High temps

[bleme]

I have a cream ale that I kept 63F-65F for the first week. The 2nd week I let it rise and have been keeping it at 68F-73F. I use a 'swamp cooler' with a t-shirt over the bucket and a fan blowing on it to speed evaporation but I still have to keep a steady flow of ice bottles to keep it under 70F.

I am leaving town this weekend and won't be around to drop in ice. Outside temps are supposed to get to 100F so I am sure it will get up to 75F-80F even with the 'swamp cooler'. I figure if I bottled, the beer would be 80F anyway. I guess I'm just looking for some reassurance that this won't mess up this batch.

 

[Straight6TT]

I have heard that the temperature control is most crucial, during initial fermentation (1st week). So rising temps after that shouldnt be too bad. I am far from an expert though.

 

[Draken]

Once active fermentation is done temp control becomes less important as the above poster said. Don't let it get crazy hot, but for a weekend you should be fine.

 

[br1dge]

Depending on the yeast you used, you may be fine, or you may get some moderate off-favors. It will probably be a different beer than one fermented a stead 65 all the way through, but you might like it more, nothing you can do about it, so enjoy it when it's ready. Previous poster is right in the sense that temps are most critical during active fermentation the first week.

 

[bleme]

Thanks. That's what I was hoping. This batch uses US-05. I built a ferm chamber but it's just too hot in my garage so the chamber doesn't get cooler than 70F when it's hot out. If I don't have it fixed by next summer I am only brewing Saisons!

 

[pfgonzo]

I don't have the book in front of me, but I swear I read in Yeast (by Chris White of White Labs) that brewers should raise the temp into the 80s (or more) after like the first 3 days of fermentation on ales, and like a week on lagers. I'll look it up when I get home and report back.

Does anyone here actually do this?

 

[Calder]

I don't have the book in front of me, but I swear I read in Yeast (by Chris White of White Labs) that brewers should raise the temp into the 80s (or more) after like the first 3 days of fermentation on ales, and like a week on lagers. I'll look it up when I get home and report back.

Does anyone here actually do this?

I raise the temperature a few degrees after the first week of fermentation on most beers. It's called a diecetyl rest. Also helps the yeast to eek out the last couple of points.

With Belgians (Saison, Farmhouse, etc) I usually start raising the temperature after a couple of days, and take it up to over 80 over about 5 days.

 

[acuenca]

I typically let most of my ales sit at the mid 70s after the first couple of weeks if I can't get to it to keg or bottle.