Heat/Yeast

[ToddStark]

So I am a little worried at this point in my first brewing experience. One of the steps in my kit instructions states that I should keep the fermentation room temperature 60-65 F.

About 6-8 days in (I didn't check every day), I had a heater malfunction and we found the room to be close to 80. Now I have no idea how long the room temp was this high but could have been as long as 24+ hrs.

The kit was called "Old American Ale" from Williams Brewing and I don't seem to have any written information on the type of liquid yeast pack they provided.

I bottled this last Friday and figured I would find out if I ruined my first batch in about 10 days but then decided you guys might be able to provide some hope from your experiences and or shed some light on what I might have done to this batch.

What are your thoughts on an Ale like this being kept in a fermentation room at such high temps for a day or more?

Todd

 

[Jphillips13]

Temperatures are most important in the first 3-5 days. If your heater malfunction occurred on days 6-8 then you may be ok. Fermentation should be mostly over by then. Some people ramp the beer temp to around 70 or so at the end, to encourage the yeast to finish.
Did you taste it at bottling?

 

[ToddStark]

You know I didn't taste it before bottling and I really wished I had. Being my first time I had tasted this batch kinda all along the way. I tasted it right out of the brew kettle and then again at two of my Hydro readings but I was in a hurry and kinda rattled trying to get everything in order to bottle that I forgot to take yet one more Hydro reading and to taste it again.

Now the last time I did taste it was after about 12 days in the ferm and to me it smelled good and tasted like flat beer but I don't consider myself to have a very educated pallet when it comes to tasting beer.

 

[Jphillips13]

If it tasted like flat beer at day 12 you're probably good. Much worse things have happened to beer.....especially first batches.
Let the bottles sit at 70 or a little higher for 2-3 weeks. Three weeks or more is best but I doubt many will wait that long on the first batch.
Congrats you made beer!

Don't forget to relax and enjoy the process. It should be fun.

 

[IslandLizard]

How can you bottle and not drink any? That sounds impossible...

If the warm flat beer tasted OK, chances are it will be fine and way better after being carbonated and cool.

 

[ToddStark]

Thanks folks, no mater how many mistakes I seem to make you guys always give me hope.

Had planned to start my second batch next Sunday but since my bottling area and fermenting area are the same place, it looks like I should keep it warmer for at least another week before I let it cool down so I can ferment the next batch.

Should have less mistakes along the way when I do start the next batch thanks to experience and you guys. Hopefully much more of a relaxed process now that I have done it once and all my equipment is fully assembled.