Fermentation question

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joe10pa

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I brewed an ipa on monday and it bubbled for a day or so and stopped. I then realized that my basement (which had been an ideal temp for the last six months) was several degrees over the temp range for ales. I now have the temp within ale range with the assist from a swamp cooler. It didn't start bubbling or form krausen. Should I drop more yeast or something else?
 
joe10pa said:
I brewed an ipa on monday and it bubbled for a day or so and stopped. I then realized that my basement (which had been an ideal temp for the last six months) was several degrees over the temp range for ales. I now have the temp within ale range with the assist from a swamp cooler. It didn't start bubbling or form krausen. Should I drop more yeast or something else?
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A gravity reading would be a great start to seeing if the beer is done or not. It's possible you shocked the yeast with the temp drop and it quit and needs to adjust. It's also possible it was done before you changed the temp but you won't know anything until you take a reading.
 
It probably isn't done yet, but you should still take a gravity reading to be sure. If it dropped out of suspension from shock due to the temperature change, you could try shaking it up a bit and see if that works. If you still don't see any activity in the next 36-48hours, it could have died due to the higher temperatures, depending on how high the temperature was and the strain used. You could then try pitching more after the temperature is correct. My bet would be that it went into shock and fell out of suspension when you cooled it down.
 
I doubt that you killed your yeast. If you started too warm and then quickly dropped the temp to where it should have been to begin with, you might have shocked it a bit and caused it to go dormant early.

What sort of temps are we talking about? What strain of yeast?

Take a gravity reading. That's the only way to know for sure where things stand.
 
Ill take a reading today. I believe it is safale 05 ale yeast. It was low 70's when I noticed it wasn't doing anything. I then dropped the temps into the 60's hoping it would start again but it has not. I have a fermometer on my carboy which I'm using for temp ranges for specific styles. Ill post my reading shortly.
 
joe10pa said:
Ill take a reading today. I believe it is safale 05 ale yeast. It was low 70's when I noticed it wasn't doing anything. I then dropped the temps into the 60's hoping it would start again but it has not. I have a fermometer on my carboy which I'm using for temp ranges for specific styles. Ill post my reading shortly.
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Honestly, if it was in the low 70's that's kind a warm for 05 and it very well could be done, yeast like warmth and will work pretty quick at high temps

If that's the case you will definitely want to let this sit a few weeks and let the yeast clean up some potential off flavors.....
 
Ok I took a reading. On Monday (brew day) it was 1.040. Today it is 1.010. No activity though since Tuesday night.
 
Leave it until Monday, then take another reading. If it is 1.010 the fermentation is done. Then you can decide if you want to bottle it of if you want to let the yeast clean the beer some more. Many, including myself, feel the yeast will do a little more work cleaning up off flavors created during fermentation and allow the beer to become more clear. Others think that once FG is reached nothing more is gained.

Your warm end temperature was ideal for the yeast activity and probably occurred overnight the first night.
 
Ok great. Ill check it Monday and if it remains the same ill probably leave it for another week it two then bottle. Is that enough time to clean up the off flavors or should I leave it longer? I'm in no rush I was planning on leaving it for 6 weeks before bottling but if there is no point ill get started on a second batch.
 
joe10pa said:
Ok great. Ill check it Monday and if it remains the same ill probably leave it for another week it two then bottle. Is that enough time to clean up the off flavors or should I leave it longer? I'm in no rush I was planning on leaving it for 6 weeks before bottling but if there is no point ill get started on a second batch.
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I'd leave for another couple weeks to clear and condition and then package. 6 weeks IMO is compete over kill. Whatever will get cleaned up will occur in the next week or so.
 
joe10pa said:
Ok great. Ill check it Monday and if it remains the same ill probably leave it for another week it two then bottle. Is that enough time to clean up the off flavors or should I leave it longer? I'm in no rush I was planning on leaving it for 6 weeks before bottling but if there is no point ill get started on a second batch.
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One week after FG is reached is plenty. If you have the means, dropping it to 35-36*F for the following week (before bottling) will do wonders for your clarity and reduce bottle trub later.
 
Is that temp range a requirement? I have a fridge I'm using for lagering in the mid-low 40's I can put it in. Would that have the same effect?
 
joe10pa said:
Is that temp range a requirement? I have a fridge I'm using for lagering in the mid-low 40's I can put it in. Would that have the same effect?
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Yes. The colder it is the better it precipitates junk and yeast dropping out.
 
joe10pa said:
Is that temp range a requirement? I have a fridge I'm using for lagering in the mid-low 40's I can put it in. Would that have the same effect?
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Low 40's ought to do a decent job of it.

If your unit will get down into the mid-30's, that's an excellent temp for both cold-crashing and for lagering.
 
What is cold crashing? Is that just what putting the carboy in the cold for the last week prior to bottling is called?
 
What is cold crashing? Is that just what putting the carboy in the cold for the last week prior to bottling is called?
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Yes. Some don't do it for that long though.
 
I haven't cold crashed any of my beers. I usually ferment for 3 weeks then package. Most have been very clear. The ones that I packaged only a couple of days after reaching final gravity were my cloudiest. If you are not worried about having totally clear beer you don't really need to worry about cold crashing.
 
joe10pa said:
What is cold crashing? Is that just what putting the carboy in the cold for the last week prior to bottling is called?
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Yep. Just be sure that it's done fermenting because the crash will stop it cold (pun intended).

I like to do at least 5 days to be confident that I've achieved full precipitation and that the trub layer has firmed up well. It takes that 5 gallons of beer the first day or so just to chill down to the cooler temp.
 
Now when you cold crash and then bottle do you bottle condition at room temp or at the cold temp you used to crash?
 
joe10pa said:
Now when you cold crash and then bottle do you bottle condition at room temp or at the cold temp you used to crash?
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Bottle condition at 70+ or they will never/take forever to carbonate. Just be sure you don't slosh around the primary after crashing or it will all go for naught:)
 
duboman said:
Bottle condition at 70+ or they will never/take forever to carbonate. Just be sure you don't slosh around the primary after crashing or it will all go for naught:)
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This^^^^^^.

Also be sure to very gently stir the priming solution into the beer with a sanitized spoon to evenly distribute the sugar in the cold beer.
 
Ok great! Thanks to everyone for all the feedback. I've learned a ton from this thread. Ill attempt the cold crash next week and give it a shot!
 
This afternoon I racked a batch of maibock out of the primary bucket (after a 7-day cold crash @36*F) into a keg, hit it with gelatin, purged the air with CO2 a few times and put it back into the cold crash fridge for 7-8 weeks of lagering.

It was nice and clear going into the keg. Delicious too (for flat, young beer).
 

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