Low temps at home while on vacation!

[IL1kebeer]

I have my first batch (American Pale Ale) in the carboy in a closet at home and I'm currently out of town on vacation for a week. I checked the temps at home yesterday and the temps dropped to 55 in the day and 28 at night.

It's been in the carboy for a week before temps dropped and the vigorous fermentation already passed before I left (my wife's jacket in the closet will tell you all about it). Today is day 8 of fermentation. I didn't think to leave the heater on my house on, so I guess I will have to pay for it with some extra work by waking up the yeast when I get back. I thought it would be good for me to be away from my first batch so that I wouldn't be checking on it every 5 minutes but leave it to me to make a noob mistake to keep me thinking about it. Any tips on waking the yeast without bothering the beer too much? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[helibrewer]

The temp in the house dropped to 28?? When you get home, take a gravity reading and see where you are, the low temps at that point in the fermentation could actually be a good thing....I'd rather be too cool than too warm. If your FG still has a ways to go, just bring the carboy out into an open room and let it finish at room temp. You might have to rouse the yeast with a gentle stir to get it back in suspension...wait until it warms up to do this otherwise it will just settle out again.

 

[kaboom133]

Even if it was 28 degrees outside at night I'm sure it didn't get that cold inside. Houses, especially if they're well insulated tend to hold heat through the night. My heater broke last winter and my house never dropped below 45-50 even though it was in the low 20s at night.

 

[IL1kebeer]

The temp in the house dropped to 28??

Outside temp was 28 according to weather report. Not sure what inside was but I'm guessing if it was 28 outside then inside probably dropped lower than 60. I will take a gravity reading and take the rest of your advice if gravity is still high. Thanks.

 

[freisste]

There is a pretty good chance that it was close to or at FG before the temp dropped. I made an imperial stout that started at 1.108 OG and it got to FG in the 4 days before I went on vacation. I freaked out when I got home because it was in a root cellar and my fermometer read 41*f. Upon checking I realized FG was fine. I wouldn't worry until you measure gravity and find it to have stalled. Don't worry until you KNOW it is a problem.