Oops....fermentation hit 106F

[djbradle]

So after a nice week in my ferm chamber, at 66f to start, I began to ramp up the temps into the mid to upper 70's for a 3 gallon bsda in the bottom of the fridge and a 2 gallon bpa on a top shelf. I previously used a small heated fan but the thermostat on the fan in the closed environment would shut off prematurely so I switched to a incandescent bulb wrapped loosely with tin foil. I had that bulb set on the top shelf. The fan just could not get the temps I was looking for.

Well there always a first for everything and I should have considered better air circulation. I checked 2 days ago and felt the 2 gallon bucket was quite hot while the 5 gallon below was about 74f. I pulled it out and measured the temp at 106f!!!! Oh no......

I racked it into a 3 gallon carboy off the cake to cool down and then pitched a small portion of fairly new top cropped 3522 (this bpa used 3522). The sample smelled okay for being only about 1.5 weeks into primary, maybe a bit of sourness unlike I've experienced in my warmer temps with 3522 before. No sulfur at this point as the important part of fermentation already took place. The smell was not of burnt rubber or meaty as described by Palmer, et al. It wasn't bad, just different so maybe I caught it in time before autolysis took over the flavor and aroma.

What to expect? I pitched that top crop at 64f so I guess we'll wait and see if it eats some of it's brethren. I also have a vial of Brett C.....ideas anyone?

 

[skunkfunk]

I vote brett.

 

[djbradle]

Your moniker certainly slants toward it

I think it is the best choice indeed!

 

[davejanssen]

First, how does the beer taste? There seems to be a common reaction of 'this beer is messed up but adding brett will fix it'. And while that may work sometimes, I think it is generally best to make good brett beers by design and by starting with a good beer. So I'm not saying absolutely don't do it, but it doesn't sound like things are starting off well.

It depends on how much space, free carboy capacity, time, etc you have. If you have tons of carboy space and don't mind tying one up with a very possible outcome of pouring the beer down the drain later on then I suppose you could go for it. But I would wait on this one a bit and see how it tastes as it is. If it doesn't taste very good on its own and if it is easy for you to brew a bit extra on your next brew day then I would lean toward dumping it and brewing a purposeful belgian yeast + brett beer in the future with that carboy and that brett.

 

[djbradle]

Thanks for your response. I do have the free carboy space to roll with it. It's too early to tell as it's only been 1.5 weeks. It tastes like any brew that's very early on in it's fermentation. Green, a bit of sourness, and some flavors that cannot be described would sum it up but it doesn't taste like a dumper.

I was thinking to throw Brett at it even before the overheating so at this point I'll wait another week or so and check gravity and taste to decide. It may or may not turn out fine but if not I certainly won't waste the vial of clausenaii.