scruffymmh
Well-Known Member
I pitched WLP 001 (California Ale, from a 2L starter) into a robust porter 5 days ago. OG 1.064. I ferment in a full-size fridge using two temp controllers: One for the fridge (cold) has its probe sensing ambient air temp; the other (hot) controls a heatwrap around the carboy, with the probe in a thermowell extending into the wort.
My temp control method is to keep the cold about 15 degrees colder than the hot until high-kreusen finishes after about 3 or 4 days (so that the sudden ramp-up in temp from the yeast is adequately counteracted by the cold fridge temp). In this case, fridge was 51F with 4 degree differential (so 51-55F) and beer was set at 67 with 1 degree differential (so ferments at 66-67F). Everything was going well through tuesday night; temps were fine.
I accidentally forgot to adjust the cold temp up to 61 (or so) by wednesday after high-kreusen, in order to lessen the gap in temperatures. This, paired with the fact that some tape on my fermwrap didn't hold it adequately against the carboy, meant that after the yeast settled down a bit, the fermwrap couldn't overcome the coldness of the fridge to keep the beer at 67F. Thursday night (4 days after picthing), my beer was at 61F, 6 degrees below target fermentation temp. I adjusted the temp of the fridge up to 61F at that point. Since this fridge isn't at my residence, that's all I could at that time. Tonight (Friday, 5 days after pitching), the beer is back up to 67F, but the gravity, as I suspected is only at 1.030. The crash-cool put the yeast to sleep. I was hoping getting it back up to 67 would bring them back, but I couldn't tell if that happened (my blowoff tube and liquid are so full of crap from the kreusen that I can't tell if it's still bubbling).
My question is: What should I do at this point? The yeast should wake back up and continue fermenting out, yes? Is there anything else I definitely should do at this point to get them going again? I could repitch (maybe just from a fresh vial) to get the rest fermented out I suppose. should I put some nutrient in? New yeast? Chill out and let the existing yeast get going again? Any thoughts are appreciated.
My temp control method is to keep the cold about 15 degrees colder than the hot until high-kreusen finishes after about 3 or 4 days (so that the sudden ramp-up in temp from the yeast is adequately counteracted by the cold fridge temp). In this case, fridge was 51F with 4 degree differential (so 51-55F) and beer was set at 67 with 1 degree differential (so ferments at 66-67F). Everything was going well through tuesday night; temps were fine.
I accidentally forgot to adjust the cold temp up to 61 (or so) by wednesday after high-kreusen, in order to lessen the gap in temperatures. This, paired with the fact that some tape on my fermwrap didn't hold it adequately against the carboy, meant that after the yeast settled down a bit, the fermwrap couldn't overcome the coldness of the fridge to keep the beer at 67F. Thursday night (4 days after picthing), my beer was at 61F, 6 degrees below target fermentation temp. I adjusted the temp of the fridge up to 61F at that point. Since this fridge isn't at my residence, that's all I could at that time. Tonight (Friday, 5 days after pitching), the beer is back up to 67F, but the gravity, as I suspected is only at 1.030. The crash-cool put the yeast to sleep. I was hoping getting it back up to 67 would bring them back, but I couldn't tell if that happened (my blowoff tube and liquid are so full of crap from the kreusen that I can't tell if it's still bubbling).
My question is: What should I do at this point? The yeast should wake back up and continue fermenting out, yes? Is there anything else I definitely should do at this point to get them going again? I could repitch (maybe just from a fresh vial) to get the rest fermented out I suppose. should I put some nutrient in? New yeast? Chill out and let the existing yeast get going again? Any thoughts are appreciated.
