Ferment temperature went crazy… ruined?

[Jzrp]

Hi

When I brew I don’t have a brew fridge so I always judge it around what the weather is like. I have just built a keezer too so cant get away with another fridge at the moment (might have to work up to that)

I brewed a NEIPA Thursday night when forecast was saying ~18-20 degrees c for the next two weeks, got it in the fermzilla and it’s been fermenting at 10-15 psi and obviously the heat wave rolls in.

Although it was only 24 in the day yesterday and 18 at night when I was checking the temperature it was going crazy and creeping up to 24.8. The fermentation was VERY active last night. Anyway I put some cold cans and ice in the jacket with it and hoped would help.

This morning when I came down the temperature seemed to be closer to 28, even though it was only 20 weather wise. I have put in frozen big bottles of water, wet towels etc and this morning and got it down to 23 again in the last few hours.

Long story but I suppose my question is… is this beer going to be ruined? I’ve never used the fermzilla before and I know the pressure brew allows higher temperatures but obviosuly was aiming to stick within the threshold for the yeast. I’ve never had a brew where the temperature was so much higher than the ambient temperature before. It seems like it’s settling down now too so basically done most of its business in 36 hrs?

I would be dry hopping it over the next week and I’m thinking if it’s going to taste awful is it worth sinking the hops in it?

 

[Jzrp]

Forgot to say, the yeast used was mangrove jack hop head m66 which is recommended to be about 18-22 Celsius.

Brew is now sitting in the 21s but I suppose the issue is it had 6-12 hours of its high Krausen nudging over

 

[Jzrp]

Reading up on this a bit more, sounds like I might just get away with the higher temperature on a pressure ferment

Especially seeing as the first 18-24 hours were in the right ‘normal’ range.

If anyone has any experience of similar would be interested to know. Otherwise will just crack on as planned and post back here how it turns out for reference.

 

[dwhite60]

You never know if it's bad unti, its had time to condition. Don't be too quick to expect it to be a dumper.

 

[An Ankoù]

You never know if it's bad unti, its had time to condition. Don't be too quick to expect it to be a dumper.

That would be my advice, too.
After 50 years of fermenting according to the seasons, I have to say: get a fridge and an inkbird. The former can be picked up of Gumtree for a song. The latter's about £30. Try to get a fridge without a freezer compartment, but if you can't, don't turn a free one away.

 

[Jzrp]

That would be my advice, too.
After 50 years of fermenting according to the seasons, I have to say: get a fridge and an inkbird. The former can be picked up of Gumtree for a song. The latter's about £30. Try to get a fridge without a freezer compartment, but if you can't, don't turn a free one away.

Yeah it’s less the money and more the space, and the subsequent conversation with other half need a garage really.

I got chest freezer for 60 quid and turned that into a keezer but that’s under gazebo area in garden permanently haha.

I do want a fermentation fridge but just need a bigger house first so in the meantime I’m left to going with the flow of the seasons. Hopefully the pressure fermentation will save me this time from the ill effects of the heat

 

[Pennine]

Anytime I have gone that high with ale yeast it usually comes out very fusely and unenjoyable. They usually cause a nasty headache for me too. I always hoped the fusels would fade in time but they never seem to do. I'd also recommend a ferm chamber like an ankou says. Otherwise maybe stick with kveiks with hot weather.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I'm in similar situation, I accidentally turned off my fridge and let my lager temp rise to 18c (temp range 8-14) i'm hoping it's going to be ok!

 

[Jzrp]

Anytime I have gone that high with ale yeast it usually comes out very fusely and unenjoyable. They usually cause a nasty headache for me too. I always hoped the fusels would fade in time but they never seem to do. I'd also recommend a ferm chamber like an ankou says. Otherwise maybe stick with kveiks with hot weather.

Out of interest was that on pressure fermentations or regular gravity fermentation’s?

Just curious as this is my first pressure fermentation and have read that it enables a bit higher temps as it suppresses esthers

 

[Jzrp]

I'm in similar situation, I accidentally turned off my fridge and let my lager temp rise to 18c (temp range 8-14) i'm hoping it's going to be ok!

Good luck! Hopefully we both end up with a decent beer

 

[Pennine]

Out of interest was that on pressure fermentations or regular gravity fermentation’s?

Just curious as this is my first pressure fermentation and have read that it enables a bit higher temps as it suppresses esthers

No sorry I have not fermented under pressure before so hopefully it will come out ok. I have never heard of fermenting underpressure that hot though? Usually they say around 20c. I am curious to hear how it turns out though?

 

[Jzrp]

No sorry I have not fermented under pressure before so hopefully it will come out ok. I have never heard of fermenting underpressure that hot though? Usually they say around 20c. I am curious to hear how it turns out though?

Will definitely report back. I’ve read that pressure fermentation allows you to go to the higher end of yeast temperature range and a bit beyond because where the activity is so fast and the pressure suppresses the production of esters that cause the off flavours you can get away with it.

One common example I’ve seen is lagers being brewed ~ 5 deg c higher than normal range. Doesn’t mean it will work for all styles obviosuly though.

Question is whether mine went too far beyond and for too long.

Definitely need to look in to Kveik too though didn’t know much about it until recently

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Out of interest was that on pressure fermentations or regular gravity fermentation’s?

Just curious as this is my first pressure fermentation and have read that it enables a bit higher temps as it suppresses esthers

I find that some pressure means that temp can be higher without adverse effect ( so far ).

 

[Jzrp]

I find that some pressure means that temp can be higher without adverse effect ( so far ).

Good to hear, how much higher have you gone?

 

[RoomWithABrew]

@Jzrp
Accidentally went as high as 35 psi when I put the wrong fitting on a spunding valve. Sat for 5 days a hefeweizen and then I found out and reduced it to 10 psi.
If I don't want yeast expression of being a bit warmer say 22 instead of 19 celsius I let psi rise to 10 psi with spunding valve on it's own. ie I don't put CO2 in to get to this pressure.
As ferment finishes I then dial in the pressure I want for vols of CO2 and let it rise to that so that it's carbing up whilst diacetyl rest and conditioning. Then cold crash if indicated and then transfer.

There aren't hard and fast rules it seems. Have used kveik at 35 celsius and 30 psi setting straightaway ( set to 30 psi ) on some lager recipes and it's been super clean no cold crash just turned the heat off and left in the coolest place and closed transfer when cleared, then to keg fridge for final clearing.

 

[Jzrp]

@Jzrp
Accidentally went as high as 35 psi when I put the wrong fitting on a spunding valve. Sat for 5 days a hefeweizen and then I found out and reduced it to 10 psi.
If I don't want yeast expression of being a bit warmer say 22 instead of 19 celsius I let psi rise to 10 psi with spunding valve on it's own. ie I don't put CO2 in to get to this pressure.
As ferment finishes I then dial in the pressure I want for vols of CO2 and let it rise to that so that it's carbing up whilst diacetyl rest and conditioning. Then cold crash if indicated and then transfer.

There aren't hard and fast rules it seems. Have used kveik at 35 celsius and 30 psi setting straightaway ( set to 30 psi ) on some lager recipes and it's been super clean no cold crash just turned the heat off and left in the coolest place and closed transfer when cleared, then to keg fridge for final clearing.

Yeah I did the same with sounding valve, let natural co2 from fermentation pressurise it, was still hissing away during high krausen even tho set between 15-20psi

so kveik aside, 22deg c hottest youve done pressure fermentation withregular ale yeast or was that lager?

 

[Jzrp]

This bad boi due to get dry hopped today (the beer). The other bad boi in the picture is mostly spending his time killing/ trying to kill robins and butterflies as much as I try and stop him.

 

[Cwrw666]

I'm in similar situation, I accidentally turned off my fridge and let my lager temp rise to 18c (temp range 8-14) i'm hoping it's going to be ok!

Depends on the yeast I suppose. I did a pilsner with CML Hell yeast a few weeks ago hoping to catch the last of the cooler weather. It was 16.5C when it started (air temp., not fermentation temp.) but next day shot up to nearly 19. Yeast range is meant to be 12 to 18C. It's actually turned out perfectly ok.

 

[RoomWithABrew]

Yeah I did the same with sounding valve, let natural co2 from fermentation pressurise it, was still hissing away during high krausen even tho set between 15-20psi

so kveik aside, 22deg c hottest youve done pressure fermentation withregular ale yeast or was that lager?

Went to 24 for the diacetyl rest on an ale, lagers have been with kveik or saflager so no cool ferments.
Currently using WLP 1983 at 10 psi and 15 degrees in first 48 hours of ferment for a baltic porter. Another 2.5 gallons with kveik but only at 25 celsius and will ramp this up later ( using pressure to flush the kegs out ) and then will aim for final vol pressure.

 

[dv12]

I had a similar temp issue. I had a free Saturday morning last weekend so knocked up a partial extract brown ale with what i had laying around. I pitched S-04 and it was the hottest day NI has ever experienced! Ferm temp peaked at 25C and never dropped below 21C, despite ice packs strapped to it, and finished fermenting in about a day and a half. Don't know what this one will be like tbh.