# Pitching Yeast At High Temperatures?



## lowzunyee (13/11/09)

New brewer with training wheels & a L plate on my back.
Just done my 2nd batch of brew - ESB Bavarian Lager with Safale US-05 dry ale yeast.
I pitched the yeast when the wort was around 29 degree celcius.
The directions say between 20 to 25 degrees C.
Have I stuffed it or am I panicking for nothing.
Thanks guys


----------



## Adamt (14/11/09)

All you can do now is get it as close to 20 as you can, as quick as you can.

You could end up with a very hot/solventy alcohol character and/or excessive fruitiness, but give it time in the fermenter before you chuck it (if you decide to).


----------



## roverfj1200 (14/11/09)

Your brew will be fine if you can get the temp down as quick as you can to about 20 deg

Cheers


----------



## Nick JD (14/11/09)

As above, you'd need to maintain the temperature at 29 for the entire ferment to get fusels and fruity esters. 

I find at a daily average temperature of 25 degrees, US05 will produce a decent beer. Much above this ... not so decent because of the "strange" alcohols, rather than the fruityness. Age in the bottle helps beer brewed high.

Often people will note only the daily maximum temperature. While this is important, if your fermenter sits in a place that spends 12 hours overnight at 17C, 6 hours at 20C and 6 hours at 28C - what's your _average _ferment temperature? It takes a fair few hours to raise 25L a degree or two. 

If you want to know what your fermenter's average temperature will be - take a temperature reading of the cold tap water in your house. At the moment my tap water is 24.5C ... my fermenter is at 22C, but it sits on a cold concrete floor in the coldest room in the house and it's ten in the morning. 

For me, the ceiling for S04 and US05 is 25C average daily temperature. That's some pretty hot weather. Large masses of cold concrete and cold night time temps are handy.


----------



## Beer Magician (14/11/09)

I'm just wondering how a Bavarian Lager will go with an Ale yeast? Shouldn't you be using a Lager yeast?


----------



## b_thomas (14/11/09)

US-05 is good for creating a fake lager because it ferments so cleanly (no funky flavours), drops out of the beer quite rapidly and most importantly very quickly as most Ale yeasts do. I would recommend fermenting it at the lower end of the Ale temp spectrum though say 16-18^c rather than at the upper end.

Back on topic - aren't fusel alcohols produced during the first few hours of the fermentation process? Whilst I don't want to alarm, pitching at 29^c might cause some off flavours that will probably need some time to mellow out (fusels don't mellow out, though), so don't be impatient when it comes to drinking this particular brew. I'd give it a good 6 weeks after bottling before cracking one open.


----------



## brenjak (14/11/09)

b_thomas said:


> US-05 is good for creating a fake lager because it ferments so cleanly (no funky flavours), drops out of the beer quite rapidly and most importantly very quickly as most Ale yeasts do. I would recommend fermenting it at the lower end of the Ale temp spectrum though say 16-18^c rather than at the upper end.
> 
> Back on topic - aren't fusel alcohols produced during the first few hours of the fermentation process? Whilst I don't want to alarm, pitching at 29^c might cause some off flavours that will probably need some time to mellow out (fusels don't mellow out, though), so don't be impatient when it comes to drinking this particular brew. I'd give it a good 6 weeks after bottling before cracking one open.



Temp down and the good advice since you have already pitched at 29 is "six weeks in the bottle". This should settle the brew down nicely.


----------



## lowzunyee (15/11/09)

Thanks all, for all your help. Looks like I'll keep the batch & bottle, but will let it ferment for at least 6 weeks before trying one.


Cheers
Guys.


----------



## Jonez (16/11/09)

lowzunyee said:


> Thanks all, for all your help. Looks like I'll keep the batch & bottle, but will let it ferment for at least 6 weeks before trying one.
> 
> 
> Cheers
> Guys.



Let it finish fermenting in the fermenter. Then 6 weeks "conditioning" in the bottle is what the guys above meant.


----------



## Jonez (16/11/09)

Beer Magician said:


> I'm just wondering how a Bavarian Lager will go with an Ale yeast? Shouldn't you be using a Lager yeast?



Beer Magician, You can use ale yeast on lager malt.(or kits)
Laurie Strachan describes this in one of his books as: a "Bastard Lager", where lager malt is used with ale or lager yeast and fermented at ale temperatures. I think in USA they make a "steam Beer" which I think it is a lager brewed at ale temps (not quite sure of this one)


----------



## muckey (16/11/09)

Jonez said:


> Beer Magician, You can use ale yeast on lager malt.(or kits)
> Laurie Strachan describes this in one of his books as: a "Bastard Lager", where lager malt is used with ale or lager yeast and fermented at ale temperatures. I think in USA they make a "steam Beer" which I think it is a lager brewed at ale temps (not quite sure of this one)




Aussie lagers somethimes refer to this as well. another term I have heard used are 'Faux lager'


----------



## Fermented (16/11/09)

Five to seven days in the fermenter and a month in the bottle and it will be OK.

Driving it down to 20C with the yeast already in play will make things a bit messy in my experience if you're using the Cooper's gear. 

If you pitch when the wort is too warm but immerse the fermenter in a nice cool laundry tub or bath tub of water (far better - larger volume is a better heatsink), then by the time the yeast gets going properly then the temp is within a reasonable range. 

Best of luck and best wishes for a drinkable result.

Cheers - Fermented.


----------

