Fermentation Temp (Newbe)

[dfranklin]

I'm fermenting a Belgian white right now. The room I store it in was pretty warm, so I opened the window for the night and it brought the fermentation temp down to about 63. For the first couple days (temp was about 75/76) there was a lot of activity in the air lock, but now (64-66), I haven't seen bubbling in a while. I was thinking of taking a gravity reading but I didn't want to mess with the fermentation. Any thoughts? Think the temp slowed down the fermentation too much?


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[BigFloyd]

What yeast?

It sounds like you started out too warm. The yeast got quite active and munched through much of the fermentable sugars. When you dropped the temp, you may have prodded them into inactivity. You might as well let it warm back up to closer to the original temps now that it's slowed down.

Next time, pitch and start cool. Some of the Belgian strains (like WLP530) do nicely started at 64*F and raised 2 degrees each day until you max out around 75*F.

 

[jekeane]

Pretty much what BigFloyd said. Its possible you'll wind up with a few off flavors but nothing undrinkable.

 

[dfranklin]

I used Safale 58 for my yeast. I usually use dry yeast from them.

From what you said, I think that the temperature was definitely too high. I don't have a wort chiller and the ice bath always takes a long time to cool down; sometimes almost two hours! I usually transfer the boil to the fermentation bucket around 74*F and then top it off to 5 gal. with cold water, aerate it and then pitch the yeast. Is there a better way to cool it besides getting a wort chiller?

Since I pitched it too early, just let the fermentation come back up to around 74*F and check the gravity to see if its ready to bottle? It's only been fermenting for 5 days and I am worried about it being too soon.

 

[BigFloyd]

I used Safale 58 for my yeast. I usually use dry yeast from them.

From what you said, I think that the temperature was definitely too high. I don't have a wort chiller and the ice bath always takes a long time to cool down; sometimes almost two hours! I usually transfer the boil to the fermentation bucket around 74*F and then top it off to 5 gal. with cold water, aerate it and then pitch the yeast. Is there a better way to cool it besides getting a wort chiller?

Since I pitched it too early, just let the fermentation come back up to around 74*F and check the gravity to see if its ready to bottle? It's only been fermenting for 5 days and I am worried about it being too soon.

How cold do you chill your top-off water and how much of it do you use?

If you a doing a partial-boil that nets 2.5 gallons, get it down below 90*F (with an ice bath in the sink), transfer to the bucket and top it off with another 2.5 gallons of really cold (not quite freezing) water, you can achieve a pitch temp of around 60-62*F.

 

[dfranklin]

I'm not too sure on the temperature of the top off water. I usually just stick it in the fridge before I start cooking that way it's cooling down during the whole cook (I go out a get purified water because the water in my area isn't good for brewing).

 

[Saccharomycetaceae]

RDWHHB...in any event, you've got beer which is a nice thing.
Taking a gravity reading wont disrupt anything, just make sure you sanitize anything that will come in contact with the brew. It's possible that the yeast may have checked out from the temp drop, but putting it somewhere warmer and shaking it up oughta wake them up again. As for cooling, you can make a chiller for not too much money and if you think you're gonna be brewing for even a couple of years into the future, it's worth the investment; however, if you really don't wanna invest in buying/making a chiller, instead of an ice bath, use a salty ice bath which should help

 

[dfranklin]

Wouldn't shaking it up cause an oxidation rise and give an off flavoring?

I bought supplies to make a wort chiller and it only cost me about 30 bucks and was easy to make!


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[Saccharomycetaceae]

Wouldn't shaking it up cause an oxidation rise and give an off flavoring?

Early in the fermentation, I wouldn't worry about introducing more oxygen. Especially with higher gravity beers, I will sometimes aerate a second time, 12 hours after pitching. I know this is a late reply, but shaking it up early on wont hurt anything. Introducing oxygen after fermentation is definitely not something you want to do though, you are correct that it will cause off-flavors.
Don't know if that's helpful, but I'm sure your beer will be drinkable if not tasty.