Ale Yeast at temps above 75 = Danger?

[streetbs]

So I've got a 3 day-old brew and the temp was 70 in my basement when I set it up. The weather has been a bit warmer outside today and my basement is at 77. I had signs of fermentation 9 hours into pitching the yeast, but it seems to have stopped at this point, and I'm worried this is because the temp is so high.

The temp should likely go back down and stay around 70 over the next days (according to forecasts, and usually my basement is much cooler than this).

I can't control temps in my house as we don't have AC, so basically it's at the mercy of the outdoors (windows open often).

So, question is, will my beer keep fermenting despite the current temp, and will everything be better back down at 70 or am I currently causing some not-so-reversible damage to the brew?

 

[chumpsteak]

Depending on the yeast, you're gonna get the funk. Even if your basement stays at 70 that puts your beer at 75 or 80 which is too hot and ferments too fast in my opinion. You'll probably just get some extra hot alcohol flavors and depending on your expectations you might be fine. You should research swamp coolers or fermentation chambers if you want good, clean, consistent beers.

 

[Mermaid]

Depends on the yeast. A few strains are heat tolerant (Belgian Saison, for example) and are meant to be fermented warm, while others are going to throw some odd, perhaps undesirable fruity esters. I've had a few Belgian yeasts kick up to above 75 for a day or so (before I knew how to control temps better) and they weren't terrible beers, but it depends on what you're brewing.

Lower the temps gradually using a swamp cooler - don't freak your yeasties out.

Ride it out and see what you get. I'm never one to recommend dumping a brew unless you're sure it's contaminated and/or have done something really stupid.

 

[chumpsteak]

I currently have about 50 bottles of IIPA and IPA beers sitting around waiting for the hot alcohol flavors to subside. They are great except for the nasty hot aftertaste. I'll let those suckers sit for a year before I dump 'em. Both batches fermented in a 70 degree room with 1056 and came out HOT. Then I built the ferm chamber and all is well now.

 

[sidboswell]

You might get some esters or other hot alcohol flavors, but it will still be beer, and you will be proud of it. To address your concern that it won't ferment too high ... Don't worry. The recommended temperatures are for optimum flavor without off flavors, yeast can ferment well above those temps, just produce more extras that can be noticed.

My brewing hobby started in Texas and my first few brews back in the early 1990s fermented pretty warm. It was still homebrew and was my own.

Swamp coolers are the way to go...all it takes is a pan large enough to hold your fermenting vessel and an old t-shirt or towel.

 

[IffyG]

Swamp coolers are the way to go...all it takes is a pan large enough to hold your fermenting vessel and an old t-shirt or towel.

Swamp coolers are effective, but I'd recommend re-purposing a dorm size fridge as a fermentation chamber for the best in temperature control

 

[InLimbo]

What yeast strain are you using? What was your OG? If it's a high gravity beer, it's probably going to be very fusely. It will most certainly keep fermenting, don't worry about that. Your final product might not be as good as it could have been though.

So you started at 70, then it went up to 77 after 3 days? How much fermentation activity was going when the temperature started to rise? You could be lucky and had a bit of a spontaneous diacetly rest. The beer might not be perfect, but as long as proper sanitation procedures were followed, should remain drinkable.

By no means dump it. But chalk this up to a learning experience. I don't have AC either, but I do use an aquarium chiller to control fermentation temperature. My damn carboys live better than I do...

 

[Calder]

Go buy a big plastic bucket, place it on your basement floor, and place your fermenter in it. Fill with water to about 3/4 of the way up the fermenter.

It will do 2 things:

1) Keep the water and fermenter at the same temperature as the basement floor. It will not be affected (much) by swings in air temperature.

2) Prevent the fermentation temperature running away. It will keep the fermenting wort temperature close to the water temperature.

Once you have this set-up you can cool it using frozen water bottles, or heat it up with a fish heater.

 

[Mermaid]

The dubbel I brewed last summer definitely rocked the house for a day (I think that sucker got up near 78) before I put a swamp cooler on it, and while it was rather unpleasant for the first 6 months, after a year in the bottles it's very tasty.

Time can cure a lot of things - don't give up on your brew

 

[sidboswell]

Swamp coolers are effective, but I'd recommend re-purposing a dorm size fridge as a fermentation chamber for the best in temperature control

Or a glycol jacketed conical fermenter with a 29-79 degree (+/- 0.5) range...

Or if you are just starting out, and would rather spend the $100 on beer a bucket and a towel will get you down below 70.

 

[streetbs]

Or a glycol jacketed conical fermenter with a 29-79 degree (+/- 0.5) range...

Or if you are just starting out, and would rather spend the $100 on beer a bucket and a towel will get you down below 70.

Maybe I'm missing something, but what does everyone mean by a swamp cooler/towel + bucket deal.

 

[sidboswell]

Put fermenter in vessel large enough to hold it. Fill vessel with about 4" of water. Wrap towel or t-shirt around fermenter and into water. Wicking action will pull water and evaporation will cool fermenter.

Still need a few more degrees, put frozen milk jugs in vessel and change daily.

 

[IffyG]

Or a glycol jacketed conical fermenter with a 29-79 degree (+/- 0.5) range...

Or if you are just starting out, and would rather spend the $100 on beer a bucket and a towel will get you down below 70.

I never said you had to buy a mini fridge and a temp controller, I said I recommend it over a swamp cooler.

Maybe I'm missing something, but what does everyone mean by a swamp cooler/towel + bucket deal.

 

[streetbs]

I never said you had to buy a mini fridge and a temp controller, I said I recommend it over a swamp cooler.

In your opinion, would it be still worth while around mid day for me to move beer into a bucket like that? I just realized I have something semi-suitable but I'm not going to be back to near my beer for another 6 hours ---- Are prolonged high temps the issue, or any high temps period?

 

[Calder]

In your opinion, would it be still worth while around mid day for me to move beer into a bucket like that? I just realized I have something semi-suitable but I'm not going to be back to near my beer for another 6 hours ---- Are prolonged high temps the issue, or any high temps period?

4 days at high ferment temps. Its too late for this beer. Take what you have and use a cooler next time.

 

[kappclark]

Go buy a big plastic bucket, place it on your basement floor, and place your fermenter in it. Fill with water to about 3/4 of the way up the fermenter.

It will do 2 things:

1) Keep the water and fermenter at the same temperature as the basement floor. It will not be affected (much) by swings in air temperature.

2) Prevent the fermentation temperature running away. It will keep the fermenting wort temperature close to the water temperature.

Once you have this set-up you can cool it using frozen water bottles, or heat it up with a fish heater.

I would add a 75Watt aquarium heater to the bucket for the colder times to maintain temp 65-68 .. I use a muck bucket I picked up at the feed store...this has really helped consistent temp for yeast and just better beer.

 

[kcross13]

I have been cold pitching and making sure starting temp is on the lower threshhold. of the yeast for the initial fermentation. Leave it longer in the primary before racking and some, not all, some of those off flavors will clean up a bit.

 

[captwalt]

I had the same problem with my current brew temp is in the mid 70s so ferm temp went way high. Here is a picture of my solution to this problem. I put two frozen water bottles in it and swapped them out every 12 hours until I got the temp down to ~65 then I used only 1 frozen bottle to maintain this temp. I swap it out every 12 hours and it maintains temp really well, it doesn't seem to spike or drop at all

 

[IffyG]

Are prolonged high temps the issue, or any high temps period?

The most critical period for temperature control is when the yeast are most active (usually the first 3 or 4 days) after that, keeping them temp down isn't as important, but I'd still do my best to keep it cool.

 

[brrit]

Newbie talking here... (you've been warned)

But, you might consider using a cooler instead of a bucket/plastic bin. I started with the plastic rubbermaid-type bin and did ok. The temperatures stayed much more stable though in a cheap insulated cooler. One of the better $15 purchases I've made.

 

[streetbs]

I have a mini Fridge my roommates and I aren't using and I'm not sure if it will fit my bucket, but I'll check after work. Might have to take out the freezer part with some force, but could be a solution.

Even if the temp is less of a factor as time passes and I might have already done the damage, I suppose this is a good chance to try the frozen water bottle technique in the fridge and see how well it works for me. Thanks for the input folks, I hope the beer is somewhat drinkable, and I'll definitely let it age a bit if that's a solution to these "hot" flavors.