 weeks with no secondary then 1 week in a keg at room temp before I put it in the kegerator.
I've read that this yeast doesn't attenuate as low and to expect a relatively higher FG than normal.
I pitched at about 71 but had it in a cooler so it go to 69 quickly and since the 9th, had to slowly lower to 66 where I'll keep it for 3 weeks. I don't think the 70-72 range is a problem with the Windsor yeast though I second the at least 3 weeks of fermentation. I plan on 3 to 3 1/2 weeks with no secondary then 1 week in a keg at room temp before I put it in the kegerator.
I've read that this yeast doesn't attenuate as low and to expect a relatively higher FG than normal.
I just brewed this on Friday evening. All went well , cooled it down with the chiller then racked to the carboy, then topped off, about a gallon or so, with cold tap water. checked OG was 1.052 right where it should be.
Then i did it... grabbed the yeast, sanitized of course, and pitched it!! but i forgot to check the temp!! the meter says~80!! SH*T!!
grabbed the carboy and through it back in the sink and filled with ice/water... finally got it to come down to ~76ish. its still pretty warm here in Ga.
put the airlock on it, and sat it on the floor next to the coolest place in the house.
next morning, bubbled into the air lock, installed blow off tube, next night again bubbled up through the tube!!
So did i ruin it with too high a temp? the yeast is sure active!! bubbles have calmed down a bit now i may put the airlock back on tonight..
sigh... always check temps!!
lesson learned...
Then i did it... grabbed the yeast, sanitized of course, and pitched it!! but i forgot to check the temp!! the meter says~80!! SH*T!!
grabbed the carboy and through it back in the sink and filled with ice/water... finally got it to come down to ~76ish. its still pretty warm here in Ga.
put the airlock on it, and sat it on the floor next to the coolest place in the house.
next morning, bubbled into the air lock, installed blow off tube, next night again bubbled up through the tube!!
So did i ruin it with too high a temp? the yeast is sure active!! bubbles have calmed down a bit now i may put the airlock back on tonight..
sigh... always check temps!!
lesson learned...
you likely didn't ruin it, but it will be more estery (fruity) than initially anticipated. do a search for "swamp cooler" to help keep your temps under control better in the future. as you learned already, always check temps first, if you sanitized well there's no reason you can't give it time to cool the rest of the way down (always <70F for pitching, cept maybe will belgians/saisons)
I did wrap a towel around it and tried to cool it down with ice/water. sitting about 74now. will be harder to get much cooler then that til it cools off some.
next time I will use water from the tap, then stick in the fridge while i am cooking so i can pour it in and cool it down. i thought the tap water would cool it down a bit more then it did...
next time I will use water from the tap, then stick in the fridge while i am cooking so i can pour it in and cool it down. i thought the tap water would cool it down a bit more then it did...
