Scared Noob regarding fermentation temp

[elktaker]

I think somewhere someone probably asked this question.
This is my first brewing attempt.
On 15 Jan 2015: Pale Ale kit, 6 lbs. DME, 2 oz Magnum 60 min, 1 oz Chinook 15 min, 1 oz Chinook 5 min. Five gallon boil into a 6.5 gal carboy. Pitching temp 72 degrees. Being afraid of high temperature, placed carboy in the closet. 64 degrees. 36 hours later I start to see some krausen with some airlock action at 65 degrees. Scared, I go buy a heating lamp. No need for the heating lamp, plenty of foam at 67 degrees. Monday 19 Jan I look at my airlock and it is now the foaming point of my batch. Scared I put a blow off hose in the carboy into a container of StarSan. All is well, happy at 68 degrees.
Yesterday after a night and day of cooler ambient temperature, way less activity in the fermenter and a low temp in the fermenter, 62 degrees. Panic button mode in full swing I initiate heat lamp therapy to the fermenter. Forget to check heat lamp over night and this morning the the temperature in the fermenter is 72 degrees. Unplugged the heat lamp and really wanted to not worry and have a homebrew. Can't do that at 5:00am.
Now for the question:
Did I ruin the batch with the extreme temperature swing?
Thank you in advance for your response

 

[Rockn_M]

You'll be ok.

 

[hou_me]

It will probably be fine. Most off flavors are created in the early stages of fermentation when you were in the sixties. Don't worry about it.

 

[dkevinb]

I wouldn't call that extreme by any means. It's in the sweet spot for most yeasts, and your primary fermentation is pretty much done. Bear in mind that beer was made for thousands of years before people even had thermometers, let alone central heating and air conditioning. Relax. It'll be fine.

 

[Yooper]

Sounds fine! Fermentation itself produces heat, and while it's active it can go up as much as 10 degrees above ambient, so that explains why it got warmer. Then, once it's finishing up, the temperature goes much closer to ambient temperature.

so don't worry about it- like was already said, the first 24 hours tend to be the most crucial anyway, and you were still in a good range for all ale yeast strains anyway.

Some brewers like to bring the temperature up at the tail end of fermentation anyway, on purpose, to encourage the yeast to fully attenuate and 'clean up' its own waste products, so it seems like you did that without even trying!

It sounds great.

 

[brewkinger]

It will probably be fine. Most off flavors are created in the early stages of fermentation when you were in the sixties. Don't worry about it.

I wouldn't call that extreme by any means. It's in the sweet spot for most yeasts, and your primary fermentation is pretty much done. Bear in mind that beer was made for thousands of years before people even had thermometers, let alone central heating and air conditioning. Relax. It'll be fine.

You'll be ok.

Darned Yooper, she's like a ninja.... trying to dole out a little advice to a newer brewer and she suddenly drops in and chucks a couple of ninja stars of advice and then just like the wind, she's gone... Or is she??? lurking and waiting to advise once again
LOL


Yes, yes and yes.....

One question that I have... What kind of yeast?

Most ale yeasts like it somewhere in the 60's to low 70's.

Bear in mind that your thermometer on the external surface of your bucket or carboy may register one temperature (for instance 65 degrees) but the internal temperature of fermenting beer can be as much 10 degrees higher.
That always has to be part of the thought process when it comes to ferment temps (especially for those that do not have a temp control ferment chamber)
I used to routinely aim for the lower end of the yeast range to allow for this increased temp issue.

You will be fine and it will make beer.

 

[elktaker]

White Labs 001

 

[McKnuckle]

Bear in mind that your thermometer on the external surface of your bucket or carboy may register one temperature (for instance 65 degrees) but the internal temperature of fermenting beer can be as much 10 degrees higher.

I don't have the link to reference, but actually those fermometer strips are pretty accurate with regard to temp inside the carboy. They supposedly have a margin of error of something like 1 degree for every 10 degree disparity between the ambient and wort temps* (don't quote me). What I got from reading through the experiment was that these strips are a reasonably reliable indicator of actual wort temperature.

*For example, if you put 60F wort in a 70F room, the fermometer would read 61F.

 

[mmb]

I don't have the link to reference, but actually those fermometer strips are pretty accurate with regard to temp inside the carboy. They supposedly have a margin of error of something like 1 degree for every 10 degree disparity between the ambient and wort temps* (don't quote me). What I got from reading through the experiment was that these strips are a reasonably reliable indicator of actual wort temperature.

*For example, if you put 60F wort in a 70F room, the fermometer would read 61F.

It's based on thermal mass.

Original Poster- You're beer is fine.

 

[aprichman]

Just leave the carboy in the closet next time, micromanaging your temp manually with heat lamps is probably bad for your mental health and also the health of your yeast! It depends on the yeast but most will be fine as long as the ambient temperature is above 58F, especially during the most active parts of fermentation.

 

[RM-MN]

I think somewhere someone probably asked this question.
This is my first brewing attempt.
On 15 Jan 2015: Pale Ale kit, 6 lbs. DME, 2 oz Magnum 60 min, 1 oz Chinook 15 min, 1 oz Chinook 5 min. Five gallon boil into a 6.5 gal carboy. Pitching temp 72 degrees. Being afraid of high temperature, placed carboy in the closet. 64 degrees. 36 hours later I start to see some krausen with some airlock action at 65 degrees. Scared, I go buy a heating lamp. No need for the heating lamp, plenty of foam at 67 degrees. Monday 19 Jan I look at my airlock and it is now the foaming point of my batch. Scared I put a blow off hose in the carboy into a container of StarSan. All is well, happy at 68 degrees.
Yesterday after a night and day of cooler ambient temperature, way less activity in the fermenter and a low temp in the fermenter, 62 degrees. Panic button mode in full swing I initiate heat lamp therapy to the fermenter. Forget to check heat lamp over night and this morning the the temperature in the fermenter is 72 degrees. Unplugged the heat lamp and really wanted to not worry and have a homebrew. Can't do that at 5:00am.
Now for the question:
Did I ruin the batch with the extreme temperature swing?
Thank you in advance for your response

Why can't you have a homebrew at 5:00AM? Somewhere in the world it has to be happy hour!

Are you trying to shame me into not drinking the hydrometer sample I take at 7:00AM on bottling day?

 

[elktaker]

Heavens NO. But my wife would frown on me drinking and driving.