Is this temp too cool to pitch in?

Okay, so I did my SA summer ale clone, and poured in my cool water up to 5.25 gallons in my primary. Unfortunately, it brought my temp down to 64º. I put the primary in a bucket with 75º water around it, trying to get it to a pitchable temp.

It seems that best idea is to pitch the yeast in the same temp you wish to ferment, so that's why I'm trying to raise the temp before I pitch.

Was this a bad idea? The lid and airlock are on...

Eskimo Spy said:

Okay, so I did my SA summer ale clone, and poured in my cool water up to 5.25 gallons in my primary. Unfortunately, it brought my temp down to 64º. I put the primary in a bucket with 75º water around it, trying to get it to a pitchable temp.

It seems that best idea is to pitch the yeast in the same temp you wish to ferment, so that's why I'm trying to raise the temp before I pitch.

Was this a bad idea? The lid and airlock are on...

Click to expand...

What yeast are you using? For most that temp is optimal, I ferment in the 66f to 68F range, the temp will rise once fermentation starts, I would pull it out of the warm water.

Definitely pull it out of the warm water; 64° is just about perfect. As has been mentioned, once fermentation takes off your wort will be about 8-10° above ambient temperature. The cooler the wort, within reason, the cleaner the beer. Once you start creeping above 75° you'll get over-the-top esters and off flavors.

Chad

I was just trying to get it to about 68º, which is where it is now. I'm using wlp400, belgian wit. I'm just about to pitch and put into my fermentation closet, then keep my fermentation temp between 68 - 72.

I usually pitch at 64 or a little lower.

That small a difference wouldn't have mattered to a Belgian yeast, but you didn't hurt anything by raising the temperature first.

I don't know about Belgian yeast, but I had a similar issue with my last ale pitch. After adding cool top-off water the stick on thermo read 61F. I pitched anyway and put it in my 65F temperature-controlled fridge.

The next day fermentation was going strong, the fridge was reading 63F and the stick on thermometer read 70F! Those yeasties are impressive little buggers.

-Joe

I always pitch ales at 62 and then hold at the lowest temp listed in the yeast's range until I have full krausen, then ramp up to whatever I want to ferment at (usually 66-68, for a Wit, 72).

BTW, with the wit strain, you'll find it finishes much more quickly if you ramp the temp up to 75+ once the bubbling slows to a few per minute. If you leave it in the upper 60s to low 70s throughout that strain will take about three weeks to fully attenuate.