raising temperature--need guidance

[drengel]

ok . i have a porter in the primary right now. its a fairky typical porter, maybe a little on the dark side, i used alot of chocolate malt, crystal 120, black patent, coffee malt, and dark extract, whole leaf fuggles and k-goldings, and about a half cup of saved irish ale yeast slurry that was reactivated in a starter. og was 1.060, higher than expected. i brewed and pitched on wed. it got going by the time i looked at it the next day, was going fast and steady. on fri. i checked and there was no activitty in the airlock, so i swirled it up gently to re-suspend the yeast, but still nothing. i did this again twice yesterday, and nada. if i press on the lid, the airlock bubbles, so something is going on, but slowly. i know a 36 hour ferment is not completely abnormal, but its not happened for me yet, so im worried. the temp in the brew cellar is around 64-66. a little cold i know. i think i want to try and raise the temperature for a couple hours, and see if the yeast reactivates. whats the best semi-controlled way to do this, id like to raise it to around 77, but dont want to shock the yeast. no i havent checked the gravity yet, i dont like opening the lid unless absolutely necesary.

 

[Rookie]

Check the gravity, you may be close to done.

 

[BlightyBrewer]

You could put a heater jacket or electric blanket round your fermenter..something that provides a gentle heat. I've got a thick jumper round mine to try and keep a constant temp. A boiler jacket is another option (from a hardware / DIY store)

 

[Genghis77]

I experienced similar problems with the seasonal change. I had a brew going using an ale yeast.Temperature dropped to the upper 50's the day after I started. So, I added a cold tolerant lager yeast to ferment.

An electric blanket works great in keeping the yeast active. I've seen specialty heaters for brewing but an electric blanket is more economical. Many yeasts virtually stop below 68 degrees.

 

[drengel]

You could put a heater jacket or electric blanket round your fermenter..something that provides a gentle heat. I've got a thick jumper round mine to try and keep a constant temp. A boiler jacket is another option (from a hardware / DIY store)

a thick jumper? as in a jumper cable. dont have a electric blanket. im thinking about submerging it in warm water for a while. i guess i should probably check the gravity though. the one other time i had a slow ferment i kept checking the gravity and wound up infecting it and had to throw away the beer, so im hesitant to open it. i guess if i take it upstairs and spray disinfectant thoroughly ill lessen the chance of an infection. think its still too warm for lager yeast though.

 

[drengel]

ok, i sucked it up and checked the gravity just now. im glad i did too, its down to 1.020 and tastes absolutely wonderful. great chocolate, coffee, and roasted flavors. very dry, almost like an irish stout. not sweet at all. this is the first batch i used distilled water rather than off the tap and ill never go back. no off flavors to speak of. hopefully i didnt chance an infection- i sprayed a heavy dose of lysol through the room, and minimized its exposure to the air. still have to let it sit in the primary a few days to clear before i rack it cause i shook it up so much. i hope it gets down another few points, id like to see it around 14-16.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

well, that yeast slurry will work a lot faster than a starter or a vial/smack pack. there's a lot more yeast cells, so that's one reason why it probably fermented so quick. i'dleave it be, rack it, and get ready for the next batch!

 

[drengel]

yeah i guess it worked out. after reading that post a couple weeks ago on yeast staters, the one linked to the maltose falcons website, i rethought my whole yeast pitching routine. i now make sure to get the wort as aerated as possible, and pitch a decent amount so it doesnt waste time multiplying. very happy with the results so far. kudos to whoever posted that link.

 

[BlightyBrewer]

a thick jumper?

Apologies, it's the Anglo / American language differencies again...

English / American English:-

jumper / sweater
Bonnet / Hood
Boot / Trunk
Backside / Fanny
Fag / Cigarette
Fanny / ....err, I think I'll leave it there!

 

[Truble]

FWIW, I have been in this situation, and I used warm water. I just filled up the sink with 70*F water, and stood my bucket in it. By making sure that it is 70*F, you are not shocking the yeast too much, and can be assured that it cannot be raised outside the optimal temp window. I have noticed activity within a couple minutes. I have done this when, for some reason, they were not getting enough warmth where I was storing them. ONce I warmed them up, I put them in an area that I knew was getting warmth.

Simple and works.

 

[Walker]

Apologies, it's the Anglo / American language differencies again...

English / American English:-

jumper / sweater
Bonnet / Hood
Boot / Trunk
Backside / Fanny
Fag / Cigarette
Fanny / ....err, I think I'll leave it there!

Funny. I have a sweater with a hood on it; a "hooded sweater". Over there that would be a "bonneted jumper"? Sounds like something I would put on my little baby girl.

and if I told someone that I had "smoked a fag" it would mean something TOTALLY different than what you think of.

-walker

 

[BlightyBrewer]

Funny. I have a sweater with a hood on it; a "hooded sweater". Over there that would be a "bonneted jumper"? Sounds like something I would put on my little baby girl.

LOL.

Ahh, well, we also have hooded sweaters (hoodies). They are all the rage with the pubescent youth of our society. And yes, bonnets are little hats that baby girls and shepherdesses wear...

and if I told someone that I had "smoked a fag" it would mean something TOTALLY different than what you think of.

-walker

Hahaha!

...as long as you dispose of your "fag butt" responsibly!

 

[madrean]

FWIW, I have been in this situation, and I used warm water. I just filled up the sink with 70*F water, and stood my bucket in it. By making sure that it is 70*F, you are not shocking the yeast too much, and can be assured that it cannot be raised outside the optimal temp window. I have noticed activity within a couple minutes. I have done this when, for some reason, they were not getting enough warmth where I was storing them. ONce I warmed them up, I put them in an area that I knew was getting warmth.

Simple and works.

I have tried this too in an attempt to get yeast activity up, but the carboy (and beer inside) ended up warm to the touch (water bath in the sink).

Do you think I fried the yeast??

Hope not, b/c I'm hoping to bottle the stuff soon...