High fermentation temp in the very beginning

What went wrong? Was this supposed to happen? Should I throw it out? What do I do now?

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pirate357
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High fermentation temp in the very beginning

Post by pirate357 »

Hey everyone. I just made a batch of Kolsch yesterday and put it in my brew fridge, set my temp controller to 70 and left it for 24 hours. I checked today and my beer is at 74 degrees. So basically its been in the mid seventies for around 24 hours. I lowered the temp on my fridge but am wondering, did I damage my beer? Any input would be appreciated. Thanks.
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slothrob
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high temp

Post by slothrob »

It probably depends on the type of beer you were making, but, while it is high, its not outrageously high. Some of the compounds made during that early burst should get blown out the airlock or consumed by the yeast during the rest of the fermentation.

I think that if 74°F is the highest it got, and the yeast wasn't fermenting crazily, and the beer isn't something delicate like a Kölsch, and the yeast isn't too flavorful, you should be okay. The kind of damage would most likely fall into the "not as good as it could have been" category, not the "this tastes like furniture polish" category.
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brewmeisterintng
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I guess you missed it

Post by brewmeisterintng »

Quote "I just made a batch of Kolsch yesterday".
Expect off flavors. The beer will still be OK but you will have esters.
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slothrob
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oops!

Post by slothrob »

Man! I've been more than a little "slow" lately. I don't think I ever recovered from the trauma of filling out my tax return.

Beermeisterintng caught my oversight, but I'll add that I ferment Koelsch at 62oF or less to control esters. I also don't think your beer will be undrinkable, but the Koelsch yeast is quite fruity tasting to start, so this will probably be very fruity. I wouldn't hurry it off the yeast and it might benefit from a little extra time in the cellar.
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