Fermentation temp too high

[Gggsss]

Hi all

Need to know if I’ve ruined my current brew.

Yesterday I brewed a milkshake ipa and used CML haze yeast. The packet stated 15-20c temp range. I was in a rush in the end and pitched at 22c. Then only managed to get it in to my fermentation chamber after 24 hours. When I taped up the probe it showed 24c. I have now dropped it to 19c.

I’m planning to dry hop and add vanilla & mango.

So basically have I got a ruined batch on my hands? If so can I do anything to rectify? Will my late additions mask any negative flavors?

Thanks in advance people..

 

[nickjdavis]

Your beer will be fine. 3 or 4 degrees is not hugely significant...and it is unlikely that this will result in any noticeable issues....any minor flavour variations that may occur will almost certainly be masked by the mango.

A general observation not specifically aimed at the OP....

I find it "strange" that the term "ruined" is almost a daily occurrence here....it is hugely difficult to "ruin" a brew....any mistakes (or perhaps "deviations from the planned brewing process") that one might make will more likely result in the brewer having brewed a beer that is "different" from planned (if indeed there is any difference). Its almost as though people have been scared (by whom I don't know) into believing that the slightest unplanned event is going to have a major detrimental effect on their beer. Folks need to loosen up more and enjoy the process and, if things don't go as planned, enjoy what comes out of the FV at the end of the day and learn from the experience.

You never know...your "ruined" batch might just be the most wonderful flavoured beer you've tasted!!! (But I bet you couldn't repeat it!!! )

 

[Rodcx500z]

All my best brews have been a **** up of some form

 

[scomet]

Folks need to loosen up more and enjoy the process

Very well put nickj; I 'ruined' a beer and invented Sticke Altbier!, OK I wasn't the first but it was bloody nice….

 

[Richard_H]

I agree with the above, a few degrees above the preferred temperature range for 24 hours is hardly a disaster and you now have it under control at 19c. Unless you were planning to submit this beer for a competition then I wouldn't stress about it, even if you were you would be unlucky to produce off flavours from the above.

To genuinely ruin a beer is actually quite hard work, skip the whole sanitizing process and ferment ale yeast at 30c for 7 days should do the trick but even that is not guaranteed!

I've been doing this for 4 years, sometimes knocking out 3 brews in a month with no temperature control in a new build that gets very warm(although I use Saison & Kviek in the summer) and I'm yet to have a bad brew, let alone a ruined one...

We always aim to improve our beers and our brewing knowledge, potentially moving into the advanced stage of going all grain and doing water treatment. Carry on with your current brew and make some tasting notes when its drinkable and compare them to when you brew this again with the yeast pitched at 19c, you might not even notice the difference...

 

[hoppyscotty]

I think you'll be fine. I always pitch yeast a few degrees higher than the suggested range because I'm impatient and cant get the wort down to pitching temperature with my emersion chiller so by the time I've got it as low as I can with the emersion chiller and pitched into the fermenter its usually around 26 ish degrees and takes a few hours to cool down to sub 24 degrees, but I've found pitching yeast right away has no negative effects (from what I can detect at least) and actually seems to kick start the fermentation off.

However a couple of brews ago I did a Belgian triple, it was during the heat wave we had in the UK and after pitching the yeast at around 25 degrees it went crazy and got upto 29 degrees. I was convinced it was ruined but it actually tastes fine. Didn't quite hit final gravity but resulting beer tastes fine and is plenty strong enough anyway. Think you'll be fine.

 

[moto748]

Your beer will be fine. 3 or 4 degrees is not hugely significant...and it is unlikely that this will result in any noticeable issues....any minor flavour variations that may occur will almost certainly be masked by the mango.

A general observation not specifically aimed at the OP....

I find it "strange" that the term "ruined" is almost a daily occurrence here....it is hugely difficult to "ruin" a brew....any mistakes (or perhaps "deviations from the planned brewing process") that one might make will more likely result in the brewer having brewed a beer that is "different" from planned (if indeed there is any difference). Its almost as though people have been scared (by whom I don't know) into believing that the slightest unplanned event is going to have a major detrimental effect on their beer. Folks need to loosen up more and enjoy the process and, if things don't go as planned, enjoy what comes out of the FV at the end of the day and learn from the experience.

You never know...your "ruined" batch might just be the most wonderful flavoured beer you've tasted!!! (But I bet you couldn't repeat it!!! )

Wise words.