I think I killed my beer.

[warix]

I brewed a batch of Honey Ale on Saturday. Using Wyeast 1056. I knew it was going to be warm yesterday and today and that I would be away for work, so I kept moving a thermometer around the house till I found an area that I though would be nice a cool. The thermometer is a radio shack indoor/outdoor unit with a cord and a probe on the end for the outdoor senser. It also has a button for minimum and maximum temperature readings. Well I must have pressed the minimum button whe I set the thermometer on the bookcase in the spare room. I did not notice that it was showing whatever the minimum was and I thought it was the actual temperature. I was happy because the rest of the house was showing high 60's and low 70's and I thought this room was showing me 59. So anyway I put the fermenter in there and taped the probe to the side of it like I always do and checked on it periodically the rest of Saturday. It started burping about 5 hours later and by Sunday morning to was going pretty strong. I checked the temp before I left and it was still showing me 59 and 62 on the side of the fermenter. I thought that was strange the temp had not changed much but it was perfect for what I was wanting so I was happy. Well tonight when I got back from my trip I saw how the thermometer was set for showing the minimum and when I switched it to the correct setting to my horror it showed 75 in the room and 77.4 on the side of the fermenter. I have moved it to another room and it is a little cooler there (70) but I think the damage has already been done. what advice do you guys have?

 

[grittanomyces]

My advice is that a 59 degree room is freezing cold in the summer time and virtually non-existent outside a cellar or cold basement, so that might have been your first clue that it wasn't.

Okay sorry, I know that's not helpful now, I couldn't resist, but I think you know what people are gonna tell you. It might taste okay or it may be terrible with off-flavors, nothing you can do about it now but wait and see.

But I've been using BRY-97 exclusively all summer for american ales, in part because I think it's a fine clean yeast for the good price, but also because it's been very forgiving to the fact that this GA house has trouble staying below 75 without taking out a second mortgage. Maybe just a hint of ester, but nowhere near enough to affect the taste of the beer.

 

[warix]

My advice is that a 59 degree room is freezing cold in the summer time and virtually non-existent outside a cellar or cold basement, so that might have been your first clue that it wasn't.

Okay sorry, I know that's not helpful now, I couldn't resist, but I think you know what people are gonna tell you. It might taste okay or it may be terrible with off-flavors, nothing you can do about it now but wait and see.

But I've been using BRY-97 exclusively all summer for american ales, in part because I think it's a fine clean yeast for the good price, but also because it's been very forgiving to the fact that this GA house has trouble staying below 75 without taking out a second mortgage. Maybe just a hint of ester, but nowhere near enough to affect the taste of the beer.

Yes you are right, I deserved that. However that room does not have a heater in it and was, I believe, added on. I have to put a small space heater in it during the winter just to keep it warm. It is where we store a lot of stuff we don't use during the year and we have nicknamed it "cold storage" because it does tend to be the coldest room in the house most of the year.

Thanks for your advice on the BRY-97 I will have to check into that.

 

[hotspurdotus]

My advice is to drink your delicious beer when it's ready. A day or two at 60° shouldn't negatively affect the flavor.

 

[warix]

Thanks for all the great advice! I bottled this beer today and it tasted great, (for being flat) I can't wait till I crack the first bottle.