Couple of hot days (38c) 5 days into fermentation - ruined?

[mattyess]

Melbourne got a sudden heat wave this week and I'm wondering if I should just scrap this pale ale. Or push on with it. It was a lovely mid 20ish for 4-5 days, fermenting along just dandy. Then we got smashed with this heat wave. I haven't done much brewing in summer and wasn't prepared. I was using Nottingham ale yeast, and I think it's cooked.
I was going to be dry hopping today, but wondering if it's worth it? Any way to save it? Or should I just cut my losses?

 

[altone]

If you were using Nottingham, chances are most of the ferment was done before the heat rise.
Have you done gravity checks and tasted the beer?
It will most likely be fine although maybe a bit more estery than you were aiming for.

My advice is always push on and you never know it might clear up nicely after a bit of conditioning.

edit: If you have this inside I'd be pretty sure the yeast is still alive it would have to get over 35C maybe higher to finish off your yeast.
If it was out in a tin shed or something with no protection well...
Throw a spare yeast pack in and see what happens.

 

[Yuz]

I brewed a batch on Monday with US-05 (cubed from the previous week - 3kg Red X and a can of Coopers Pale Ale), temps were ok till the heat wave hit on Thursday.
Transfered to keg today, tasted ok. Although I have cranked up the pressure as the hot weather kicked in - not sure if this helped on not.
As I understand the first 48 hours is when the yeast forms its "features"...
Don't chuck it. Just measure FG & sample it.

 

[malt and barley blues]

S04, Nottingham, should be just about finished in three days, nothing to worry about here.

 

[Kev R]

The advise on the packet is to re hydrate between 30c & 35c

 

[garage_life]

As mentioned, if it kicked off quick, just let it buck. Should be ok.

 

[mattyess]

Thanks for the answers and ray of hope guys. Unfortunately it was indeed in a tin shed and I don’t have any spare yeast. Will get a FG, and see where it’s at. If it’s pretty much finished, is there any point popping in more yeast? Can it still clean up some of the nasties?

 

[mattyess]

So definitely done fermenting, sitting at 1.01. Tastes, ok, maybe a little metallic and possibly a little buttery. But I’ve always been crap at picking up diacetyl. I was brewing this up for a work Christmas break up. I doubt any of them will taste it, but don’t want to give everyone horrendous hangovers. Could adding more yeast at this point really do any good?

 

[altone]

So definitely done fermenting, sitting at 1.01. Tastes, ok, maybe a little metallic and possibly a little buttery. But I’ve always been crap at picking up diacetyl. I was brewing this up for a work Christmas break up. I doubt any of them will taste it, but don’t want to give everyone here does hangovers. Could adding more yeast at this point really do any good?

The yeast addition was really only for if the gravity was high and/or you were bottle carbonating.
If you're kegging you're ready to go

 

[mattyess]

I was thinking the suggestion of yeast might have been to clean up the nasty fusel alcohols produced by the high temp ferment, but guessing they still need a little sugar to keep them at it.