Temperature Question

[Badger1083]

I cooked up a batch of Black Cherry Ale a couple of months ago, and everything went fine until I transferred to my secondary. Then my central A/C unit broke down for 5 weeks (yeah, my service guy sucks.) The point is this: the ambient temp in my basement-where the fermentation happens-fluctuated between 80 and 90 deg. F for the duration of the time. Since then, my A/C has been fixed and the temp has dropped down to about 77 F and it's been that way for about 5 weeks.

Yeah, I know there are things I could have done, but I didn't. Now I'm wondering if there's any point in priming and bottleing, or do I just mark it up to experience and start over?

Thoughts, suggestions, comments?

[markaberrant]

Temp is critical during primary fermentation. Secondary fermentation works better at cooler temps, but no harm will be done at warm temps.

[toneyc]

Ya, at this point, you have nothing to lose by bottling it. It may be the best of ales, or the worst of ales....

;)
Toney.

[Grog]

You could just bottle one or two using priming tabs, wait a couple of weeks and see if it's okay.

[Mill Rat]

Draw a hydrometer sample to get your FG, and then drink the sample. It'll be warm and flat, but you'll easily be able to tell if the brew is beyond help, which I sincerely doubt since you made it into secondary before the A/C failed. Then you'll know if you should bottle all of it or none of it.

[HogieWan]

Even if it was 80 - 90 the whole time, there's no use dumping it. And, as everyone said, your yeast already did most of their work by that point

RDWAHAHB