Hot weather - 1st ever brew - 28ºC

[cuba]

Hi guys,

I'm doing my first ever brew (coopers Aussie lager), but its absolutely hot, and the FV is at 28C.

Will this spoil it?,

also does this mean that the fermentation will be faster? or the alcohol content weaker?

Cheers for any help

 

[Moley]

Fermentation will be faster and alcohol level will be unaffected, but you could end up with some undesirable flavours. Cover the bucket with a wet towel or use an electric fan if you've got one.

 

[graysalchemy]

Hi and welcome to the forum. :thumb:

You do need to get that temp down though I fear the damage will be done (sorry ).The first 24 hrs of fermentation are critical temp wise as this when the yeast can get stressed and produce unwanted fusel alcohols, these taste solventy and are likely to cause hangovers.

The easiest way to keep the brew cool is to place it in one of those large plastic tubs with water and place wet towels over it to encourage latent heat of evaporation to cool it. A fan may also help.

You will have to taste it and see what the end results are like.

:thumb:

edit I see moley has beaten me too it.

 

[cuba]

The first 24 hrs of fermentation are critical temp wise as this when the yeast can get stressed and produce unwanted fusel alcohols, these taste solventy and are likely to cause hangovers.

The first 24 hours where fine temperature wise. Its now on days 7,8,9 of fermentation that its gotten hot.

(Thanks for replying)

 

[Moley]

Cover the bucket with a wet towel or use an electric fan if you've got one.

The easiest way to keep the brew cool is to place it in one of those large plastic tubs with water and place wet towels over it to encourage latent heat of evaporation to cool it. A fan may also help.

edit I see Moley has beaten me to it.

Great minds think alike :thumb:

Or fools seldom differ :whistle:

 

[graysalchemy]

The first 24 hrs of fermentation are critical temp wise as this when the yeast can get stressed and produce unwanted fusel alcohols, these taste solventy and are likely to cause hangovers.

The first 24 hours where fine temperature wise. Its now on days 7,8,9 of fermentation that its gotten hot.

(Thanks for replying)

Well You may be OK :pray: :pray:

Fermentation is quite exothermic so even in winter when you think it is in a snug ambient temp of 20c it can creep up to 23-24c quite easily. Beware of brew belts this can easily happen if you use one.

 

[the-erl]

Welcome to the forum!!!

Let us know how it turns out when you bottle/keg.

Erl :drink:

 

[evanvine]

It'll be ok!
Ignore the old women, they are full of "doom and gloom" and just like to read their own posts!!
This won't be the first time I've fermented at 30C.
A very warm welcome to the Forum. :whistle:

 

[cuba]

Welcome to the forum!!!

Let us know how it turns out when you bottle/keg.

Erl :drink:

Thanks!. I bottled last night. I've never done this before, so I have no means of comparison, but it just tasted like warm flat beer. You know when you leave your beer in a glass in the garden at a party with only a little bit left and then you come back to it, and it's really warm and really flat?.....like that.

I will let you know when i drink the first bottle in a month or so.

 

[robbie1710]

Hi Cuba,

As a fellow home brew novice, the best advice every one on here has given me is Patience!

My first few batches tasted pants when they were first bottled and I just assumed they would stay like that however after a few weeks in the warm once bottled then in the fridge for a while to mature...... wow! they turn out pretty impressive.

Im not saying they are amazing however Ive made some brews that i was really dissapointed with when they had just been bottled but after time they really change and become a pretty decent drink.

hope yours turns out well, just be patient and if its not fantastic at first when you try it, leave it, stast another brew and then try it again :)

 

[maevans]

Thanks!. I bottled last night. I've never done this before, so I have no means of comparison, but it just tasted like warm flat beer. You know when you leave your beer in a glass in the garden at a party with only a little bit left and then you come back to it, and it's really warm and really flat?.....like that.

I will let you know when i drink the first bottle in a month or so.

don't worry about that - mine was exactly the same when I did the aussie lager kit.

It's not a true lager, so you're essentially making a thin light ale, so it won't quite have *that* lager taste. Also, unsurprisingly, when its warm and has no carbonation, it's not going to taste great. You'll be surprised at the difference once its carbonated and then served cold.

One thing its kinda interesting to do, is to have a bottle every week until you start drinking in a month and just see how the flavour changes over that time, and how carbonation develops:

It'll go from you getting a big 'whoosh' of fizz but a beer that goes flat very quickly after the first week or so, to a carbonated beer with big bubbles after a couple of weeks and finally a carbonated beer that holds its fizz, and has smallish bubbles a couple of weeks later.

The aussie kit isn't going to change your life, but is quite pleasing for a beginner - usually clears pretty nicely and is clean tasting to banish the doubts that all you'll be able to produce is some murky brown fruity water!

 

[jonnymorris]

Ignore the old women, they are full of "doom and gloom"...

The old women and most, if not all, respected brewers and published authors agree. Ignore them at your peril. However, as GA has said, the early stages are most temperature critical so you may be OK. Best of luck and welcome.

 

[Jimmy321]

The first 24 hours where fine temperature wise. Its now on days 7,8,9 of fermentation that its gotten hot.

By a fluke you may well have improved your beer, the ideal living temperature for brewers yeast is about 32°C (although that's NOT what you want to ferment at).

If the fermentation was complete by day 6 then raising the temp will help the yeast clean up by giving it a better environment to survive in. Since I got my fermentation fridge I have been raising the temp towards the end then upping to 23°C for a few days at final gravity, for my wheat beers I have been fermenting at 17° for 24-36 hours then increasing by 1.5°C per day till reaching 23-24°C and left for a few days to clean up, this give me a good balance of clove and banana flavors.

 

[winelight]

Interesting. So what temperature profile would you recommend? Mine's had 4 days at 18C now in the fridge.

 

[Jimmy321]

Interesting. So what temperature profile would you recommend? Mine's had 4 days at 18C now in the fridge.

Wheat beer? or Ale?

For wheat beer I would choose temps based on the flavour profile I was trying to achieve, 17-19 for clove 20-21 neutral and 22-24 for banana.

For Ale I would leave it till it's nearly done then raise your temp from 18 to 20-21 and let it ferment out + 5-7 days, others may leave it longer.

 

[Darcey]

They are plenty of opinions on fusel alcohol (Fusel Oils in Distilling) generally a bad consideration. Yeast has its many forms and I would suggest (with out suitable evidence) that some strains would be more prone to it than others. Generally keytone and alcohol production absorption and breakdown can vary from strain to strain even yeast generation to generation.

The kit yeasts tend to be fairly robust and clean.

Effects of Fusel Oil on Animal Hangover Models: 2003 '...These results suggest that the fusel oil in whisky alleviates hangover, contrary to the common belief.'

Still it is considered an 'off' flavor / aroma in my styles especially Lager... which brewing process is designed to specifically ensure there is none present.

I am sure it will be lovely when carbonated, matured and chilled. :thumb:

+1 to the towel and fan idea. Works a charm and CAMRA have used it for many years at beer festivals! :lol:

D

 

[ghbradshaw]

Similar question from me....

I'm on my second kit brew, first one turned out great thankfully and now I'm eager to make more!

On Sun evening I kicked it off, mixing the tin contents with water, and then waited for it to cool enough to add the yeast. I read that should be between 18 - 23 degrees to ensure the yeast isn't killed off, however by the end of the evening it was still hovering around 26, and even the following morning it was still 24.

My questions are:

1. Will the pre-yeast beer mix (not sure of the technical term for this!) be ruined from sitting around at 24-26 degrees for several days? I've sealed the fermenter to avoid contamination.

2. It's already in the coolest place of my house and I've got all the windows open when at home. I saw the suggestion of the wet towel, but I don't have a box big enough to fill with water, although I could use the bath when not in use. Would it need to be kept at 23 or below for the full 7 day fermentation period? Any advice for how I can best do this?

Thanks for any help :thumb:

EDIT - I should mention that the kit is Woodforde's Whery - I'm making a 20 pint brew using one of the tins with an ibrew starter kit.

 

[graysalchemy]

It is the initial stages which are most critical. When the yeast is multiplying it can metabolise and start making the precursors of fusel alcohols if the temps rise above 22c+. So once the initial stages are over then in theory you shouldn't have a problem. Commercial breweries will ferment at higher temps but get away with it because the pitch at far greater rates than we home brewers do and as a result the yeast doesn't go through as much of a growth phase.

Personally I make all attempts to keep my temps right down to 20c. I have had beers which yeast was pitched at 24c and was still at 24 the next day. These resulted in beers that were less than satisfactory.

Mind you according to Jim I am a scare mongering old Wife so take no notice of me. :grin: :grin:

 

[Darcey]

GA :thumb: indeed. Yeast is very interesting. I think I fall in to the 'over pitching' category!

 

[ghbradshaw]

Ok, thanks! I might try putting it in a bath of water tonight & tomorrow with a wet towel over it.

Would there be any issue in the fact it's been sitting there without the yeast in a warm house for a couple of days?