High Fermentation Temp..

I have 2 5 gallon all grain batches going now. But we just started using our wood stove which is located in the basement/brewery. Usually my temps are never a problem. The first batch is a brown ale with S-05 and the second is some thing i threw together for fun with S-04. The temps got up to around 76-78 degrees. What can i expect?

more esters then normal. Get a tote or something and stick some water with frozen water bottles in there to reduce your temps and you'll be good to go!

It depends on a couple of things- how far along fermentation is, and how hot it actually got inside the fermenter during fermentation. If your room temperature is 78 degrees, and fermentation is in the first 36 hours, you could expect some fruity flavors and some "hot" alcohol taste. Maybe even solventy and band-aid like. Since fermentation is exothermic, the important temperature is the temperature of the beer and not the room temperature.

If the room temperature was 70 degrees, but it got up to 76 briefly in the fermenter before fermentation started (or after it ended), it would be much less likely to cause too many off-flavors. If there was fermentation during that hot period, you'd be much more likely to have off-flavors.

The room temperature was only about 70 or 71 but the little stickey thermomoter i have on the carboy read 76-78. So i am guessing that the room temp plus the yeast activity = 78. Hopefully turns out drinkable. Ah it will still be better than any BMC.

chucknut said:

The room temperature was only about 70 or 71 but the little stickey thermomoter i have on the carboy read 76-78. So i am guessing that the room temp plus the yeast activity = 78. Hopefully turns out drinkable. Ah it will still be better than any BMC.

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absolutely!

alright just put them in some bins with about 55 degree water and i will check them in the morning. Just poured a pint of a AAA. Forget about it.

My super cheap and easy "fermentation chamber" was a $5.00 blue bucket cooler from Big lots. Put the better bottle / carboy in there with a water bath and either ice cubes or frozen bottles. It helps a lot. Keeps things under 70*F for sure.

my fermentations run hot VERY often.. (i dont have a lot of space for a cooler) i get a few off flavors rarely bothersome.. and i mean HOT 90's 1 time

Maybe even solventy and band-aid like. Since fermentation is exothermic, the important temperature is the temperature of the beer and not the room temperature.

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Help me here - how do I measure the internal fermentation temperature? I'm struggling to find a thermometer that rests in the carboy that I can read without constantly opening and retreiving it. Is there another method?

leghorn said:

Help me here - how do I measure the internal fermentation temperature? I'm struggling to find a thermometer that rests in the carboy that I can read without constantly opening and retreiving it. Is there another method?

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They sell "stick on" themometers, like on aquariums, which are pretty accurate. If you have the fermenter submerged in a water bath, a floating thermometer in the water bath is pretty accurate.

I just bumped into a similar problem. I brewed yesterday and the room temp that I'm letting the beer ferment in is about 70, possibly a little cooler than that. My sticky thermometer says it is 76. Should I place it in some water to cool it down? I don't want to kill the yeast by cooling it too much too quickly. I have the windows open in the room to try and slowly bring the temp down.

you need to do a water bath. place the carboy or fermenter in a rubermaid like rectangular container that has about half as much liquid (in height not gallons) as the fermenter. switch out bottles of frozen water each day or more to keep the temps down... i didnt do this until this batch and let me tell you.. i have MUCH better beer!

NNatic said:

you need to do a water bath. place the carboy or fermenter in a rubermaid like rectangular container that has about half as much liquid (in height not gallons) as the fermenter. switch out bottles of frozen water each day or more to keep the temps down... i didnt do this until this batch and let me tell you.. i have MUCH better beer!

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Agree. If you have a big lots next to you they sell these huge blue tubs for $5.99. Until I got my current chest freezer set up, I was using these as the water bath mechanism. (Have I already mentioned that in this thread?) It's nice to see the sticky thermometer at 68*F.

They also have them at home depot, but the center ridge in the home depot version doesn't let the carboy sit down straight against the bottom. It'll work, but it's worth noting.

How long ago did fermentation start? If it's been 2-3 days +, there's really not much you can do now. Definitely give the ice bath a try next time though.

chucknut, I started the apple brew... my guest bedroom / brewery / junk room smells like donkey farts from a donkey who works in DCS and died six weeks ago. Is this normal, buddy? see you monday!

oh, also, I used a spoof to try and filter the wretched stank eminating from it... here's hoping...