COLD, My yeast probably died before it even had a chance

[nicktay]

So my house is cold. I live in a fraternity house with people who keep messing with the thermostat, and I'm trying to create an environment for a healthy fermentation. The temp was a couple of degrees below 70F when I introduced the yeast to the wort. I thought my room would be warmer than the kitchen I used to brew it in. However, over night, even with my space heater on low and the radiator in my room it was too cold. I don't know what the temp was, but I do know it was enough time to chill my wort.

So here's my plan of action. I want to transfer the wart to a clean vessel. I don't want the wort sitting in the trub for longer than 8 days. I will turn up my space heater, tell people to leave the heat on, allowing the wort to warm up, and introduce a new vial of yeast.

My question is this: will this create an extra yeasty beer? If so, can I just give it more time to age and settle out the yeast? I hope there is still hope for this one, because it was rather expensive.

Thanks,
nick

 

[shecky]

Just leave it be and let it warm up. The cold will make the yeast go dormant and give you a slow start but that's about it. Give it some time at warmer temps and see what happens.

 

[Revvy]

Below 70 is actually a GREAT temp to brew ales at...below 50's the yeast will go dorman, but unless it dropped down into the 30's your didn't kill your yeast .

How do you know fermentation has stopped???? Are you looking for bubbling in the airliock?

Don't.

The airlock is not a fermentation gauge...it is a valve to release excess CO2...not a precision instrument...If it is not bubbling it could just not have any excess of co2 to be released, or it could have fermented out...NOT that there is anything is wrong...

Read this...then leave you beer alone for 10 days, and follow the suggestions in there (hint...it involves a hydrometer, not an airlock)

http://blogs.homebrewtalk.com/Revvy/Think_evaluation_before_action/

I am 99.9% positive that there is absolutely nothing wrong with your beer, just that you are nervous and new at this.

SO relax!!!!!!!

Leave the beer alone...the yeast know what they have to do...

(The beer is fine...you just have a mental illness that around here we call noobitus, the propensity to worry too much about something that at this stage you know very little about...Your beer is much stronger than you think it is. And it is perfectly fine....so walk away for awhile.)




DON'T DO ANYTHING!!!! Don't move the beer to another vessel....Don't add yeast.

If anything just wrap a blanket around it and give it a swirl...But honestly, I would leave it alone.

Trust us...we know. We see posts from nervous new brewers everyday.

 

[maltMonkey]

Unless you froze it or something, the yeast should be fine. They might have gone a bit dormant but they will wake back up when warmed up. Without knowing the yeast strain and temperature the beer got down to its hard to say much more, but I wouldn't pitch more--just warm it up and it will be fine.

Oh, and I wouldn't worry about the beer sitting on the trub for more than 8 days--it will be fine!


( edit: beaten twice! )

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I have my fermenters in a space that's colder than I would like at the moment. I was wondering why fermenation was slow to kick off until I noticed that the brew belts had become unplugged DUH!!

After plugging them back in fermentation got back up to speed within half an hour!

Yeasties like to nap in the cold. Get them warmer again and they will be ready to punch in for work

 

[Homercidal]

Two suggestions for warming them up:

1. Insulated cooler with water and an aquarium heater. Put your fermenter in there and dial the heater to a temp you like.
2. Brew Belt. Heated wrap for your fermenter. Set to where you want it.

But, Ale yeast is good at around 60 generally, and some can go colder. Remember that once you get it going, the fermentation process will raise the temp up a few degrees too.

I'd say you should keep it in the vessel and just raise the temp up a bit. First find out what the ambient temp is so you KNOW if it's too cold or not.

 

[JMack]

As far as temp goes I put a batch in the basement last week and THEN realized it was 49 degrees down there. Put the fermentor in the kitchen and after a day or two, it started bubbling away. I'll be taking a hydro reading in another week or so to confirm, but I would put your faith in the advice from Revvy and the others.

Leave it alone and it should be fine.

 

[Desert_Sky]

I try and ferment 58-62 for most of my ales. 70 is the top of the spectrum, but even though fermentation takes a bit longer at lower temps, Ive found the end result to be much more to my liking.

 

[BrewinJack]

everybody is right your being a wort worrier... just relax, its fine, have a home brew

unless this is your first batch then have a microbrew

cheers

 

[Revvy]

wort worrier... just relax, its fine, have a

cheers

"Wort Worrier" Great term!!!!

 

[Philip1993]

+1 on everything Revvy said.

And for my $0.02 worth: My beer conditioning in fridge is ~40-45° and the yeast in those keg's isn't dead. My yeast cultures are at-5° and they aren't dead.

RDWHAHB

 

[jay672]

Two suggestions for warming them up:

1. Insulated cooler with water and an aquarium heater. Put your fermenter in there and dial the heater to a temp you like.
2. Brew Belt. Heated wrap for your fermenter. Set to where you want it.

But, Ale yeast is good at around 60 generally, and some can go colder. Remember that once you get it going, the fermentation process will raise the temp up a few degrees too.

I'd say you should keep it in the vessel and just raise the temp up a bit. First find out what the ambient temp is so you KNOW if it's too cold or not.

Man thats an awesome idea i would never have thought of that , what a dolt i am too here in Nevada it gets too damn hot and i even use the cooler and ice never thought about an aquariom heater for the opposite problem.

 

[davefleck]

had a thermometer go bunk on me... though i was pitching at 70 and it was actualy about 50 or as low as 45.

It still fermented just fine. As said above, unless it froze, it's doubtfull you killed the yeast. Even then, some might survive.

Give it time and take a gravity reading. If it's still near the OG, then consider pitching again.