Cloudy Krausen... Warm Temps...

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PaulTheGhost

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I have an altbier in the primary right now (OG 1.056). Pitched on Wednesday (3/30) morning.
Strong krausen at 9 am the next day.
Using White Labs German Ale/Kolsch WLP029 with a 1 L starter.

Ferm temp for the first day was mid 60's (64-68) but when I came home from work on Thursday at 3:30, the ambient temp in my ferm room was 72! (We just got hit by a random heat wave). I submerged both of my fermenters in large tubs, filled the tubs with water, and wrapped the fermenters in old t shirts with a fan blowing on them. Temp of the water is around 62-64, ambient temp still around 71-72. I don't have a carboy thermometer, but I'm going to try to get a couple today (the stick-on kind) so I can know better what the temp of the beer is (theoretically it should be the same as the water, right?)

Didn't look at the Krausen before the ambient temp went up, but I took a peek today and it's CLOUDY! I've never seen that before. I'm a little worried that the heat had something to do with it. Should I be worried?

Here's a few pictures:

http://i.imgur.com/1ucfS.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/UJc5H.jpg

There was a lot of trub when I poured into the ale pail, could it just be the krausen lifting the protein up out of the beer?

Also I can't take a hydrometer reading because I broke mine last night. ;_;
 
That Krausen looks fine, nothing to worry about. Since you're fermenting in plastic the fermotemp thermometers won't be spot on, add a few degrees and you should be close. That yeast can get some funky sulfur smells at higher temps so give it plenty of time to clean up, but if you can keep it under 65 with the water and fans it shouldn't be to bad. Were you planning on lagering this at all?
 
The water in the tub acts as a pretty good heat sink. The fermentation temperature will be within a degree of the water (assuming there is plenty of water). I use a water tub all the time and don't get crazy increases in wort fermentation temps.

......... and the kraeusen looks fine. Now leave it alone and let the yeast get to work.
 
Yeah, the water is only about an inch or two from the top of the beer, hovering at around 64.

Thanks for the reassuring words, guys. I have to learn to trust my yeast.
 
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