Fermentation temp too low

[rugbydude1]

hello everyone!
I just made my first all grain stout. Recently it has been way cold where I live and I wanted to know if anyone had some tips on how to warm up the wort in my fermenter without totally ruining my beer. A krausen layer and trub layer had developed, but I havent seen any bubbles in my airlock after the second day of fermentation. Right now, the temp is about 56 degrees, shooting for about 72. Any tips are welcome! Thank you!

 

[DuckiesRevenge]

You keep your house/apartment at 54deg? That's rather cold. If you have a warmer area put it there for a week then back into the cold room. 56 ain't to bad. Fermentation will be a bit slower but it will produce less of flavors.

I wouldn't do 72 deg unless you were found a Belgian beer. Low 60s is perfect for a stout.

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

Have you taken a gravity reading? If it's terminal I would just leave it where it is and let it age. If the gravity isn't low enough, then you'll definitely need to warm it up. As duckies said, 72º is a bit too high. A lamp in a closet with a dark blanket wrapped around the fermenter could be enough. A heating pad or electric blanket could also work, but be careful to not raise the temp too much or produce large temp swings.

 

[rugbydude1]

Its been getting to around 25-30 degrees at night out here, and I do not run my heater all the time because I am in and out of my place all the time. But, sounds like I may not be as far off as I thought if the temp does not need to be that high.

I have not taken a gravity reading since I pitched the yeast, which was 6 days ago.. I'll give that a shot and see what I get. Thank you for the responses!