primary fermenter temp = 74 deg

[vendejp]

(edit - damn, this was supposed to be in another thread, but i guess i used the wrong button.... i guess it can be its own topic)

uhh ohhh.... i know 74 deg is high for the primary fermenter, but its in my basement (we dont have AC) and thats the coolest place in the house.

John Palmers book says "Choose a location that has a stable temperature of 65-70 °F (18-21 °C). A warmer temperature of 75 °F (24 °C) is okay, but above 80 °F (26 °C) the flavor of the beer will be affected. As soon as you have finished moving it, insert the airlock. "

so im right at the edge of this.... do i need to just relax and have a brew and not worry about it, or am i going to end up with root beer here.

[jsmurphy]

Have you tried the t-shirt & water method for cooling your fermenter?

http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1082

G'luck.

[S.F.B.]

You should be just fine. I have had times when the pantry where I ferment is at an average of 70-75 degrees without any adverse effects.

Relax and have a home brew.

[Tweek]

just relax. you will just have a beer with slightly more esters in it than if you fermented at lower temps. This will show in a slight fruitiness, which can be quite pleasant at times.

[wortchillergoal]

I have left my fermenter in warmewr places for a good deal of time and gotten great beer. Other times as said I got a few more esthers but nothing to kick about.

BEER CAN BE FOOD BUT FOOD CAN NEVER BE BEER.

[vendejp]

cool... thanks gang..... maybe ill try the tshirt thing next time... fortunately its cooling down now in pittsburgh where im at.

ill take your advice and just relax and have a brew, .....mmmmmm Lancaster Strawberry Wheat.....

[brewmonkey]

The warmer the temp the more esters you will get. Nothing major to worry about, your beer should be fine. Worst case is you might have some fruitness in the aroma and flavor from a slightly warner temp.

Now go have a pint and relax.

[Beerconnoisseur]

As long as you're not brewing a lager (like a pilsner, bock, or the like), you should be OK. Ales are easy and very forgiving, even at wamer temperatures.

Of course, if you do want to brew lagers at some point, keep an eye out for spare/cheap refridgerators that come on the market. If you obtain one, you can add a temp controller (like MoreBeer's FE600), and use that for precise control during fermentation. Just something to keep in mind.