It's summer, and that means that my basement is too warm for English and American ales, but I did make a really fine French farmhouse ale (saison) at fermentation temperatures of about 75F. I've heard tell (via Stan Hiernymous) that I can get better results by starting the fermentation off at a lower temperature (60F) and letting the fermenter slowly come up to temperature.
Has anyone done this before? How long do I need to keep it cool before letting it warm up? Are the results worth it?