fermenting temps

Does the temperature that ales and lagers are fermented at change the way the beer tastes? Im concerned that my beer sitting at room temp might be a little too warm. thanks for the help

Very much so. The flavors that yeast produce vary tremendously with temperature differences. What temp is room temp for you? Are you doing an ale or lager?

sorry about that, i should have included that. room temp for me is at 72 degrees and im brewing a all malt extract amber ale. thanks again for the info

No worries. Room temp is at 72, so the beer is probably at 76 or so due to heat generated by fermentation. It's not ruined, that's for sure, but you can expect some fruity esters depending on the yeast you used. Next time try to keep it at 68 or so and you will be fine.

You must pay a fortune in heating bills

search around, use keyword "swamp cooler" to figure out how to contain your fermentation temps in the 60's.

when the heat is included in the rent, i guess you dont think too much about it.. thanks for the info.
what about the opposite of hear? what does a too cool of temperature do to flavor? thanks for all the info

Depending on the yeast strain and whether it's an ale or a lager, in general a lower temperature will result in a "cleaner" taste. My experience has been a ten-fold increase in the quality of my beer since I started controlling temps. It's one of the best things you can do to make your beer better.

i used white labs german ale/ kolsch ale. I just moved the secondary fermenter closer to a window to see if could get some of the radiant cool temps from it , i also threw a towel over it to keep the light off it.
thanks again for all the great advice!

+1 important for the quality of your beer.
Each yeast has it's own temperature range. If you start with the low end, then the fury of fermentation may raise it to the mid or higher level before it settles back down a bit. For this reason, it's a good idea to pick the lower end of the range for your yeast and hover there during most of the ferment. After a week, you won't have to be as critical with it.

I consider temperature one of the most important and over look processes most people make when brewing beer. It's MOST important during the very active stage.

Your beer will be fine but it's also something you might want to jot down in your notes and look back when you are trying to see why one beer tastes different then the same beer brewed again.

You can cool a carboy down 3-5 degrees with a wet towel and fan. Evaporative Cooling in Fargo should work great.