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Please advise. I have run into some unforeseen temperature swings during my current batch. I pitched yeast at appropriate temp and after that my temps went haywire due to circumstances beyond my control. Within 24 hours my fermenter rose to 74 degrees, but my extract kit said it wanted 68 degrees. I thought that was way too high, so I moved fermenter to my garage to get it lower. 12 hours after the garage move, the fermenter had cooled to 51 degrees.
Do I keep fermenter moving back and forth? Should I leave it in one sport of the other? Would you recommend me transporting to a friend's basement on a 10 mile pickup ride? Or, am I already screwed?

What yeast were you using? Also, how far along do you think fermentation was when the temp spiked? I've found temperature control is much more important the first 2-3 days and when it slows down, the rise in temperature is less noticeable and good for helping the yeast to finish up.
I don't think you got hot enough to cause fusels but depending on the yeast type, you might get more esters from it which could be to your liking. But, it's best to keep the temps as constant as you can and avoid swings.

Should be great if its a Belgian Abby.

I can't tell you what to expect without knowing what yeast you used.

Rye beer....
I used DME, 1 lb and 10 oz Rye and 8 oz Crystal 60.
Hops: 1 oz Magnum at 60 min., 2 oz Hallertau at 10 min and dry hop 1 oz Amarillo.
Mashed at 165 F for 45 min. Boiled DME for 1 hour. Pitched Safeale-05 at 68 degrees.

Depending on how long and at what part of the fermentation was at 75, you will likely get a 'less clean' flavor than at say 68-70 but likely not bad. There's been many experiments with 05 at higher temps and most say 74-76 comes out ok but maybe with more esters.
This is one example:http://brulosophy.com/2014/12/15/the-te ... t-results/
'

I think the 75 isn't too bad for 05, the 51 will stall it or affect the flavor. A MrBeer fermenter fits well in an ice chest. A BrewDemon one will fit inside a bucket. Wrap the bucket in a towel, blanket or Reflectix, instant cooler. Use an ice pack to cool. I like to wrap the ice pack in a dish towel to absorb condensation.

Also... It would be better to put it and just leave it at 75 or whatever it is in that place right now then to keep moving it back and forth between that and the 50 degree place. That will wake up the yeast and get your fermentation finished.

Wide temperature fluctuations will definitely impact the beer. This especially matters during the first few days of fermentation, when activity is at its peak.

As stated, at 51 degrees the yeast is asleep, doing nothing. You should try to maintain mid 60s if possible. People do this with a temperature controlled fermentation frig or freezer, or with a cooler in which they switch out frozen water bottles / ice packs while ensuring the temperature remains steady, John has given you a good way for the BrewDemon fermenter.

As to the recipe, 29.4% rye grain is going to be very, very strong. Most recipes use 10-20% of the grain bill.

RickBeer wrote:As to the recipe, 29.4% rye grain is going to be very, very strong. Most recipes use 10-20% of the grain bill.

Yeah... but I've made beers with 65% malted rye (roggenbiers) and they were delicious, so YMMV.

Most other rye beers I've used 20% but as a mix of malted rye and flaked rye. My experience is flaked rye is stronger tasting / more spicy. I think the 30ish% (assuming it was all malted rye) is going to make the beer have a lot of character but it should still be OK and by no means "overwhelming".

The OG was 1.064 and it is now at 1.015 and I think it is finished fermenting. I racked into a secondary, but took a pull off of it to taste. It tastes fine, surprisingly. I put a little club soda in the glass for carbonation and re-tasted. It tasted great. I had 12 ounces of it right off the fermenter, with Club Soda of course.
Ten days of fermenting and 10 days of crossed fingers! This is now going to set in the secondary for three weeks and then into a 3 gal. keg with remaining going into bottles. Thanks for the help all.

Hayzer wrote:The OG was 1.064 and it is now at 1.015 and I think it is finished fermenting. I racked into a secondary, but took a pull off of it to taste. It tastes fine, surprisingly. I put a little club soda in the glass for carbonation and re-tasted. It tasted great. I had 12 ounces of it right off the fermenter, with Club Soda of course.
Ten days of fermenting and 10 days of crossed fingers! This is now going to set in the secondary for three weeks and then into a 3 gal. keg with remaining going into bottles. Thanks for the help all.

Why a secondary?

RickBeer wrote: Why a secondary?

Yes this. You could just keg/bottle it and be drinking it 3 weeks sooner. (unless you just don't have a keg open, then it would make sense I guess).

RickBeer wrote:
Why a secondary?

The recipe I used told me too. The first time I use a recipe I follow it as closely as I can. Sometimes the temps during fermentation are out of whack, but the rest is pretty spot on. I don't really want to bottle or keg right now anyway, so I've got this one tucked away and out of sight for a few weeks.

I'm going to brew a Kolsch this weekend and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout the following weekend. More interested in brewing than kegging and bottling at this point.

Hayzer wrote:

RickBeer wrote:
Why a secondary?

The recipe I used told me too. The first time I use a recipe I follow it as closely as I can. Sometimes the temps during fermentation are out of whack, but the rest is pretty spot on. I don't really want to bottle or keg right now anyway, so I've got this one tucked away and out of sight for a few weeks.

I'm going to brew a Kolsch this weekend and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout the following weekend. More interested in brewing than kegging and bottling at this point.

Likely written by someone that doesn't know better.