I am in the process of brewing a dry Irish Stout extract recipe for 2.5 gallons. I cooled the wort to 64F and I added additional water (at 82F) to get the wort up to 2.5 gallons. Unfortunately, the wort temperature dropped to 57F. The dry yeast I am using is Safale S-04 and the temperature range is between 64F to 75F. I don't think I can add the yeast to the wort until the wort is within the correct temperature range. I closed the fermenting bucket without adding any yeast until I can figure out how to warm up the wort to the correct temperature range. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to warm up wort in the fermenting bucket?
Wort too cold to pitch yeast
- Thread starter stephenbp
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flars
Well-Known Member
You can pitch the yeast below the fermentation temperature range. Keep the fermentor at room temperature and it will gradually warm up. From what I've read S-04 produces a cleaner profile at the lower end of the fermentation temperature range.
A swamp cooler is a great tool for temp control. Just put the ferment or in a bucket of water. Start with warm water to heat up the fermentor. Then add frozen / hot water bottles to the bucket as required to maintain the temperature you want. Going forward you can get an aquarium heater with thermostat for 10 bucks to sit in the bucket and that takes care of warming automatically. Then you just need to worry about rotating ice bottles for cooling. This setup is real cheap and will make a huge difference to your beer quality.
Pantherjon
Well-Known Member
What I am trying to grasp is how the OP puts warm(82F) water in his wort that is at 64F and the temperature DROPPED to 57F?!?! I need to try that here when my wort is taking forever to cool from 80F to 72F for me to pitch my yeast!LOL
I don't get what happened either. When I added water that I was to use to complete the wort, I ended up short 1 gallon. The wort temperature was 64F. I had to boil more water to add. After boiling more water, I had let it cool down for a few hours but it was still to warm to add (120F). I placed the kettle of water in a ice bath but the temperature only dropped to 82F after a few hours. I added the water to the wort and mixed it with a sterile spoon and the temperature dropped to 57F.
My guess is that you did not have an accurate temp prior to the last water addition. Sitting static in the pot in an ice bath will have a serious temp gradient as you move from the edge of the pot in. The stir when you added more water gave you an accurate temp that more accurately reflects the time in the ice bath. Just my guess based on info provided.
Either way, go ahead and pitch as long as the wort temp is within ~20 degrees of your yeast temp so you don't shock em too bad. A lot of folks prefer to start under temp and let it come up to temp.
Either way, go ahead and pitch as long as the wort temp is within ~20 degrees of your yeast temp so you don't shock em too bad. A lot of folks prefer to start under temp and let it come up to temp.
DaWhip and Flars: The temperature range for Safale S-04 yeast is between 64F to 75F. If I pitch the yeast in wort at the temp of 54F to 57F, won't that cause the yeast to become dormant?
Also, what if I used a brew belt? Would that work/help?
Also, what if I used a brew belt? Would that work/help?
flars
Well-Known Member
I almost always pitch WY 1056 into wort that is 54° to 58°F. Temp range for WY 1056 is 60° to 72°F. I'll start seeing activity when the wort temperature rises to 60°. The yeast will wait for the right temperature to begin working. It is like taking a yeast starter out of the refrigerator. It will not remain dormant because it had been cold. I let the wort warm to ambient temperature without applying heat. My brew room ambient is 68°. Keeping it simple.
You could apply heat with a brew belt if you are not using a glass fermentor. It would be best to have a temperature controller for it though so the wort doesn't hit the upper 70°s or higher when not being watched.
The yeast will produce heat as the fermentation begins. The wort can rise in temperature surprisingly fast.
It's dry yeast, so it's already dormant. It'll just take longer for it to wake up. If your fermenter is in a thermally-appropriate environment, then it should warm up to temp in a few hours, which won't bother the yeast at all.
myndflyte
Well-Known Member
Better to start on the cool end and warm up the wort than starting at the high end and battling the temp all the time. Starting cooler also reduces potential temperature related off flavors. So pitch away.
According to the Safale S-04 data sheet, its fermentation range is 54-77°F and the ideal range is 59-68°F.
Safale S-04
They also say that if you are pitching the S-04 dry (sprinkling directly into the wort) the wort temperature should be above 68°F.
TomVA
Safale S-04
They also say that if you are pitching the S-04 dry (sprinkling directly into the wort) the wort temperature should be above 68°F.
TomVA
If you happen to have a warming mat for seedlings, you can warm up the wort slowly. I keep the fermenter in a swamp cooler summer and winter. When it needs heat, I put the warming mat around the outside of the tub, held in place loosely with a rope. It's 25 watts. It raises the temp one degree F in 1 - 2 hours normally. It's very dependent on ambient temp, so if you use this method, watch it closely until you get a feel for how it will react.
Just to update: I ended up picking up a brew belt. I pitched the yeast into the wort at 57F and I attached the brew belt for a few hours. When I can home, I found the bucket at 68F (without the brew belt). I turned on the brew belt for a few hours and the temp went up to 78F and the airlock is bubbling like crazy. So far, so good. Thanks for everyone's help.
Why 78F? That seems pretty warm.
When the temperature reached 78F, I unplugged the brew belt. As of this morning, the temperature stabilized at 70F. At this time, it don't I will need to use the brew belt unless the temperature falls.
Morrey
Well-Known Member
Point is you may not be ahead of the game if it does fall....
A brew belt or fermwrap heater will best serve you if controlled by an Automatic Temperature Controller (ATC) device such as an Inkbird or similar. These devices have a probe that supplies feedback temps of your wort back to a controller. You plug your belt into the controller and it activates the device (like an off/on switch) to add heat when needed and shut off when warmed to your settings. The ATC device also controls cooling systems and some models do heat and cool simultaneously. What you don't want is a roller coaster of temps which only create issues like off flavors. Steady as she goes.
Regarding testing temps with a thermometer: Stir thoroughly (whirlpool) for accuracy. When I chill wort I stir before taking a reading. The difference in temps from the bottom to the top of the kettle can be significant.
GHBWNY
Well-Known Member
Brewing magic. Patent it quick!
Morrey
Well-Known Member
I'd buy some of that when I do a lager! Whoo hoo!!
BrewOrganic
New Member
What is the ambient temperature where your fermentor is sitting?
Even at 70 degrees I would cool it another 4-6 degrees. I always look up the ideal range then shoot for the middle or just below middle. So try for 63 or 64. Off flavors are worse with too warm a temperature than too cool. And remember that fermentation creates head so if it really gets going your 70 degrees could rise to as much as 80 degrees or so.
Wort temperature is what you are concerned with not the air temperature.
Wort temperature is what you are concerned with not the air temperature.
After being confused myself and re-reading, i'm sure it means that the water was added while the wort was 82 degrees...not 82 degree water being added to the wort
That is not what the OP said himself. I suspect that the wort was still in the ice bath and was quite a bit below the 64 degrees originally measured when the 82 degree water was added.
Room temperature is around 64F to 66F.
To answer your question, my digital thermometer probe died in the middle of cooling the wort. I ended up replacing the probe. That is why the temperature displayed 80 degrees.
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