Yeast & Temperature

[Mark Duddridge]

Hi everybody.

I am new to beermaking (and this forum!), and I just started my second RJ Spagnols Brew House kit, a Honey Blonde. I've run into a bit of a problem, though.

I pitched the yeast onto 22 degree C wort on Saturday and by yesterday morning it was happily fermenting. I brew my beer/wine in my basement, so I need to use a heating belt to keep the temps up. When I started the kit I had a heating belt as well as a blanket wrapped around the primary. Yesterday morning I noticed the temps were starting to creep up to around 23, so I removed the blanket. At 4:00 yesterday afternoon the temperature was still around 22 (with just the heat belt, no blanket). There was a good head of foam already forming. Then, when I arrived home at about 11:30 yesterday evening, I saw that in the seven hours I had been gone the temperature had soared from 22 to 28-29! It was still bubbling at that point, but the head of foam that had been growing throughout the day had almost completely fallen (leaving behind that sticky brown stuff).

This morning I checked it again, and the head of foam was almost completely gone, and the S.G. was about 1.012, already lower than the 1.020 recommended racking point (as per the kit instructions). So, I guess I'll rack it into a carboy tonight. So basically I've compressed what the intructions said would take 3-5 days into 32 hours!

So, what I am wondering is what kind of damage I've done to the beer by allowing the temperature to spike like that. Can I expect off flavors? If so, how bad (undrinkable, barely noticeable, some combination of the above)? In other words, if I didn't know how this kit was supposed to taste, would I notice there was something wrong with it?

The kit instructions recommend keeping the temperature of the kit at 18-23 C for the entire process of making that kit. Is even this too warm? At what temperature will off flavors start to be created?

Thanks in advance for your responses.

Regards,

Mark

 

[Kaiser]

This morning I checked it again, and the head of foam was almost completely gone, and the S.G. was about 1.012, already lower than the 1.020 recommended racking point (as per the kit instructions).

Many of us, rack based on airlock activity (wait untill it is pretty much done) and not based om S.G. This way you don't have to constantly measure S.G.. And there is no benefit to this except you want to use the remaining extract for carbonation. (complicated thing actually)

So, what I am wondering is what kind of damage I've done to the beer by allowing the temperature to spike like that. Can I expect off flavors? If so, how bad (undrinkable, barely noticeable, some combination of the above)? In other words, if I didn't know how this kit was supposed to taste, would I notice there was something wrong with it?

You may have some more fruity flavors. But I think it will be just fine

Kai

 

[MrBulldogg]

Many of us, rack based on airlock activity (wait untill it is pretty much done) and not based om S.G.
Kai

What qualifies as "pretty much done"? Is one gurgle per minute too early to bottle?

 

[El Pistolero]

What qualifies as "pretty much done"? Is one gurgle per minute too early to bottle?

1 or 2 minutes per bubble is about right.

 

[Kaiser]

What qualifies as "pretty much done"? Is one gurgle per minute too early to bottle?

I rack to secondary when the Kraeusen has fallen and/or there are less than 2 bubbles per minute. Sometime even a little earlier. But since I use a secondary it will finish there.

If you plan to bottle, wait untill it is less than 1 bubble per min and the beer has considerably cleared up.

Kai

 

[MrBulldogg]

Sounds dandy. I'm at about 45 sec/bubble now but I haven't bought a secondary yet so I guess I'll just twiddle my thumbs for a couple more days, just to be sure. Thanks!