newbie question

[baystatebrew]

first of all, brewing is a new hobby of mine and let me say, it is pretty awesome.

so i started the fermentation process for my first batch of beer two days ago. i am working on the True Brew American Wheat brew, fyi.

based on what i've read, i think i'm doing a good job so far. i'm not worried as most newbies seem to think if they do anything wrong the beer will be ruined, but the vets seem to think that brewing is a lot more forgiving to the novice than perhaps most people realize. the fermentation is working (i see the airlock bubbling...the bubbles have slowed a bit over the past two days...down to one buble every 4 seconds like clockwork).

now, my only real concern is ambient air temp. while this may or not be an issue, the temp reading on the outside of my primary fermenter has been steady at 57 degrees F for a couple days (since I started...it was warmer when it began of course because the wort was warm). is this too cool a temp for my brew? if so, what are my options? should i move it to a warmer area near a heat source or just leave it alone.

my initial response is to be conservative and leave it where it is. 57 doesnt seem to be bad from what i've read, though it is probably on the cool side for american wheat. if i do move it, i assume it should be moved very gradually to a warmer area- i can't imagine a sudden temp increase would be good.

the good news is fermentation is working. i think the cooler temp might be slowing the fermentation process a bit, though.

any expert advice, on what i should do or NOT do, is truly appreciated here.

 

[Baumgartner]

What kind of yeast? Yeast strain determine the optimal fermentation temps. If you still have the package of yeast I'd check it out.

It sounds like everything is moving along just fine. It may take a bit longer to finish but i probably wouldn't be too concerned. Just leave in the primary for 2-3 weeks the bottle. I almost always have a spot on fermentation with out too much hassle. Unless it is a biggger beer.

Welcome to HBT!!

Read "how to brew" by john palmer, and this site of course.
How to Brew - By John Palmer

 

[baystatebrew]

thanks for the reply. that was acouple days ago so the yeast package was thrown out unfortunately. i spent like 45 minutes talking to the guy at hte homebrew store about getting the simplest idiot proof beer kit to start, so i'm nto too worried either. the directions nowhere mentioned ideal fermentation temp which seems odd to me- i would think that's kind of a significant factor in the brewing process. perhaps it is for more advanced beers, moreso than a beginner one like mine.

anyway thanks for hte reassurance. i think it's working, i'd just like to optimize the conditions for success as much as possible.