Fermenter down to 54*

[tommybrew]

I've got a 5 gallon batch of an IPA that was fermenting for about 4.5 days at about 68* average. I have it in a minifridge, but i dont have a temp controller so I have just been plugging it in and unplugging a few times a day to keep it between 65 and 70*. last night i forgot to unplug the fridge and this morning the temp was reading 53-54*. I took it out immediately and moved it near the warm heater vent. Airlock was active yesterday, but hasn't moved since...did I just kill this batch? Yeast is White labs Vermont Ale Yeast.

 

[kh54s10]

At 4.5 days the bulk of the fermentation should have already occurred. I would move it away from the heater vent and just let the temperature rise slowly.

The lack of airlock activity could be from the yeast going dormant, or that the fermentation is done. The cooling of the wort would also lower the pressure inside the vessel. Warming it up may or may not lead to any more airlock activity. Leave it be until day 10 or so then take gravity readings to determine if the final gravity has been reached.

If there is any further fermentation to be done the yeast will resume when they warm up.

I see no big problems here.