Off flavors due to high fermentation temps?

[homebrewdad]

So, I'm a completely green newbie (thus my posting in this forum), with two brewed batches under my belt - but nothing bottled (much less, consumed) yet.

Batch #1 is my Yorkshire brown ale, just over three weeks old. It spent fifteen days in primary, and is now on day eight in the secondary.

Due to my joys with batch #2 (near explosive fermentation just over 12 hours after pitching), I've learned the hard way that ambient temps of 65-68 are not the same as fermenting at 65-68. My current batch is sitting at ambient 62, but my thermometer (I don't have a stick on, so I've taped my cooking thermometer to the side of the carboy... better than nothing, right?) reads 72.

This tells me that my first batch surely fermented above 70 degrees, probably at 75 or so. It wasn't an explosive fermentation, but it was plenty vigorous, and took about ten days to stop bubbling altogether.

So I'm guessing that I'll get some off flavors due to the temp (thought it didn't taste bad at all when I transferred... some alcohol warmth, but I didn't really detect other issues at the time). I'm thinking that I'll leave it in the basement in the secondary for another couple of weeks before I bottle.

Should I expect to need to let this one age to mellow out the faults? Or should I just not worry so much about my very first effort, and just try to learn from it? Both?


Thanks.

 

[FattySparks]

From what it sounds like, I wouldn't trust the thermometer you used. I don't think fermentation will produce that much of a temperature jump.

If it tasted good during transfer, then it will be even better after it carbonates and mellows.

I say RDWHAHB, but I'm a noob too, so take it for what it's worth. I bet it'll be great though.

 

[Daybis]

If I've had any issues with my beers it's been because of warm fermentation temperatures. I have had some off flavors mellow with time, but I've never had them go away completely. You really won't know until you try bottling it and letting it carb up. The alcohol flavor you describe could be the one off flavor that you might be dealing with.

 

[unionrdr]

Sounds like it could be fusel alcohols. They produce that warming sensation at the back of the throat. Give it time for the yeast still in suspension to clean those up. Just like mama D says in here cookbook,taste. If it doesn't taste good,then it needs more time to clean up. But not to worry,it does clean up. I got that one on my 1st brew. Cleaned up a lot with the extra little bit of time. Cleaned up completely by the time the bottles were ready for their initial fridge time.

 

[luvinit]

have a pale ale sitting in fridge fermenting {hopefully} pitched the yeast yesterday at 3 pm went rite into fridge the temp in fridge is steady at 55 degrees, does that sound about right? the nottingham yeast is an ale yeast but did not say anything about ferment temp...checked it this morning and no action yet but I am patient on waiting for it to start, I did make a starter for the yeast before I pitched ,does the temp in the fridge sound about right,I am using a honeywell controller to try to maintain proper temp...

 

[unionrdr]

Midwest says the recommended range for notty is 57-70F. But will tolerate down to 54F.

 

[luvinit]

posted my question in the wrong place ...sorry

 

[unionrdr]

Answered it there too.