What do I do now?

[inhifistereo]

So I've got 5 gallons of Vienna in the primary, pitched my yeast slurry, and poured cool water around the fermenter. My question is when do I start cooling things down? I'm going to be using gallon milk jugs filled with frozen water. I just don't know when to start that process. Here's a look at what I've got:

 

[Sea]

Now. Don't wait, add ice jugs and keep it somewhere near the middle of the yeast's recomended range.

 

[inhifistereo]

Done. But in the excitement of doing my first ever lager I forgot to take a gravity reading. DOH!


Oh well, in the end it'll still be drinkable (I hope).

 

[WBC]

What temperature was the wort and yeast when you pitched the yeast? If it was over 85F then you had better put a lot of ice in there because it will take a long time if you don't. If you reach in the cooler and touch the fermenter it should be slightly cool to the touch. If not then it is most likely over 80F. If you sanitize a thermometer you can take the temperature of the wort through the air lock stopper hole in the lid. Stir the water in the cooler frequently to prevent hot areas. Shoot for 65F as soon as you can get it there. The first 3 days are the most critical.

 

[inhifistereo]

This was an extract recipe. I chilled the wort down to the upper 60's before I topped it off with 3 gallons of cold water so no worries there. I made sure the total 5 gallons sat in the cooler for 7 or 8 minutes before pitching.

 

[david_42]

Since it's extract, you can use the calculated OG.