When to pitch.

[Goose5]

I'm embarrassed to admit that I may be pitching when the wort is to warm. Sometimes about 80 degrees. I'm just in a hurry to get thinks buttoned up. I heard a podcast where a guy said he cools a little below the temp he wants to give the yeast a cool start. So that got me thinking about how I go about it. What effect would this have on the finished beer? My last batch was a kolsch, 5 gallon, and I did the secondary in a keg in the serving frig. I think I used White Labs kolsch. My finished product was drinkable, but I've done better.

 

[IslandLizard]

This is my take:
The yeast being in her lag phase benefits from the higher temps since she's multiplying faster, and not fermenting yet (mostly). It usually takes 12-36 hours after pitching for the yeast to start fermenting, depending on a few factors.

As long as during this lag phase the temp drops to the intended ferm temp, you should have a solid healthy fermentation with no negative effects. The trick is to predict how long this lag phase is going to last... 12 hours, 24, 36, or longer? Usually it takes about 4-8 hours to drop a 5 gallon batch 6 degrees in a fridge ferm chamber.

Following this method, pitching 4-6 °F above the intended ferm temps, I've had fermentations starting as soon as 8-12 hours after pitching a "pro size" cell count in a vitality starter into a well oxygenated wort. No fusel alcohols or off flavors, just wonderful beer that was at FG in 3-7 days!

 

[bkboiler]

I've had so many dump-beers and finally pinpointed this as the cause...
DON'T DO IT!!!
Cool as low as your ground water will take you and transfer to your sanitized fermeter and stick it in the ferm chamber at 50F or so for 12 hours...then aerate and pitch...

 

[RM-MN]

i think this all depends on your ability to control the fermentation temperature. If you can start the beer warmer, you get faster reproduction but you also risk the yeast taking control of the temperature away from you which leads to off flavors. Can you bring the beer to the temperature you want to ferment at in time to avoid the off flavors? Can you keep the yeast from bringing the beer temp above what you want? I have only rudimentary temperature control so I try to start the beer lower than the optimal temperature so I have a chance to control the temp at peak fermentation.

 

[isomerization]

As above posters have stated, the key question is, can you actively cool your wort?

If not, then yeah you’re going to have a very hot fermentation. Depending on the strain (and room temp, pitch temp, etc), this could range from a dumper to a great beer.

I’m firmly in the pitch warm and let the ferm fridge do the rest. Saves water and time (mine and the yeasts).

 

[ncbrewer]

According to White and Zainasheff's book Yeast, "When working with a proper pitch of healthy yeast, the optimal starting temperature for the majority of fermentations is just a couple of degrees (1 to 3F/1 to 2C) below your target fermentation temperature." I have good luck doing this, so I don't experiment with it.

 

[RPh_Guy]

It's a pretty minimal investment to be able to circulate ice water through a chiller, or use an ice bath depending on the batch size.