fermenting beer a little too warm

It's a little warmer than usual in Massachusetts right now, and my basement (and my fermenting beer) is at about 80* F. I have 12 gallons of ESB in the tank right now. I'm using us05 ale yeast, and it's max temp in it's profile is 75*. There's no possibility of cooling the fermenter, it's too big. The fermentation seems to be going a little quickly, down from 1.051 to 1.012 in 2 days. Is the rapid fermentation due to the higher temperature, and if so should I be concerned? Or should I just relax because there's not much I can do about it?

Yes, fermentation rate is a function of temperature.  You should try to lower it - you are producing a lot of acetyl and fusel alcohols that give off tastes and headaches.  Beersmith recommends placing wet cloths on your carboy and putting a fan on it.  The evaporating water cools the beer.  I've never tried it because I have a beer fridge I ferment in.  You will have to check on it regularly and keep the towels wet because you will lose the evaporative cooling effect and convection alone doesn't transfer heat as good as the conduction you get with a wet interface.

I hate to say it but this is not likely to be your favorite batch of beer. My experience with such temps is ale that tastes like it was dry hopped with banana peels.
Good luck!

Dave
That is certainly true, but I'm wondering if the damage is done already, and cooling it now may impede the clean-up of diacetyl and acetyaldehyde? 

Such that he may add green apple butter bomb to the mix.  Should one let it ride for a week for clean up of those two, and then see if it is worth packaging due to the fusels?

If it is fusel-laced, I would personally not bother to package.  I had relatively slight fusels in a tripel once and it was murder to drink.  Headaches galore.

I got the room to cool to the low 70's last night. Might take a while for the liquid to cool as well. I'm hoping the hardiness of us05 yeast may help keep this beer from tasting too gnarly.

Don't be in a hurry to drink it - give the yeast plenty of time to do as much clean up as it can.  Hope it works out for you.


Maltlicker, I did a little reading on this based on your comment and you may have a point.  Yeast don't like temperature changes and could go dormant on a big drop in temperature.  On the other hand, it sounds like he only lowered the temperature down to within the upper middle end of the recommended range of the yeast so it might not be a problem.

I tasted my hydrometer sample this morning. I don't detect any off flavors. The gravity is right on my estimated final, and the yeast is settling to the bottom of the fermenter, so all seems well. Once again, thanks for the advice gentlemen.

Don't panic bro. If you aren't entering into a competition, you will have a very drinkable beer regardless. Don't let the beer nerds get to you.
Dan

dnd0327 said:

Don't panic bro. If you aren't entering into a competition, you will have a very drinkable beer regardless. Don't let the beer nerds get to you.
Dan

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As a certified beer nerd.  I endorse the comment.