I have read alot of the searchg engine answers to relative questions but I'm wondering if there is anything I can do in this stage of the game. I have a secondary and a primary in the basement next to each other. The secondary is at 66-68 degrees. The primary that I just pitched onto a cake is at 76 degrees and in day three of fermentation. The temp is lowering slowly as the fermentation slows but am I looking at a ton of off flavors (I'm brewing an ipa)or can I ice bath to get the temp. down. Or do I just wait it out?
High fermentation temps.
- Thread starter beerbelay
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It's kinda late now, in day three of fermentation. It's probably just about finished. You want to start the fermentation at optimum temperatures, and keep it there through fermentation. Depending on the yeast you used, you might have some esters that are detectable. Some yeast strains are much more tolerant of high temperatures than others. I think Nottingham, for one, tastes pretty bad fermented at above 70 degrees, but Wyeast's Northwest ale yeast does fine at higher temperatures. Well, I've only fermented it up to 74 degrees, but that's "high" to me. Most of my ales are fermented at 62-65 degrees.
I've seen some get 8-10 degrees higher than ambient temperature, because of the heat produced by fermentation itself. A vigorous fermentation can do that, and do it quickly!
aeonderdonk
Well-Known Member
I've got a similar issue as well. Came home to a violent fermentation, had blown the lock off and was spattered on the ceiling and wall. The temp in the room is about 78 degrees.
It's only been 24 hours so I figured I will try the swamp cooler and avoid some nasty beer. Hopefully it isn't too late.
It is a Kolsch using 2526 Kolsch yeast.
It's only been 24 hours so I figured I will try the swamp cooler and avoid some nasty beer. Hopefully it isn't too late.
It is a Kolsch using 2526 Kolsch yeast.
I use a stick-on thermometer and just anticipate that the temperature will rise a bit. There are some things you can do to minimize the temperature change.
For one, put the entire fermenter into a water bath. That helps "insulate" the brew so that temperature swings are much more gradual and minimal. If the fermenter raises a couple degrees, drop a frozen water bottle into the water to keep it cooler. It takes a LONG time for the temperature of 4 gallons of water and 5.5 gallons of wort to change temperature, so that will minimize fluctuations.
Also, many people pitch too warm. If you pitch the yeast into 75 degree wort, and fermentation begins, it isn't going to cool to 65 degrees until after fermentation is over. By then, it's too late.
Also, a "slow and steady" fermentation will rise only a couple degrees, but a very vigorous fermentation will rise up to 10 degrees. Then, it's a double whammy because the warmer temperatures will encourage the beer to ferment faster and harder. If the beer starts fermenting more wildly, you can anticipate that the temperature will rise quickly.
Brewing in the summer is challenging- but it can be done with just a few easy modifications. Some people in warm climates have dedicated fermentation fridges, or fermentation set ups (like son of a fermentation chiller). I find that just keeping the fermenter in a water bath works for me.
