Wort cooldown temps and time????

[Bilbo24]

This is going to be kind of long because I want to be pretty specific. I think I’ve made 6 or 7 batches of homebrew (all from kits) and I’ve had this situation come up pretty often. I follow instructions pretty well (as I really don’t know yet how deviations affect the outcome that much).

With my latest kit (Bavarian Hefe extract 5 gal) it said” add yeast once the temp of the wort is 78 degrees or lower”.

I pitched dry yeast when my wort was 76 degrees and aerated well, capped and did a blowoff tube. I have a wifi digital thermometer that I can attach to the side of my fermenter and then I tape over it and include a piece of foam on top of it that somewhat assures me that I’m getting as close as I can to inside fermentation temp. I know it’s not as good as an inside temp gauge but I haven’t got that far yet! That way I can track the temp by the minute if I want to.

On this latest brew, I pitched dry yeast at 76 degrees and immediately took it downstairs to a 63-65 environment. It took about 38 hours in that environment to drop to basement environment (63-65)! During that time fermentation was great (which I’m sure kept my temp up a little) and krausen rose and fell. I didn’t get much visable bubbling after that !! I see one mistake I might have made and that is I covered it with a heavy towel which probably kept heat in!

The yeast provided, Safbrew WB-06 says it has a fermentation range of 59-75. So, even with it being so warm for so long, it was within the temp range.

My question is: do you folks pitch your yeast per the instructions, i. e. when the wort temp is just below the 78 degrees called for (or whatever the specific recipe calls for) and let your batch temps naturally decrease to your desired fermentation range OR do you pitch your yeast on the lower end of your fermentation range (after using an ice bath or something around the fermenter to quickly decrease your fermentation vessel temp to the lower range ). If the latter is the case, how long should I wait trying to cool my wort to the lower range before I pitch?

I would appreciate any thoughts on your process!!! Thanks all!!!

 

[lumpher]

When it gives you the pitch temps, and they're higher than yeast ranges, they're expecting you to cool it the rest of the way quick. If you pitch at 76, and it takes 24 hours (for example) to even hit the top of the yeast's range and it's been fermenting for a few hours, the yeast character is set, and the taste will be off. If you can't chill it quick, and it sounds like you can't, then chill it to where you can, cap it, and take it downstairs. When it reaches basement temps (in your case), THEN I would pitch. Remember, the yeast temp range is internal ferm temps, NOT ambient temps, which the internal temp is usually 6-10 degrees higher than ambient

 

[MaxStout]

Kit instructions should be taken with a grain of salt.

Best to look up the optimum temp range for your yeast and chill the wort to inside that range before pitching. Pitching warm may not be a problem if you can get it within range within a few hours or so (ie, in a fermentation chamber or swamp cooler). Using ambient temps, like a cellar, may not cool it fast enough.

Otherwise, you might get some fusels, as once the yeast takes off, the current temp in the wort sets it up for that.

If you have trouble cooling, consider high temp yeast strains, like Kveik. Those strains do well in warm temps, even >90F.

 

[Nagorg]

The key thing is to not kill your yeast by pitching too hot. I prefer to pitch closer to fermentation temp and sometimes even a bit lower so that the yeast is in wort as the things rise to ferm temp.
Most of the time my yeast starter has been cold crashed so I can decant starter wort prior to pitching. So this works pretty well.

If you cant cool your wort easily/quickly, I'd say to wait until your at ferm temp to pitch. I've had to do that a time or two for various reasons. No problem...

 

[Bilbo24]

The key thing is to not kill your yeast by pitching too hot. I prefer to pitch closer to fermentation temp and sometimes even a bit lower so that the yeast in in wort as the things rise to ferm temp.
Most of the time my yeast starter has been cold crashed so I can decant starter wort prior to pitching. So this works pretty well.

If you cant cool your wort easily/quickly, I'd say to wait until your at ferm temp to pitch. I've had to do that a time or two for various reasons. No problem...

When it gives you the pitch temps, and they're higher than yeast ranges, they're expecting you to cool it the rest of the way quick. If you pitch at 76, and it takes 24 hours (for example) to even hit the top of the yeast's range and it's been fermenting for a few hours, the yeast character is set, and the taste will be off. If you can't chill it quick, and it sounds like you can't, then chill it to where you can, cap it, and take it downstairs. When it reaches basement temps (in your case), THEN I would pitch. Remember, the yeast temp range is internal ferm temps, NOT ambient temps, which the internal temp is usually 6-10 degrees higher than ambient

Thank you! What I’m hearing with you and the others make sense!

 

[Bilbo24]

Kit instructions should be taken with a grain of salt.

Best to look up the optimum temp range for your yeast and chill the wort to inside that range before pitching. Pitching warm may not be a problem if you can get it within range within a few hours or so (ie, in a fermentation chamber or swamp cooler). Using ambient temps, like a cellar, may not cool it fast enough.

Otherwise, you might get some fusels, as once the yeast takes off, the current temp in the wort sets it up for that.

If you have trouble cooling, consider high temp yeast strains, like Kveik. Those strains do well in warm temps, even >90F.

Thank you. I will try to chill with ice and pitch a little later.

 

[Bilbo24]

When it gives you the pitch temps, and they're higher than yeast ranges, they're expecting you to cool it the rest of the way quick. If you pitch at 76, and it takes 24 hours (for example) to even hit the top of the yeast's range and it's been fermenting for a few hours, the yeast character is set, and the taste will be off. If you can't chill it quick, and it sounds like you can't, then chill it to where you can, cap it, and take it downstairs. When it reaches basement temps (in your case), THEN I would pitch. Remember, the yeast temp range is internal ferm temps, NOT ambient temps, which the internal temp is usually 6-10 degrees higher than ambient

 

[Bilbo24]

The key thing is to not kill your yeast by pitching too hot. I prefer to pitch closer to fermentation temp and sometimes even a bit lower so that the yeast in in wort as the things rise to ferm temp.
Most of the time my yeast starter has been cold crashed so I can decant starter wort prior to pitching. So this works pretty well.

If you cant cool your wort easily/quickly, I'd say to wait until your at ferm temp to pitch. I've had to do that a time or two for various reasons. No problem...

I’m learning. Thanks for your advice!!!!

 

[Bilbo24]

I’m learning. Thanks for your advice!!!!

 

[bike2brew]

At this point 6-8 batches into the hobby you should seriously consider investing in a wort chiller to improve your process. Relatively low cost and significant improvement for the results. Here's my setup for under $100.

 

[pvtpublic]

I completely agree with @bike2brew

However, I'm a firm believer in ideal temps for the style one is brewing, and not what the manufacturer recommends. The reason for this has been lightly addressed above with fusels, but we'll take the hefeweizen for example. Hef yeasts are known for their banana and clove characteristics. Dialing the fermentation temp in (I found 62*F is just right for me) will balance these phenols to a nice enjoyable level. Too low, and it will be too clean and not enough yeast character. Too high and you'll get too much clove and/or banana. Go higher and you'll get peppery and solventy flavors. Another issue with higher temps is that it may increase the risk of autolysis, which is where the yeast die off and their cell membrane ruptures, spewing their guts into the beer. You'll get umami, soy sauce, and/or bandaid flavors from this.

And when it's time to pitch, always get as close to fermentation temp as possible before pitching.

 

[hottpeper13]

I always chill to 68*-70* because cold break happens at 70 * and below. Then it sits for at least 2 hrs before pumping clear wort,the trub in the pump and hoses go into FV. A little trub is good for the yeast.
As for pitching I like to pitch at lowest temp mfg suggests and bring up 2-3* and stay there 3-4 days before increasing to the upper range. Each yeast is unique,and I take them thru the ranges to find the flavor I'm looking for from it. Step fermentation leaves no off flavors.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Each yeast is unique, ...

^^^^ THIS ^^^^

 

[bike2brew]

I generally pitch somewhere in the range between 67 to 70. On occasion when I pitched low, 63-64, it seemed that my fermentation started slow (S-04, US-05). Perhaps its coincidence but I associate slow fermentation start with greater chances of stuck fermentation. My experience is limited so not a lot of empirical evidence to test a hypothesis.

 

[AlexKay]

Decide on the fermentation temperature based on which yeast you’re using and what you’re trying to get from it. Ideally, cool the wort all the way to that fermentation temperature or (conventional wisdom says) a few degrees colder, then pitch.

When I make lagers in summer, when my cooling water temperature is higher, sometimes it’s just not practical to get all the way down, but I then get it as cold as I reasonably can.

 

[ncbrewer]

I'll note that when I start at a higher temperature, it seems to produce more heat, and it's harder to get it to the desired temperature.

 

[BrewZer]

This is going to be kind of long because I want to be pretty specific. I think I’ve made 6 or 7 batches of homebrew (all from kits) and I’ve had this situation come up pretty often. I follow instructions pretty well (as I really don’t know yet how deviations affect the outcome that much).

With my latest kit (Bavarian Hefe extract 5 gal) it said” add yeast once the temp of the wort is 78 degrees or lower”.

I pitched dry yeast when my wort was 76 degrees and aerated well, capped and did a blowoff tube. I have a wifi digital thermometer that I can attach to the side of my fermenter and then I tape over it and include a piece of foam on top of it that somewhat assures me that I’m getting as close as I can to inside fermentation temp. I know it’s not as good as an inside temp gauge but I haven’t got that far yet! That way I can track the temp by the minute if I want to.

On this latest brew, I pitched dry yeast at 76 degrees and immediately took it downstairs to a 63-65 environment. It took about 38 hours in that environment to drop to basement environment (63-65)! During that time fermentation was great (which I’m sure kept my temp up a little) and krausen rose and fell. I didn’t get much visable bubbling after that !! I see one mistake I might have made and that is I covered it with a heavy towel which probably kept heat in!

The yeast provided, Safbrew WB-06 says it has a fermentation range of 59-75. So, even with it being so warm for so long, it was within the temp range.

My question is: do you folks pitch your yeast per the instructions, i. e. when the wort temp is just below the 78 degrees called for (or whatever the specific recipe calls for) and let your batch temps naturally decrease to your desired fermentation range OR do you pitch your yeast on the lower end of your fermentation range (after using an ice bath or something around the fermenter to quickly decrease your fermentation vessel temp to the lower range ). If the latter is the case, how long should I wait trying to cool my wort to the lower range before I pitch?

I would appreciate any thoughts on your process!!! Thanks all!!!

I always intend to follow those directions.

Then life takes over, the wort stops chilling quite as quickly, and the spousal unit is glaring at me because it's getting close to dinner time.

So I pitch usually between 78 and 85 degrees. And yes, I usually have trouble keeping the initial fermentation temps low enough. I'm working on concepts for coolers that won't cost as much as a car payment.

But I still like the beers I produce -- haven't had to throw one out yet.

ETA: The only time I haven't had issues with temp control is deep winter when the garage ambient temp hovers around 45 F. Then I wrap a heating pad around the fermenter and hook up an Inkbird controller to keep the temps UP.

 

[marc1]

I always intend to follow those directions.

Then life takes over, the wort stops chilling quite as quickly, and the spousal unit is glaring at me because it's getting close to dinner time.

So I pitch usually between 78 and 85 degrees. And yes, I usually have trouble keeping the initial fermentation temps low enough. I'm working on concepts for coolers that won't cost as much as a car payment.

But I still like the beers I produce -- haven't had to throw one out yet.

ETA: The only time I haven't had issues with temp control is deep winter when the garage ambient temp hovers around 45 F. Then I wrap a heating pad around the fermenter and hook up an Inkbird controller to keep the temps UP.

Coolers can be inexpensive, you just need to put in legwork

You've already go the heating pad and the inkbird, you just need to find an old fridge for free somewhere. My wife found one from some Facebook group she is in. People redid their kitchen with new appliances, I went and got the old beater fridge.

I gave it a good cleaning. If your fermenter fits as-is, great. Mine didn't have quite enough headspace in the fridge compartment, so I took an angle grinder to the divider between the fridge and freezer sections, and now there's plenty of room.

It also doubles as overflow cold storage for parties, or for bulk meat that we buy when packing it up for the freezer. Very useful. Not pretty, but it's in the basement, so it doesn't need to be.