14 temp swing on a lager--help

[BigNastyBrew]

It's actually depressing.

I cooled the wort down to 44 on Saturday. Aerated and pitched. Let it come up to 50 and held it. I reached high krausen on Wednesday. Went out of town yesterday and came back tonight.

The GFCI was tripped. My Vienna lager was at 64°. Right in the middle of primary fermentation. I'm using WLP830.

REALISTICALLY.... is this beer fucked? This is a lager (obviously) and I do not want to waste any more time on it if there is only a slight chance of salvage.

[BigNastyBrew]

Well, I was hoping for the best and sanitized my thermometer (hoping the volume of beer was cooler than the outside where the JC probe is). The beer itself reads 68°.

[BDawg]

RDWHAHB.

You will get an estery beer.
Call it the Dos Príncipes Mexicanos Gay (2 Gay Mexican Princes) or something stupid like that.

Remember, Cal Common started out this way. It might be pretty good. Don't toss it.
Let it run its course and give it some extra time lagering to try to reduce the esters.

Worse comes to worse, blend it with a brown ale, or another malty beer that will benefit from additional esters.

HTH-

[BigNastyBrew]

Ok, I can do that, I reckon. What are the chances of diacetyl and/or fusels?

[wunderbier]

Per JZ and Palmer's discussion of fermentation temperature control, I'd say ride it out. They briefly discussed controlling only the beginning of fermentation (first three days for a lager) and seemed to agree that it would be fine, though not ideal. (If I heard right, was making soup at the time.) Most of the bad fermentation byproducts (acetaldehyde, diacetyl) as well as cell permeability and general health are set during the lag and growth phases, i.e. the time up until low kräusen. Once in the retardation phase or stationary phase, you should be mostly OK.

[BigNastyBrew]

Thanks man. I'll listen to that again.

My problem is that I'm a fucking nerd. If I get off flavors in the least, I hate the beer. Don't know why. Just that way. But I'll ride it out. Krausen is still an inch high. After it falls, I'll take a sample and taste. If I have fusels, she's gone.

[D Rock]

Once in the retardation phase or stationary phase, you should be mostly OK.

Trust Retard Strength, BNB. Ride it out and ignore the crickets.

[wunderbier]

Thanks man. I'll listen to that again.

My problem is that I'm a fucking nerd. If I get off flavors in the least, I hate the beer. Don't know why. Just that way. But I'll ride it out. Krausen is still an inch high. After it falls, I'll take a sample and taste. If I have fusels, she's gone.

Totally respectable. If you don't like it, don't drink it and don't pass it off on others. Unless Justin is the 'other' in which case it's like mailing that asparagus you wouldn't finish as a kid to the starving children around the world.

Another thought, and this wouldn't help with fusel alcohols of course, but you could reduce other unsightly compounds by adding some kräusen beer.
http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?ti ... g_Kraeusen