Temp too hot?

[stratman471]

My thermometer readings for the first few days of fermentation were between 58F-62F. After about day 5 I got nervous and decided to use a heating pad to make sure it was around 65F-68F. I took a small sample just to taste it and take a gravity reading and it had a strong alcohol/yeasty flavor.
So my question is, did I over-heat my beer? And what is the approximate temperature difference between the thermometer reading and temp inside the carboy?

It's an American Red Ale OG 1.049 FG 1.015.

 

[kh54s10]

Where is your thermometer when you are taking the temperature? Taped to the side of the fermenter and insulated from ambient? Or a LCD strip on the side?

If so you did not get your beer too warm.

Don't get too worried about the taste before bottle conditioning. I have found that some change drastically between bottling day and when they are ready. Usually about 3 weeks bottle conditioning.

 

[scotched]

1: What kind of carboy are you using (glass/plastic)?
2: What kind of yeast are you using?
3: What are you using to take temperature? (plastic strip on side of carboy?)

62-68 is actually where you want to be (depending on the yeast you used).

 

[jester5120]

Strong alcohol flavor caused by yeast shouldn't show up until the temp hits the high 70s

 

[stratman471]

I have a plastic carboy and an LCD thermometer strip across the center of the carboy

 

[Brew_4iT]

My thermometer readings for the first few days of fermentation were between 58F-62F. After about day 5 I got nervous and decided to use a heating pad to make sure it was around 65F-68F. I took a small sample just to taste it and take a gravity reading and it had a strong alcohol/yeasty flavor.
So my question is, did I over-heat my beer? And what is the approximate temperature difference between the thermometer reading and temp inside the carboy?

It's an American Red Ale OG 1.049 FG 1.015.

That is because the yeast are still in suspension, even if the krausen has fallen back it hasn't even been a week yet so there will still be a number of healthy yeast throughout the wort (especially if sampled off the top as its a top fermenting yeast). The strongness you could be tasting alongside the bready sweetness could be the hops which will be more pronounced or just the fact that the ale hasn't conditioned and smoothed out.