WLP 001 - High initial temperature

[Scott Ackerman]

I am new to homebrewing (have made 14 5gal batches since April). I am making a Milk Stout (5 gal batch), made a starter with WLP-001 manufactured 10/14/18 with stir plate, pitched the yeast late yesterday afternoon at 65°, my basement is about 57°, and I woke up this morning to a fermentation temp of 81°, I immediately put a fan on it (SS brewtech brew bucket). I will have to wait til I get back from work to see the progress. 2 questions; 1) will I even end up with anything resembling beer? 2) I have seen fermentation temps rise 3-4° in the 1st 12 hours but never 15° WTF?. Thanks

 

[Cavpilot2000]

That does seem like an excessive jump. Most I've ever seen on an ale is like 8 degrees (which was still way more than I expected).
WHere are you fermenting it? Any chance the ambient temp went up overnight? I know when I free-ferment in my heated basement in the winter without using a cooler or anything, the basement can get quite warm with the house heating on.

 

[Scott Ackerman]

Fermenting in the basement, all heating ducts are closed and the temp in the basement this morning was 59°. I have a heater jacket (thin plastic sheet type with flat heating elements) on the fermenter but it is attached to an Inkbird and I have the controller set at 65°. The heat side relay was off. And of course when I attached a box fan to the cool side it immediately turned the fan on. And 'yes', I thought of the possibility that the controller had gone 'haywire' and I was getting a bad temp reading, but feeling the side of the fermenter it was warm.

 

[dmtaylor]

Turn the damn heater jacket off and throw it away. Seriously.

 

[Scott Ackerman]

@dmtaylor - not sure I understand. The heater was not on and normally I need the heater jacket initially.

 

[dmtaylor]

normally I need the heater jacket initially.

No you don't.

I find most brews turn out great fermented in the upper 50s to lower 60s. My basement is cold just like yours. I've got 5 batches chugging along slowly down there right now. If they seem too sluggish, I'll bring upstairs to 68 F for a few days until it's rolling again.

Anyway, it's always best to start off fermentation cool then warm it up, rather than pitch hot then cool it down.