Did I kill my fermentation by lower the temp too much too fast?

[hoppypoppy]

After a day of full fermentation I came home from work and my wort temp at full fermentation was at 72.

I am using a swamp cooler in which my pail is submerged fully underwater. When I saw the temp at 72 I put some ice in the water. Then tried every 20 min or so to check the temp and add more cold water and ice. The temp settled at 66. Ever since I lowered the temp the airlock stopped bubbling.

Did the change of the temp kill my fermentation/yeast or does the yeast just need some time to adjust to the temp?

The wort is in a plastic pail so I can't see any activity. It might just be another case of relax and have a homebrew.

If the yeast is dead can I do anything else to restart the activity?

 

[flars]

Cooling the yeast will not kill it. Think of yeast being stored in the refrigerator.
How are you tracking the fermentation temperature?

Let the fermentor warm to the optimum fermentation temperature of the yeast you are using. The yeast may need to be resuspended if fermentation does not restart in a few days after the warm up.

Your fermentor is fully submerged? Do you mean the lid is also under water?

 

[hoppypoppy]

Cooling the yeast will not kill it. Think of yeast being stored in the refrigerator.
How are you tracking the fermentation temperature?

Let the fermentor warm to the optimum fermentation temperature of the yeast you are using. The yeast may need to be resuspended if fermentation does not restart in a few days after the warm up.

Your fermentor is fully submerged? Do you mean the lid is also under water?

I should have stated I am brewing an IPA with S-05, so the 66 should be a good temp. Only the sides of the pail where the wort is submerged and not the lid.

I am tracking the fermentation temp with an adhesive sticker on the outside if the pail, and I have a thermometer reading the water temp. During the heavy fermentation the water was 65 but the pail went up to around 72.

How does one resuspended the yeast?

 

[AlmostWitty]

I'm guessing you're in good shape. There are tons of reasons you may not be seeing airlock activity, reference nearly every 'stuck fermentation?' thread for more.

I recently used some questionably washed yeast to make up a RyePA, barely saw any airlock activity, but trusted in the process and ended up with my best IPA yet.

Trust your process, trust the yeasties-you'll make good beer.

 

[hoppypoppy]

I'm guessing you're in good shape. There are tons of reasons you may not be seeing airlock activity, reference nearly every 'stuck fermentation?' thread for more.

I recently used some questionably washed yeast to make up a RyePA, barely saw any airlock activity, but trusted in the process and ended up with my best IPA yet.

Trust your process, trust the yeasties-you'll make good beer.

I am still new to this, my 4th batch, so I made a change in the process by reducing the temp. Seems like all my precious batches I thought something went wrong and they turned out good.

The thing that concerned is I had good fermentation based on my airlock until I lowered the temp.

 

[flars]

72° is the top of the range for SA-05. You are still good. No off flavors. 66° to 68° is ideal for this yeast. 65° or lower can produce some peach flavors. Found this out from experience.
Yeast can be resuspended by a gentle stir with a sanitized spoon or another piece of brewing equipment that can be sanitized.
Give the beer some time though. Fermentation may not have stopped, just slowed after the bulk of the fermentables have used up by the yeast.
Take a hydrometer reading in a week. SG will probably be about 1.016. another week down to 1.010 or 1.011.

 

[hoppypoppy]

72° is the top of the range for SA-05. You are still good. No off flavors. 66° to 68° is ideal for this yeast. 65° or lower can produce some peach flavors. Found this out from experience.
Yeast can be resuspended by a gentle stir with a sanitized spoon or another piece of brewing equipment that can be sanitized.
Give the beer some time though. Fermentation may not have stopped, just slowed after the bulk of the fermentables have used up by the yeast.
Take a hydrometer reading in a week. SG will probably be about 1.016. another week down to 1.010 or 1.011.

Appreciate the advice. Since it's been only two days since I put it into the fermenter I'll wait a full week and take a hydrometer reading.

Mmmmmm, peach flavors. For Father's Day I have temperature control system on my wish list so I can override my garage fridge and not have to worry about this going forward.

Cheers,
Wes

 

[AlmostWitty]

Temp control on your 4th batch?! You're leaps above where I was then... if you liked your beers before, temp control (even just a swamp cooler) can make good beer great, and you'll dial in the process as you go, but generally speaking: malt + hops + yeast = beer, and it's surprisingly hard to keep from happening once the process has started (in my experience).

Do I brew a little more on the inexact side of things? Probably, but I haven't made a beer I had to dump yet, so there's that...

 

[hoppypoppy]

Temp control on your 4th batch?! You're leaps above where I was then... if you liked your beers before, temp control (even just a swamp cooler) can make good beer great, and you'll dial in the process as you go, but generally speaking: malt + hops + yeast = beer, and it's surprisingly hard to keep from happening once the process has started (in my experience).

Do I brew a little more on the inexact side of things? Probably, but I haven't made a beer I had to dump yet, so there's that...

Ha! I can be a little anal retentive at times. When I bbq/smoke meat my wife has asked me if I actually enjoy it because everything has to be just right. I do enjoy it, actually I love it.

Each his own and sometimes I wish I was less focused on minute details. If I keep making beer and never have to pour one out I am a happy man.

Your signature is classic.

 

[dbkdev]

72° is the top of the range for SA-05. You are still good. No off flavors. 66° to 68° is ideal for this yeast. 65° or lower can produce some peach flavors. Found this out from experience.
Yeast can be resuspended by a gentle stir with a sanitized spoon or another piece of brewing equipment that can be sanitized.
Give the beer some time though. Fermentation may not have stopped, just slowed after the bulk of the fermentables have used up by the yeast.
Take a hydrometer reading in a week. SG will probably be about 1.016. another week down to 1.010 or 1.011.

Peach flavors you say? Maybe I'll ferment my Galaxy DIPA at 63 . JK< but sorta curious about that.