Fermentation Temp for Novalager Yeast

[ScaniaBrew]

Hi all,
A quick question regarding fermentation temperature for my latest brew.

I brewed up a beer for my annual Easter potluck a few days ago. I used Novalager for the second time, as the first time I used it I got pretty satisfactory results. However, this time around I realised that the fermentation temp during the first 24 hours was quite high, around 25 c! This concerned me a bit since the technical data sheet for Novalager indicates that the optimal temperature range is 10-20 c. I did place a heating pad under my fermenter along with a heating band, but these are both connected to an inkbird which is set to 20c, so neither of these things were active. (My reason for the heating elements was because my apartment has been quite cold lately and my home office (brewery) has externally exposed walls.) I know that the initial stages of fermentation tend to produce a lot of energy, and thereby also heat, but such a large increase makes me worried that I’m in for a world of unwanted off flavours, which is the opposite of what I want. The whole point of using this yeast was to yield a clean, lager-like profile with the limited time I have between brew day and the end of March. What do you all think, am I screwed?

I should also mention that I was shooting for a somewhat high gravity beer, around 1.060, but ended above at 1.065. My brew day yielded around 18 L and I used a whole pack of yeast. I wonder if this, too, may contributed to unwanted flavours (fusel alcohol, astringency).

Thankful for all inputs!

 

[GFHomebrew]

I've used that yeast a bit.
It's pretty forgiving at ale temps 18c-20c it produces a clean crisp beer even then but 25c maybe pushing it a little much.

Beer is finished fermenting aye?

What's the final gravity and taste the sample that will tell you alot especially fusel alcohols.

 

[ScaniaBrew]

I've used that yeast a bit.
It's pretty forgiving at ale temps 18c-20c it produces a clean crisp beer even then but 25c maybe pushing it a little much.

Beer is finished fermenting aye?

What's the final gravity and taste the sample that will tell you alot especially fusel alcohols.

Hi there - thanks for the input! No, I brewed on Saturday. It’s since returned to around 20c (as of early this Monday morning, at least). With only two days in I’m certain there’s still a few days to go. I am hesitant to open my fermenter now that high krausen has passed. Normally I ferment directly in my serving kegs and tap with a floating dip tube, but I currently have no free kegs, so in the classic bucket fermenter it is. The smell I’m getting from the airlock right now tells me that things are ok, but still plenty of time for things to go wrong…

 

[Donoroto]

I suspect it will be fine. Even "a lot" of esters from a lager yeast is not very much, so perhaps not as clean as before, but likely very drinkable.

Keeping it on the yeast a couple extra days might help, and won't harm.

Let us know once you get it carbonated and give it a taste?

 

[ScaniaBrew]

Yeah I will keep it in primary a bit longer than initially intended - this is fine with my timeline since I’m going to force carbonate in my corny keg and don’t have to rely as much on bottling and conditioning.

I have also done a bit more reading since my first post. It appears that some brewers - even at least commercial one - have had experiences with novalager that have lead them to believe that novalager can produce clean profiles or even more desirable ones around the 25 c range. Interesting, now I’m more excited than worried about this experiment.