Fluctuating Ferm Temps

First batch, brewed last Sunday. I've got the Better Bottle in the basement in a large bucket of water into which I've been rotating bottles of ice. I don't have any thermometer with which to measure the temperature of the beer itself, so I've just been monitoring the water temp. The first few days it was hovering at 68-70*, then it got hot out and jumped to maybe 75*+. I changed the ice a bit more frequently and got it back to 70*. Now it's gotten down to below 80* outside, and the water temp dropped to 58-60*.
Obviously this is telling me that I need: a way to monitor the temperature of the beer itself, and a more consistent environment.

My question is: what have these wild swings in temperature done to my beer?

My question is: what have these wild swings in temperature done to my beer?

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It will have stressed the yeast slight, they like a consistant environment to perform their best. Having said that I am not sure you will see a difference in the end product, possibly a slight fruitiness from the high temperatures but nothing more.

The heat: maybe some off-flavors. Probably not too bad, though.

The cool: slowed the fermentation down, probably no off-flavors, though.

RDWHAHB.

I think it'll be ok. Ideally, it would have stayed at 68 degrees the whole time but you probably didn't get as wide as fluctuation as you think. It takes a LONG time for a full water bath and a full fermenter to change temperature! If you've got a smaller water bath (like only 1/4-1/2 way up the side of the BB), it would be an even lower impact. My water bath is a big cooler and it's filled up to the beer level. That much water doesn't change temperature fast at all.

Thanks, guys. Those are exactly the answers I was hoping for. I have the water in the buckets filled up to the beer level. I can only assume the last temperature drop was after primary fermentation ended, and everything is fine.

I'd RDWHAHB, but this is the first batch. so instead I'll RDWHWBIAH (Relax, don't worry, have whatever beer is at hand)

Checked gravity today, it's at 1.011 - looks good to me