i fermented 3 batches around 75-76...is this bad for ale's?

So i have brewed 3 times...pale ale, brown ale, and an ipa and they ahve all had the same weird taste to them. I fermented all 3 in a starter kit bucket that i have sitting in a bin of water. i purchased a fish tank thermo the last week my ipa was fermenting and it said it ws around 75-76*...im pretty sure this is about 4-5 to high and will this throw off the taste of my beer? how can i get it down to around 70? im thinking about building a box to put it all in and buying dry ice or something?

Generally speaking that is a bit too hot. 70 or under is usually best, depending on style and recipe. You can try. Swamp cooler to get things colder, just google it or search this forum for existing posts.

do you think fermenting at 76 would off the taste of the beer though?

hendrixsrv630 said:

do you think fermenting at 76 would off the taste of the beer though?

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there is a high probability that it is at least one of the causes of your off taste. i've had the same thing happen with a couple of batches and the solvent like flavors never did diminish, i ended up dumping the beer after 3 months. i know some people say you should never dump beer but those harsh flavors were too much for me.

I have to agree, that is too high of a fermentation temp, your off flavors are likely from the fusel alcohol produced at the higher temp

I tend to ferment most beers at the low end of the temp range for a given yeast, as an example I ferment many recipes that use nottingham yeast at 60 degrees to get a nice clean flavor profile.

If you want, hit me up on a PM and I can help get you set up for summer brewing here in AZ.

There is the monthly ASH meeting coming up, if you arent a member yet, you can hang out, talk brewing and see what it is all about. there is a lot of local brewers there who can help you along the path to great beer.

My first 6 batches were ruined from fermenting that high. Invest $130 or so on a used chest freezer and a temperature controller. Best brew purchase you can make.

Today I tried one of my first batches and after 6 months the fusel alcohols finally faded. It is somewhat drinkable. I think in another 3 months I may actually enjoy drinking one.

yah all 3 beers had a alcohol after taste. you could taste the profile of the beer but it was just overkilled with alcohol taste. im gonna look into getting something set up so i can control my temps. thanks azscoob ill hit you up.

larger mini fridge on craigslist + aquarium temp controller build in the DIY forums gave me temp controlled fermentation for ~$80