stuck fermentation and wrong target temp for a few days

[happyinsonoma]

I had a pale ale going and realized today after looking at the white labs website that my friend for whatever reason thought we should be at 75 degrees for fermentation so I put it on my digital thermostat, however, now looking at their website for WLP002 yeast they are saying 65-68 and I was curious if anyone has any information on effects this can cause. Thanks!

I'm going to change it today, will that possibly unstick the fermentation? I'm not even sure at this point as its my first round if its stuck per see since I haven't taken a gravity reading, but I'm only going to be a week in tomorrow in primary fermentation. I made it last saturday and its going to be a week tomorrow. I had also seen it dip into the 68 range which I was a bit worried about with the cold nights but it seems now that may have been a good thing.

One of the 5 gallon pails isn't burping bubbles and the other one is. I'm not sure what to think of this. Both got a vial of yeast, both got finishing hops, both got 5 gallons worth of boiled wort, both got sanitized, etc. They were crash cooled with my water wizard chiller, etc. Kinda making me laugh that one of them is different. Not sure what to make of this. Maybe something fell to the bottom on one and not the other? My suction tube is like dead accrurate at the bottom of my boil kettle and it gets out everything to the last drop.

 

[JuanMoore]

What makes you think fermentation is stuck? I hope you're not relying on the arlock activity as a sign of fermentation. It's just a valve that releases pressure and tells you absolutely nothing about your beer. It's very likely that the lid on one of your fermentation buckets isn't sealed as well as the other, and gas is escaping somewhere other than the airlock. It won't hurt anything, and my guess is that both beers are fermenting away happily.

Warmer temps would make for a faster fermentation, not slower or stuck. If you set the ambient temp to 75F, the beer was probably several degrees warmer, which is dangerously close to creating some off flavors. You may end up with more fruity esters than you would have otherwise, but it'll still be beer, and probably pretty good beer. Next time keep it a little cooler, and RDWHAHB.

 

[GuldTuborg]

I know it's tough without a homebrew to help, but I still suggest relaxing, not worrying, and letting the yeast do their thing.

 

[happyinsonoma]

Cool, is it too late to adjust the temps down? I reset the thermostat, its swinging 7 degrees, from 75 top (refrigerator is doing a great job of cooling) to low of 68, because i live in a cool nights area and there has been a heat wave of 80-90 degree weather during the day. Its in the garage so its been better, but still... the nights may make it worse, haha... it wants to fall. I actually contemplated moving the refrigerator into the house but it smells kinda funny and didn't want to have it smell up the house. Not bad, but like beer, haha... sweeter though.

I reset it to 70 hoping that it will drop from 63-70 swing range, since 65-68 is target, two degree of variance outside optimal temp range. Does that sound like correct logic?

If upper level is the fruityness what does lower level equate to?

 

[happyinsonoma]

I suppose in a few more days I'll check the gravity and it will say yes you worried for nothing, haha... I'm a first timer but I'm very patient when I have a plan. Not so much any other time, haha.

 

[GuldTuborg]

I'd worry more about keeping the beer at a constant temperature, than keeping it within a certain range. Generally speaking, higher fermentation temps make for a faster fermentation with more esters, and lower temps will do the opposite. Still, I'd argue that most people would enjoy a beer kept steady at 70F more than one which cycles day and night between 65-70F.

 

[JuanMoore]

In general yeasts ferment cleanest at the lower end of their fermentation range. As temps increase, so do the byproducts that can lend various flavors. Which byproducts are produced depend on a lot of things, but primarily yeast strain and the exact temperature. The two most common flavors associated with higher ferm temps are esters (often fruity, bubblegum, or banana flavors) and fusel alcohols (hot, alcohol, nail-polish remover flavor). The majority of the creation of these byproducts occurs during the most active part of fermentation, which is usually the first couple of days. After that, the temps aren't really all that critical. For your next batch 63-70F is a good range for the beer, but keep in mind that fermentation produces heat, and the beer will usually be a few degrees warmer than the ambient temps during the critical active phase.

 

[happyinsonoma]

So I should definitely use the probe that goes into the liquid next time? I had it but I didn't want to drill another hole before I tried it out. I will see how this one turns out and try and figure out a way to curb it from here on out. I'm really not sure how. I wish I had a cave, haha.

 

[JuanMoore]

So I should definitely use the probe that goes into the liquid next time? I had it but I didn't want to drill another hole before I tried it out. I will see how this one turns out and try and figure out a way to curb it from here on out. I'm really not sure how. I wish I had a cave, haha.

Tape the probe to the fermenter and then put a folded up paper towel or rag over the probe to insulate it. That should get you closer to the beer temp, and help prevent fluccuations without the need to drill any holes or risk contamination.

 

[happyinsonoma]

I really am curious now how much btu or how much temp increase is inside the bucket, id love to nail the temps. I worry with the towel method the temp will be slower to move probe reading but wont reflect fermentation heat affecting liquid temps.