yeast fermentation temp

[StallionMang]

I am making my way through Palmer's "How to Brew", and in the Yeast chapter, it lists Nottinghams as having a fermentation range of 58 to 70 degrees.

Well, I am currently working on my first homebrew (It's in bottles now), and the kit had a package of Nottinghams. I used it and stored the fermenter in 75 degree conditions. I thought this would be okay, because I was reading the initial "Crash Course in Brewing" chapter at the beginning of the book, and he simply states that you want to stay below 80 degrees.

Here's my worry. Although the airlock did bubble during fermentation, if I was storing it 5 degrees too high, then perhaps fermentation occurred, but much more slowly than it should have, and perhaps it didn't complete, which means that my beer will be way too malty. Is this a possibility, or is it an all-or-nothing deal (where fermentation either occurs fully or doesn't occur at all?)

I probably should have used my hydrometer to do a gravity check. Maybe I will after bottle conditioning is finished (if it tastes terrible, that is)



Thanks,
Rob

 

[Kubed]

Correct me if i'm wrong, but I believe that as long as it's not hot enough to kill the yeast, your only problems will to formation some mild off flavors. The yeast will just be a little more active at the higher temp and will move though log phase faster.

 

[Yooper]

If it's bottles, it's too late to check the sg now. It sounds ok, though.

You should always check the sg before you bottle- you want fermentation to be finished before you bottle the beer. Otherwise, you can have bottle bombs.

 

[TheJadedDog]

A warm ferment will typically cause fermentation to occur faster (not slower) and may result in some fruity off-flavors. Sounds to me like you have nothing serious to worry about. 5 degrees shouldn't do much damage, especially if the temp remained constant. In the future, try to bring the temp down if you can (there are lots of threads on various methods if you do a quick search).

 

[malkore]

warmer temps = faster fermentation and possible esters.

if you smell or taste juicy fruit or bananas, it was too warm.

I tend to keep ales under 70F once fermentation begins.

 

[StallionMang]

i can still get an accurate sg reading after bottling, correct? I can just pour the contents of a bottle into a tall, thin glass.

 

[Yooper]

Well, no, not really. The beer is carbonated now. You'd have to pour it, spin the hydrometer around and let the beer go warm, then flat, then read it. But, it doesn't matter anyway now. You've already bottled it! If the fermentation wasn't done, the beer will be overcarbed at the least. Bottle bombs are another possibility, but not likely since fermentation was about done.

Another way to see if fermentation is not complete is to taste it. If it tastes sweet, it's probably not done. But always use a hydrometer for 3 days before bottling, then check it again right before bottling. If it hasn't changed, it's done.

 

[StallionMang]

Well, the reason why I asked is because if the beer does end up tasting bad, I just want to check to confirm that it is because fermentation did not complete.

 

[Nyxator]

The fermentation will complete at those temps. I fermented many a beer at 78 - 80 degrees, which is how cool I keep my house in the Arizona summer. It makes for some estery beer, but it still tastes good.

 

[DeathBrewer]

yeah, i wouldn't be too concerned about fermentation not finishing, it should have been done at those conditions. nothing you can really do now, anyway. just wait and see how it tastes. if it's too sweet or your bottles burst, it wasn't finished.

live and learn, now you know for next time...use that hydrometer!

you may wish to find a way to chill your beer, too. it may take a little longer, but it will taste better

 

[StallionMang]

yeah, i wouldn't be too concerned about fermentation not finishing, it should have been done at those conditions. nothing you can really do now, anyway. just wait and see how it tastes. if it's too sweet or your bottles burst, it wasn't finished.

live and learn, now you know for next time...use that hydrometer!

you may wish to find a way to chill your beer, too. it may take a little longer, but it will taste better

Hmm....I guess I should probably keep my bottles covered then. Right now, they are stacked directly behind our living room couch. If one exploded, it could seriously injure someone.

They have been in bottles for 1 1/2 weeks now, and they have not yet exploded, so I'm probably safe at this point, right? Well, I'll cover them anyway.

Thanks to everyone for your helpful comments!


Rob

 

[Yooper]

If it's been in bottles for nearly two weeks, I say chill one tonight and try it! Open it over the sink just to be sure but if it's not overcarbed than you'll know it's fine. If it's a wee bit flat, then it'll be perfect in another week!