Temp drop

Hops4life · 01-13-2012, 01:45 PM

I brewed a batch last Saturday. Cooled my wort and pitched some S-04 yeast. By Sunday am it was going like gangbusters.

Then the problems started. I have been using our bonus room as it stays a bit colder than the rest of our house. However I didn't think it was THAT much colder. Temps had been fairly good in the mid 60s for the most part, but we had a cold night last night and my temp has dropped to near or below 60.

I assume fermentation is primarily complete after 4+ days but haven't taken any readings. My question is am I at risk of any major off favors? Is the cold crash actually a "good" thing? And most important should I try and warm it back up or just let it warm itself over the next day or so?

Thanks in advance

**mikeysab** · 01-13-2012, 01:56 PM

Should be fine, but only your hydrometer can say for sure. Before you do anything, check your gravity a couple days n a row

**unionrdr** · 01-13-2012, 02:03 PM

Look up the temp range of the yeast you're using. Then keep it just above minimum. You may have to try & cover it with an old winter coat or blanket to keep the temps more even between night & day. Yeast doesn't like wide temp fluctuations.

squirrelly · 01-13-2012, 02:38 PM

I ferment all of my ales (house yeast 1056) at 58-59* ambient temp making the liquid in the fermenters 61*. Anything over that I consider fermenting too warm.

Fermentation definitely takes longer to complete, but I love the dry non-estery finished product. You should be fine, and will probably not notice a difference in the beer since it was only 1 day. In the future though it is important to maintain consistent temp control. If you are going to change temps ie dyaicital rest then raise the temp gradually.

Hops4life · 01-13-2012, 03:12 PM

Yeah I really didn't think the room would fluctuate as much as it did. Guess I learned my lesson to go the extra step(s) next time and keep the temps more controlled.

**Homercidal** · 01-13-2012, 03:18 PM

I think it should be ok. If it got a good start, then it's making it own heat, which puts it squarely at the low end of the temp range for most ale yeast. If the initial fermentation is complete, I'd just warm it up for a few days (or two weeks) and then bottle/keg

daksin · 01-13-2012, 06:30 PM

Just so you know, a cold crash takes place after all fermentation- just before packaging. It drops most of the yeast out of suspenion by multi-day hold at ~32F. Your temps were right on for S-04, as long as those were temperatures in the beer, and not ambient. Even in the cold, beer can be up to 10F warmer than ambient during active fermentation.