Too cold to pitch Yeast for an Ale?

[hawkeyes]

I just got done brewing a Amber Ale. Added water to the wort and its around 61 degrees. Is this too cold to pitch yeast?

 

[Butter]

Is it Wyeast? You can check their website and it'll tell you the temp range of the yeast. I wouldn't worry too much though. It may take awhile to start, but I'm sure your beer will be fine.

 

[cadarnell]

sounds perfect ... pitch and keep it in the low 60s all the way thru .. cheers !!

 

[chromados]

It really depends on they yeast. I usually ferment my ales around 61-63 (I usually use WLP007). On the other hand I am fermenting an Oktoberfest Ale right now with kolsch yeast right now at 60. The temperature will rise as fermentation will begin so I think you are in a perfect temperature range for an ale yeast.

Chromados

 

[unionrdr]

Most ale yeasts can take low 60's,but 61 might be a bit low for the average ale yeast. 62F to 72F for many,some like 68-70F for clean ferment/low ester production. It'd be good to look it up & make sure.

 

[hawkeyes]

It's Wyeast 1272 American Ale II
Wyeast website says..
Temperature Range: 60-72F, 15-22C

 

[Yooper]

It's Wyeast 1272 American Ale II
Wyeast website says..
Temperature Range: 60-72F, 15-22C

It's good to pitch a little low and then let the temperature rise up to fermentation temperature. I'd pitch at 58 and let it rise up to 62 or so for a few days and then finish at 66-68 degrees at about day 5.

 

[unionrdr]

In that case it should work,albeit slowly at the low end of the range.

 

[jonmohno]

Ive notice on the white labs liquid it says to keep it @near 70 until fermentation begins,then lower it, i put it 5 below 65 during ferment then back up to 65 when krausen dropps,and almost all wL liquid ale yeast has ferm temps of 65-70 for ale yeast i dont see anything much below 65. Pitching too low could give you a longer lag time. but you dont want an instant fementation right away either by pitching too warm either.

 

[patriots4ever]

I did a Golden Ale last night and pitched the yeast at 50 degrees. I too, tried a new method of cooling the wort and it worked too well LOL. This was almost 18 hours ago and it's still not fermenting. Right now, the temperature is at 64 degrees and I wrapped a blanket around the fermenter to try and warm it up a little. I did hydrate the yeast for 15 minutes, in luke warm water to get it going before I pitched it. Should I just relax or should I be worried?

 

[jonmohno]

Ive used a heating pad on lowest settting which shuts off automatically every 2 hrs.I think my low 60's temp was making them lag too much to start, as soon as you see foam i would pull the blanket,unless 50 is going to be too cold for it.

 

[Yooper]

I did a Golden Ale last night and pitched the yeast at 50 degrees. I too, tried a new method of cooling the wort and it worked too well LOL. This was almost 18 hours ago and it's still not fermenting. Right now, the temperature is at 64 degrees and I wrapped a blanket around the fermenter to try and warm it up a little. I did hydrate the yeast for 15 minutes, in luke warm water to get it going before I pitched it. Should I just relax or should I be worried?

Which yeast strain did you use? Most are perfect at 64 degrees, so I wouldn't go any warmer unless it was a yeast strain that really needed to be above 65 degrees.

 

[patriots4ever]

Safeale US-05 dry ale yeast. I have been brewing for over a year and this is the slowest one yet. I'm really not worried, just a little surprised that there's little activity. I even hydrated the yeast for 15 minutes prior to pitching. I do store my yeast in the fridge so it should be used to the cold temp. I thought we'd be seeing some activity by now.

 

[jonmohno]

There was a thread not too long ago about a cetain batch of o5 that people were seing a slow lag with compared to normal. I would try keeping it at 65 at least till it starts.