Swamp Cooler - Temp Clarification Q - And some yeast...

Hey guys,

Brewed up a batch of the Noble Trappist Ale from MW last night - off the top of my head, the recipe consists of 8 oz Caramel 40L, 8 oz Carapils, 6 lbs Pilsen Light LME, 2 oz Hallertau, 1 lb Belgian Candi Sugar, 1 oz Styrian Goldings and I used Wyeast's 3787 - Trappist High Gravity (why they advised me to use a HG yeast on something that is very "normal" gravity I don't know...)

I'm not worried about anything yet, but the fermenter hasn't started bubbling yet after about 12 hours (NOT worried yet!) but I had a couple questions to mull until that first noted bubble...

1 - the Wyeast packet didn't swell to where it normally does, there was certainly some swelling, just not as much as usual. (Didn't make a starter - I will start doing that some time in the future...) I've heard that that doesn't mean the yeast is bad, but it felt like a bad omen.

2 - First time using a swamp cooler. The water in the cooler is sitting at about 64* F. When people mention what temp we're fermenting at, are we referring to the 64* water? Or the 64* water + the heat the yeast generates - making it closer to around 69*?

Would you say it may be a good idea to let the fermenter sit at room temp for a day to help the yeast get a move on?

I've also heard that this 3787 yeast can make a mess. What factors contribute to that? Doesn't the yeast have to have a lot of "food" to make a mess? So perhaps on this lower gravity ale there wouldn't be as much of a krausen - or is that less of a factor than the yeast just liking to make a bunch of foam?

Thanks guys!

As far as the swamp cooler goes you should be getting wort temp pretty close to the temperature of your water. Are you using the water bath/frozen water bottle method? If so, a large water bath makes a pretty good heat sink and you can figure your wort temperature no more than a few degrees warmer than the water temperature. If I'm trying to ferment at 68 I try and get my water bath to about 65. Then once the most active fermentation is complete I'll get my water temp up to the desired fermation temp.

I've never used that strain of yeast, so I can't help you with those questions.

My guess is the yeast is most likely fine. Not knowing what your SG was I'm still guessing it was a normal gravity beer. Even so, only using a Wyeast Smack Pack you probably underpitched and the yeast is still in the reproduction stage. Shouldn't hurt anything, people use Wyeast straight from the pack all the time, but it can slow down the start of fermentation. If it's really bothering you take a gravity reading in a few days to be sure things are on track.

i've always had good luck with wyeast - Havent used that specific one yet though. 12 hours isnt really enough time, I'd give it a solid 24 and you should see some sign that something is going on.. I have a double chamber airlock, that when pressure starts to build up, it pushes all the water from one side into the other, thats how I know something is starting to happen. Usually takes 18-24 hours in my experience, the cooler it is, the slower it goes, and in most cases you want that. I'm sure its fine. I've read wyeast can be pitched whether you break the nutrient pack or not, its fine, especially if it is a "normal" starting gravity.