Is My Wheat Beer A Lost Cause?

[spazmodik]

I put down a Brewcraft (Redback clone) wheat beer on Saturday with SAFBREW WB-06 yeast (Ideally fermented between 15C-24C). I left it in my insulated fermentation cupboard and last night when I noticed that the temperature had dropped to 18 degrees I turned on the heat belt for a short blast. (Planning on raising the temp back up to 22 or so.).

Unfortunately, flicking the switch was such hard work that I was forced to open the tap on one of my kegs and have a couple. Then maybe a couple more ....

Long story short ... I was enjoying my beer so much that I forgot to turn off the heat belt, and this morning I found the brew at a quite toasty 34 degrees! Is it a lost cause? If I cool it down quickly will it have a chance or should I just start again from scratch? Now ... how I wish I had a second mashmaster controller!

 

[Swinging Beef]

34Deg!
HA!
Thats a bath, mate!

One thing is for sure, it wont be a redback clone at the end of this.

those higher temperatures are gonna release some funky esters that the Belgians go nuts for, so they MIGHT not be bad.

Has it finished fermenting?

when it has.. I recommend you sling the lot into a cube for 2ndary and bottle one only.
Drink (or try to drink) it in a fortnight.
If it's good... bottle, or keg the lot.
If its not... sling it all down the drain.

 

[spazmodik]

I havent done a gravity reading yet so dont know. Its only been in for 3 days so I doubt it has finished, unless the extra heat really accelerated things. I've cooled it back down to 25 degrees so far and falling.
EDIT: Current Gravity is 1020, and expected finishing gravity was 1010-1012 so a way to go yet. Quite fruity flavours. Not too bad but hard to tell at this temperature.

On some crazy impulse I threw in a second satchet of wheat yeast (just the basic stuff that came with the kit - not wasting more WB-06). I was hoping to restore a better balance between useful and and any feral yeasts that might have taken hold during the temperature increase.

As I dont have a cube (no space to keep one as my chest freezer is only a 150L), I'm thinking about throwing it in my second keg when fermentation completes. I'll cool it down as quickly as possible. If it tastes OK cold, I'll carbonate it and see how it goes from there.

 

[white.grant]

On some crazy impulse I threw in a second satchet of wheat yeast (just the basic stuff that came with the kit - not wasting more WB-06). I was hoping to restore a better balance between useful and and any feral yeasts that might have taken hold during the temperature increase.

The increased temp would not have introduced feral yeasts, it just would have made your perfectly good yeast do some really unpleasant things like create unpleasant aromas. You won't restore balance by pitching more yeast, maybe just make it funkier.

grant

 

[pmolou]

i personally wouldnt chuck it beers always have a chance of tasting good no matter what has happened just like when some peoples beers get infected they can actually taste nice
I read something about richard emerson (EMErson brewers) tipping some beer down the drain and keeping a few bottles and later discovering it was one of the best beers he'd ever made

id just bottle it leave it under the house and forget about it till another 6 months or so later and it COULD be good
thats my opinion but at the end of the day its up to you

 

[Inge]

I'm pretty sure it's rooted mate. There's no way that will make a palatable beer, that is if the yeast are still in decent enough condition to complete the ferment.

Turf it, save yourself some time and put another one on

 

[Mclovin]

On a lighter note! just re name it VB or somthing like that. Give it to your mates when they come visit.

 

[DKS]

I put down a Brewcraft (Redback clone) wheat beer on Saturday with SAFBREW WB-06 yeast (Ideally fermented between 15C-24C). I left it in my insulated fermentation cupboard and last night when I noticed that the temperature had dropped to 18 degrees I turned on the heat belt for a short blast. (Planning on raising the temp back up to 22 or so.).

Unfortunately, flicking the switch was such hard work that I was forced to open the tap on one of my kegs and have a couple. Then maybe a couple more ....

Long story short ... I was enjoying my beer so much that I forgot to turn off the heat belt, and this morning I found the brew at a quite toasty 34 degrees! Is it a lost cause? If I cool it down quickly will it have a chance or should I just start again from scratch? Now ... how I wish I had a second mashmaster controller!

You have nothing to lose by continuing as long as you let it ferment out and dont make beer bombs. If you have the bottles in stock to brew another put them away for a while you just might get lucky. :icon_cheers:
Daz

 

[pmolou]

On a lighter note! just re name it VB or somthing like that. Give it to your mates when they come visit.

haha chuck some dextrose in it have a party and call it rocket fuel