Wort took forever to cool to pitching temp

[nuber]

I brewed a porter last night (small 2 gallon batch) and used my normal method of icebath in the sink but it wasn't dropping below the 130s much after even 2 hours. I'm not sure what happened with this. I did use an aluminum pot instead of stainless steel this time, maybe that was it.

Anyway, so after waiting and waiting and getting sleepy (it was approaching 11pm) I decided to just transfer it to the fermenter bucket and seal it up (around 115 degrees) and wait overnight. This morning I get up and it's still around 95 degrees.

I went ahead and pitched the yeast at 95 and set it outside to cool further (it's 45 outside).

Did I royally screw up my beer? I see several issues that lead me to believe I probably did. I've never pitched yeast later than an hour or so after flameout and i've never pitched yeast above 85 degrees or so.

 

[Psylocide]

Well, you know you pitched pretty warm, so that's probably the worst thing.

I doubt it "royally" screwed anything up, but next time just wait it out. I've waited overnight to pitch and my dad used to do it that way every time... never had a bad beer from him.

 

[stpug]

Aluminum actually has better thermal conductivity than stainless steel so that is not the culprit.

Did you use ice water? Did you swirl either the water bath water or wort at any point? Did you swap out the water bath water at any point?

Using frigid water, swirling the frigid water occasionally, swirling your wort occasionally, and swapping out for fresh frigid water when it warms up will ensure a much quicker cool down.

As for pitching at 95F, that's no good, in general. There's a possibility that you'll be okay if the wort temp can drop fairly quickly to the proper fermentation range of the yeast and remain there for the duration of active fermentation. You certainly want to be under 75F within about 8-12 hours of pitching.

 

[nuber]

Aluminum actually has better thermal conductivity than stainless steel so that is not the culprit.

Did you use ice water? Did you swirl either the water bath water or wort at any point? Did you swap out the water bath water at any point?

I put ice in the sink under and surrounding the bucket and filled it will tap water (which was cold as the groundwater is cold right now. I didn't swap the water out but there was still ice in the sink and was cold to the touch.

As for it getting down to temp within 8-12 hours hopefully it will, it's outside in 45 degree weather now.

 

[Foosier]

Definitely leave the fermenter outside until it gets the wort temp down into the 60's. I would guess it will take a few hours but the yeast will likely not get too far before then.

During the summer I have a hard time getting my wort past about 75 f. I just seal up my bucket and throw it in the fridge. I stick a long probe thermometer through the bung and wait. Usually 2-3 hours is good to get me into the low 60's.

Waiting to pitch is not an issue as long as everything is closed up and sanitary.

 

[stpug]

Waiting to pitch is not an issue as long as everything is closed up and sanitary.

^^I agree with this. Better to wait a few extra hours than pitch excessively warm.

 

[NomoMoMo]

I'm not an expert in thermodynamics, but my instinct tells me that 2 gallons of wort should have cooled down more than 20 degrees overnight. Have you checked your thermometer to see if it was calibrated correctly, it could be that it's off by 20-30 degrees and you pitched at a good temp.