Temp overshoot!!

[lewlew84]

Hi everyone.

I brewed last night and due to having small children I wasn't fully concentrating and I over shot my temp by about 4*c when mashing.
Do you think my beer will be ok?

[orlando]

Yes, but we need to know what your target temp was to be more precise.

[lewlew84]

I was aiming for 67 and was on 70 to 71 for prob about 45 minutes.

[Nofolkandchance]

All depends what your aiming for in terms of the finished product but it will be full bodied!. Not at all bad if its around 4.0%

Certainly wont be ruined!

[orlando]

Well those temperatures favour the Alpha amylase enzymes in the malt, they will give you a less fermentable wort that will leave more residual sugar and therefore a beer with more body & sweetness. You should experience a fermentation with a final gravity higher than you might otherwise have expected. Have a look at this chart for a more visual explanation.

[Rick_UK]

If it's too sweet after fermenting use a sachet of pilsner enzyme (about a quid from LHBS). This will break down a lot of the unfermentables and give a drier stronger beer - probably near the desired FG if you over shot mash temp by more than a couple of degrees.

Rick

[lewlew84]

Thanks for the replies

[Belter]

You could also add sugar. Belgian brewers do it to improve attenuation.

[lewlew84]

Update: so I just checked my FG six days in and it is at 1.020 from 1.038. I will give it a couple more days and I will probably have to do something to get the FG down.

[boingy]

Don't be too quick to turn to the enzyme stuff. It can turn a slightly sweet beer into an unpleasantly dry one.

[lewlew84]

What would you suggest? Should I just dump it and start again?

[orlando]

What would you suggest? Should I just dump it and start again?

No, you're only a week in, leave it another week then report back, in the meantime use a sanitised spoon to rouse it a little and keep the temps stable. For the next 24 hours you might raise the temp by a couple of degrees, if you can, then bring it back down again. This will give it a diacetyl rest and could help kick the yeast back into life.

[Rick_UK]

Don't be too quick to turn to the enzyme stuff. It can turn a slightly sweet beer into an unpleasantly dry one.

I've used it a few times and it has worked superbly. It's got a couple of stuck ferments down from low 20's to between 1005 and 1008. Granted it will be drier and stronger but whether thia is unpleasant is surely personal taste. Personally I would prefer a slightly drier beer to an overly sweet one.

[lewlew84]

I'm going to give it a little stir and see what that does. My LHBS sells the brupak enzyme sachet for 65p. Ill grab a couple of packs . Thanks for the help. Will let you know how it goes.

[fego]

Do you recall what your grain to liquor ratio was? Anything over 2.5:1 should help balance any high FG.

If it finishes below 1016, I would leave it be (I don't like dry strong beer). Won't be very strong but will be nice and full bodied.