Temperature

[kevfar100]

I'm having a hard time keeping my beer room below 75 degrees. So, how bad is that gonna mess up my brew?

 

[two_one_seven]

What kind of beer?

 

[lumpher]

it'll generate fusel alcohols and make it taste pretty alcoholic, not to mention the hangover headaches caused by fusels. you can use a plastic tub with ice water covered by towels to put the fermenter in. before i had a chest freezer for a fermenter, that's what i used. about the only type of yeast that can stand those temps is belgian, and they really benefit from being cold-crashed

 

[two_one_seven]

There are a number of yeasts that can tolerate 75. Depending on the style and where you are at in the fermentation. Most Saison beers are fermented in the mid 80's. What are the specifics of the beer? Yeast and style would be most helpful.

 

[lumpher]

There are a number of yeasts that can tolerate 75. Depending on the style and where you are at in the fermentation. Most Saison beers are fermented in the mid 80's. What are the specifics of the beer? Yeast and style would be most helpful.

very true. i just ass-umed the normal styles brewed by early brewers :smack:

 

[Cyclman]

+1 on which yeast you are using, but most don't produce good beer @ 75 degrees. Use a keg bucket, with frozen water bottles, you'd be surprised how much that can bring down the temperature of the beer.

 

[lumpher]

when i started, i got a storage tote and filled it with ice water, then put the fermenter in it and covered it with a blanket, beer fermented WAY cooler, and came out much better. even better, get a chest freezer and an stc-1000

 

[BigFloyd]

I'm having a hard time keeping my beer room below 75 degrees. So, how bad is that gonna mess up my brew?

Pretty bad. If the room is 75, the beer may reach as high as 83-85*F at peak ferment. Most ale yeast get very stressed at those temps, producing undesirable flavors and fusels as mentioned.

Do you have space in your beer room for a fridge or freezer?

 

[kevfar100]

I just put it in a fridge, hoping to keep it down. I'm brewing a BB summer ale kit w lemon zest. I used the included us-05 dry yeast.
Temp was at 75ish for about 6 days.
Am I screwed?

 

[two_one_seven]

Nope your not. It will be beer. Good beer well you will have to wait and be the judge of that.

Optimum temp is up to 75, but as another post stated fermentation temps can be 5ish degrees higher than ambient temp. I wouldn't sweat it now. Any potential damage is done, it won't make it worse be leaving it at ambient and you can't undo it by cooling.

 

[woozy]

It'll be flawed.

But you know, we newbies really need to cut ourselves some slack. It's not as though making an error, even a grievous error, is going to result in toxic poisonous swill. It'll be a beer with a mistake; maybe even a beer with noticeable off flavors you can point to and say "yea, that there; that's really not very good is it". But that's not to say it won't be drinkable and even enjoyable in it's own way.

And come on, we're newbies, we can't be expected to hit a homer every time. I have a batch or two that fermented at way too high a temp. They taste just fine... for the must part. But every once in a while I get a sip of something that taste of a sharp medicine-alcohol flavor and I think "ooh, yeah that's nod good". Any way by home-brewing standards I think most would consider that batch a failure. But I don't think anyone would throw it away and I think all would drink it eagerly. I imagine your batch will be a similar "failure". Enjoy the 98% of the sips that don't make you think "yeah, that was a bit astringent" and learn from 2% that make you think "what was *that*" and you'll be fine.

 

[BlindFaith]

It'll be flawed.

But you know, we newbies really need to cut ourselves some slack. It's not as though making an error, even a grievous error, is going to result in toxic poisonous swill. It'll be a beer with a mistake; maybe even a beer with noticeable off flavors you can point to and say "yea, that there; that's really not very good is it". But that's not to say it won't be drinkable and even enjoyable in it's own way.

And come on, we're newbies, we can't be expected to hit a homer every time. I have a batch or two that fermented at way too high a temp. They taste just fine... for the must part. But every once in a while I get a sip of something that taste of a sharp medicine-alcohol flavor and I think "ooh, yeah that's nod good". Any way by home-brewing standards I think most would consider that batch a failure. But I don't think anyone would throw it away and I think all would drink it eagerly. I imagine your batch will be a similar "failure". Enjoy the 98% of the sips that don't make you think "yeah, that was a bit astringent" and learn from 2% that make you think "what was *that*" and you'll be fine.

Well stated.... You will always have beer (some MUCH better than others) and learn from your mistakes. The good news is, at least in my experience, beer that tastes "blah" after 2 months will taste very good after 6. That is unless you used some nightmarish procedure or had an infection.