WLP001 and 80°

[Burrito]

I have a batch of APA that's been in the fermenter for 10 going on 11 days now. I'm giving it 2 full weeks till keg time. Then about a week to dry hop, carb and cool.

My question is about this yeast and high temperature. I don't currently have an easy way to hold a cooler temp and I'm in San Diego experiencing Santa Anna weather. I'd say on average its been sitting between 77-80°. A little cooler at times and maybe a couple degrees warmer at times.

Who has experience with WLP001 at these temps? How'd it turn out?

 

[BWE]

001 has a track record of being fairly neutral. Did you start the fermentation this high? If you started fermentation low and it built up to that, it could have fermented before it had the chance to get too warm. But chances are at those temps, you will taste a difference.

 

[BigFloyd]

I could tell that it will be fine with extra time in the bottles or that "it will be beer", but that would be more wishful thinking than anything else. At those temps (especially if that's ambient air temp), you're likely to get some noticeable off-flavors (which may or may not condition out) and possibly some fusel alcohols (tastes like jet fuel and gives a nasty headache).

I've never let mine ferment that warm with that strain, but I've tasted a pale ale made by a fellow brewer using US-05 (dry version of WLP001) where the ambient air temp was in the mid-70's. When he gave me one, he had already let it bottle condition about two months hoping it would mellow. It had a very pronounced ester flavor, but no fusels. I did not finish the bottle.

You'll have to figure out what will be the best way for you to cool your fermenter, but you must do it to brew good beer. If you want tasty beer with WLP001 and similar yeasts, pitch it near 60*F, keep it at 64-65*F until the krausen falls and activity subsides.

 

[Calichusetts]

I've done it in the low 70s ambient. Nothing with fusels that I could tell. On the other hand, fermenting around 60 or below leads to this really pronounced peach ester that can take over a brew. The lower you go the less pleasant it becomes to the point of "rotton strawberries" around 57. Granted, a few of my buddies couldn't really pick it up but I hated it. They called it peach/watermelon. There is a local brewery that uses this yeast low and I literally can't finish some of their beers.

I'd say higher rather than lower, but 80 is really pushing it. Why are you having so much trouble controlling temps? Consistent mid-70s weather is something I would dream about, wouldn't take much to keep it consistently 5-10 degrees lower on the cheap. Swamp cooler, cellar, etc.

 

[Burrito]

I live in San Diego where its currently 90+ degrees and cellars don't exist. I've been turning the AC on a bit during the hottest part of the day to keep it from climbing above 80. I forgot about the wet towel trick and at this point I'm sure its a little late

 

[Burrito]

On the positive side... This is like an experiment. I'll let you know in a couple weeks how it turned out

 

[Burrito]

Quick update... I racked to the keg a few days ago, measured my fg (yeast went ham, 1.005) and took the opportunity to taste.

So far not bad. No obvious off flavors that I could tell. No jet fuel, no over powering fruitiness. Now its sitting on some citra, and cascade and carbonating in the keg. I'll pull a glass on Friday and see what's really up.

 

[RmikeVT]

You need to get a swamp cooler set up. I use an igloo cube cooler and fill half way up with water. I get the water down to 60 or so degrees on brew day using ice or whatever (usually ground water temp is fine) and when Im done brewing I put the fermenter in. and I try and hold the temperature of the water bath between 65-68. I find I can do this easy using frozen water bottles. I use the little 1L water bottles. I have about 6 frozen in the freezer at all times. When its hot out, I drop one in when I wake up, when I get home from work and when I go to bed. You only have to do this until primary fermentation is over, usually about 3-5 days. The only time I really need to adamant about it is in the dead of summer. I live in MD so usually its high 90s and humid.

 

[Burrito]

Yeah I'll definitely be doing something along those lines next time. I never had an issue with temps that high before during fermentation and by the time I realized it was an issue i figured too late, let's see what happens

 

[GrogNerd]

+1 for swamp cooler

I have one of those cheap storage bins from Wally World, use water-filled gallon water/milk jugs swapped out with ones from the freezer to keep temps down

can keep the temps down in the low 60°s with this method.

 

[Burrito]

Update**

Had some friends over for a memorial day BBQ and tried the batch. Drank most of it actually. It turned out pretty good despite the high fermentation temperatures. It does have a noticeable mild fruit character, but not enough to ruin it. One friend said he detected a hint of banana, although I did not. All in all it was a hit. Everyone enjoyed it, or at least that's what they told me.

I'm making a minor tweak or two to the recipe and doing it again this weekend. And I will be controlling the temp via swamp cooler this time.

 

[GrogNerd]

:rockin:

not counting infections, the worst that can happen is you still make beer!