WLP002 English Ale Yeast - How warm is too warm for fermentation?

[Wes440]

So I brewed my 3rd AG on Tuesday, a 5 gallon batch of APA with all citra hops, basically a 3Floyds Zombie Dust Clone ( I can't get it, so I figured I'd brew it!)
OG was at 1.067, batch size almost a full 6 gallons.

After brewing I pitched my 1.5L yeast starter, using WLP 002 English Ale Yeast, set the carboy in my extra closet (fermentation area), in my air conditioned apartment, which stays set at a solid 72 degrees F. Fermentation kicked off nicely and then subsided last night, when I took off the blowoff tube, and switched to a 3 pc airlock. Today, after doing some misc. reading on this yeast, I noticed that the optimum temperature for fermentation is 65-68 degrees! So just 1 hour ago I placed the carboy into a cooler, filled it with cold tap water, and tossed in a small cold pack from the freezer - the kind you'd use for a packed lunch.

QUESTION:
Is the damage done? What's the chances of this yeast putting out noticeable off-flavors from the first 2 days at 72-75 degrees ( due to the increased temp inside the carboy via fermentation)? And lastly, this beer has 8.1 ounces of citra hops in the recipe, and the beer will be dry hopped with the last 3 ounces for the last 7 days... would the off flavors be enough to get through all those IBU's?

All input is appreciated!

I plan on only primary for this ale, and looking to keep in the primary for 4-5 weeks, or as tolerated by clarity and attenuation.....

Here's the beer ( in the larger carboy)


Here's the beer now, in the cooler

 

[giraffe]

It will be quite fruity, but it should be drinkable; its going to estery, but you shouldnt get anything too gross at 72-74. Most esters are formed in the first 2-3 days, what is done is done. And thats a ton of hops. So likely its going to taste like citra.

 

[troglodytes]

It's true, that what is done is done. However, to give you some hope, I'll tell you that I've personally only fermented this yeast outside of its temp sweet spot. I make a black IPA that gets locked in at 62. But last time I had a fermentation chamber mishap where it got up to 75-76 on day two.

The resulting beer was still very good, and a little better attenuated than you usually see with this yeast. The lower FG offset the increased esters to some extent.

 

[Wes440]

I suppose that I'll just keep it cool from here on out, and hope for the best. Lesson learned....
I do hold out hope that any weird flavors will be overpowered by that hoppy goodness, as well as
all the citra making this a fruit-forward hoppy beer anyways.

Oh well, live and learn.

I'll update in the coming weeks.....

 

[moreb33rplz]

sometimes my beers that ferment too warm taste great with a little extra aging.

 

[Chiefer]

relax enjoy a homebrew