HELP - need advise

[jimbuckleybarrett]

Hi,

First the wife turned on the heat belt yesterday thinking she was helping because the temp was below 24   .  I know (she didn't), it should have been between 20 and 24 but she increased it to 30 before she told me what she did.  I turned it off and left it alone.  It has since returned to 22ish.

The brew was supposed to be ready today to bottle but when I checked it looks like I have a bit more to go.  Is it that it's now spoiled?

If I'm reading this correct, I'm not at 1.005 yet.

Should I just wait or will my sink get my first brew?

Jim

[LordEoin]

Just wait and continue as normal.
It might never reach 1.005. Different ingredients and yeasts will finish up with different readings.
You might get some funky or alcoholic off-flavors depending on how much of the fermentation was at the high temperature, but it'll probably be fine.

[Drum]

A brew is never spoiled til its undrinkable, dont go dumping it yet.

How far into the fermentation is it? High temp for the first few days has the worst effect i've found. If its been above 20C all along and its nearly finished anyway the temp increase might just help the yeast clean up any off flavours (google 'diacetyl rest' for a better explanation).
Id leave it as is for now and check the gravity again in a day or two.

[jimbuckleybarrett]

A brew is never spoiled til its undrinkable, dont go dumping it yet.

How far into the fermentation is it? High temp for the first few days has the worst effect i've found. If its been above 20C all along and its nearly finished anyway the temp increase might just help the yeast clean up any off flavours (google 'diacetyl rest' for a better explanation).
Id leave it as is for now and check the gravity again in a day or two.

Hi,

It was in to day 9/10 when this happened.

I will leave it and fingers cross!

Jim

[jimbuckleybarrett]

Just wait and continue as normal.
It might never reach 1.005. Different ingredients and yeasts will finish up with different readings.
You might get some funky or alcoholic off-flavors depending on how much of the fermentation was at the high temperature, but it'll probably be fine.

So if it doesn't reach 1.005 - when do I know to bottle it?

(sorry for all the questions)

Jim

[LordEoin]

Check the gravity again in 3 days time and if it's the same then bottle.

[molc]

Stable reading 48 hours apart is the best way. Personally I just leave I. Primary for 3 weeks and then bottle. Any fermentation will be finished by then and it should have cleaned itself up a bit.

[mr hoppy]

When you said it went up to 30 I thought jaysus it's ruined, but then I saw it got hot at day 9. But if it's a normal strength beer it's should survive that if it's already fermented out, which it should be if it's an ale. If you put up your recipe or what kit you're using people will be able to give more specific advice. If your beer is fecked up by really high temps you'll get things like nail varnish smells and hot spirity alcohol, but as I'd say it's probably ok if it's a normal strength ale if it got hot at day 9 as it would have fermented out around day 3 and has conditioning since then.

Another thing is ale yeast likes high temps even though it's bad news for beer flavor. Belgian brewers often ramp up the temp on their beers after the primary is complete to make sure they ferment out completely. So chances are your beer is now done from an attenuation perspective - 1005 is very, very low for a beer - but again a recipe would help.

EDIT - is this the blonde lager kit? If it is, does any one know is that an actual lager yeast?

[LordEoin]

i fit's the craft blonde it has an ale yeast

[jimbuckleybarrett]

Sorry for the late reply to everyone - family illness and work!

It's getting closer to the mark but as you suggested I'm leaving it well alone.

Another week wouldn't kill me.....

The good news is that it smells great (when I was testing the gravity).  It was a little cloudy after the "cooking" but when I tested again a few days later it was back to clear looking.

thank you all for the help, no thought I will have plenty more questions

Jim

[LordEoin]

Lovely hurling.
Kits will usually be murky and horrible looking until the fermentation has finished, but they clear up pretty fast then.
If you can see matter suspended and not moving in the FV, give it a slap and see if it drops some out.
I love watching waves of sediment drop slowly to the bottom