Cold Cold Cold...

[facter]

Beer was going great, using Safale, was a hybrid using a pilsener base, dme and steeped grains - quite steady when I went to bed...

Overnight, the temp dropped to around 12c, went out this morning, and it looked like fermentation had pretty well stopped. Now, I havnt checked it at home yet, so I'm not sure - I need to be more patient. Gravity reading was only at 1016 this morning, and I estimated with the ingrediants I have that it should be down at around 1009 for final .. I understand that the yeast gets sleepy at lower temperatures and am too paranoid to rouse it.

Will it probably finish off in secondary for that last bit if it stays too cold? I have high hopes that the fermentation kicked off again - can it get stuck at a high gravity and not fully ferment if the weather fluctuates too much? Still tasted a little sweet when I took a pull of it fromt he gravity tube...

First time I've had any problems with a fermentation.

oh. I got some good feedback from the grumps on this, just wonderin about this in general really

 

[Dunkel_Boy]

I usually shake the crap out of my fermenter (with the airlock covered) and put it somewhere warmer for the last few points of my fermentation. I recommend you do the same... perhaps a heat belt even.
You need to get those last few points down, if you can, before secondary fermentation/cold conditioning.

 

[Backlane Brewery]

To save anyone having to repeat themselves here, and so that those who don't post on Grumpy's don't waste time reinventing this particular wheel:

Yeast doesn't die at 12 degrees, it just goes to sleep though 1016 could be close to the end, depending on what your OG was and what you expect the FG to be. Takes a while for 23L of active wort to cool down - it's looking close to finishing anyway, so don't be impatient - maybe a good idea to go & purchase a heat mat/belt if your weathers cooling down now. You would rack it to secondary, wouldn't you? Any left-over fermentation would happen then. Another benefit of racking. It will wake up - though it usually takes a temperature a little bit warmer - if you can get it back up to mid-20s and give the beer a good stir (no splashing), it will kick back into action.

 

[4077M*A*S*H]

Sounds to me like you have a fair idea about what to do alredy, just trust yourself.
Your explanation is very good BTW, just be patient. Get it back to the temp you require for the style of the beer you want to achieve. Using a heater belt if necessary, other that that I reiterate just trust yourself, all will be OK.

 

[JasonY]

I usually shake the crap out of my fermenter (with the airlock covered) and put it somewhere warmer for the last few points of my fermentation.

My understanding is that shaking of the beer after the first couple of days of fermentation is a bad idea and can lead to oxidation and off flavours. I rouse the yeast by a gentle rocking of the fermenter nothing very vigorous.

How long has it been fermenting? If it is a true lager yeast at lager temps then it will be slower than your typical ale yeast.

 

[Dunkel_Boy]

Oxidation is bad for the beer, yes.
However, the headspace in the fermenter is taken up by CO2, and a few other gases.
So far, it hasn't had any wet cardboard effects, or affected the life of my beer.
But, to be cautious, a swirling is probably better.

 

[facter]

Yeah, the guys on grumps gave some really good advice - however....

I dont have any form of heating...I cant get any in the next few weeks - I dont want to shake it up, as I am paranoid about oxidation..

Just a little more background on this - I jsut havnt had any fermentation problems in any of the past beers ive done so im just quite, hrmmzz...

Goes something like this

Started brewing on Monday afternoon - fermentation started off really, really quickly - after about an hour and a half. This was very strange for me - never had one take off - felt the fermenter and it felt a bit odd, too high in temp...did a reading, and it was at 30c! It quickly went down though, I wrapped it in wet towel, got it down..went fine, and was still going last night. Woke up this morning after it snapped in cold here in Perth...reading on gravity was 1016. Now, I know that it cant be finished at 1016 (I think! Please correct me if I am wrong!) All indications I have is that for this beer it should be around the 1010/1009 mark...it also, still tastes a little sweet fromt he gravity tube.

Ingrediants were

Can of Black Rock Pilsener
500g DME
500g Dextrose
200g caramunich 50g chocolate in 20 minute steep
Safale 04 yeast

Unfortunately I didnt take an initial reading - didnt think I'd ned one, I dont usually take hydro readings all the time...

I'm wondering if at what stage I should give up. Come next Monday, I'll rack it to secondary, and see if anything else happens - it will warm up around then, but yeah...

 

[JasonY]

facter as you are using saf-04 which is an ale yeast you will have problems at these lower temps. I am not sure how low this yeast can go but at a guess I think you need to get back to at least 18deg to get it going again.

If you were using the 35/70 or whatever it is then the low temp would not be an issue (although the 30deg pitching would have been).

 

[facter]

Bugger. How do you suggest I get it warmer then? I have no heating equipment at all...cant afford to buy any, someone also suggested immersing it in some warm water in the laundry sink, but the fermenter wont fit in there...

And how long can it stay dormant like this for before it starts mucking up?

 

[rodderz]

Bugger. How do you suggest I get it warmer then? I have no heating equipment at all...cant afford to buy any, someone also suggested immersing it in some warm water in the laundry sink, but the fermenter wont fit in there...

And how long can it stay dormant like this for before it starts mucking up?

[post="52035"][/post]​

Could you try as what some members do here, get a plastic tub similar in size to those black recycling tubs that were around before wheelie bins. Wrap it up in some kind of insulation or some material that may trap heat and put it near a window could also work

Maybe keep adding some warm water to the tub to keep the temp up higher? That idea could be a bit tedious though, wouldnt take long for the water to get cool again

 

[Steve Lacey]

Is the fermenter inside your house? Somewhere like the room you spend most of your time in? If that room is below 16 degrees for very long I would be surprised. Walk around your house with a thermometer and check the temperature in different places, preferably at different times of the day. You'll find a corner for it somewhere. Beg understanding from significant others...it is a matter of life and death etc.

Another way is to get a big box, ideally a tea chest, but perhaps even cardboard at a pinch. Buy a light fitting from the hardware store and fix it to the inside of the box with a very low wattage (15W) bulb. This would only cost a few dollars. I think some people paint the bulb black, but when I did this I never bothered. Invert box over the top of the fermenter. It is a fairly mild form of heating.

Steve

 

[Ross]

Facter

You can't afford a heat belt or heat mat?? - come on!!!

 

[warrenlw63]

Gravity reading was only at 1016 this morning, and I estimated with the ingrediants

[post="51930"][/post]​

That's just typical noob stuff. 1.016 means the beer has virtually finished. Don't really need to add any more than what the others have already added..

However.


People who seem to think that agitating/shaking/stirring a fermenter in any shape or form at this stage of fermentation is going to do anything other than appease their impatience is strictly speaking... "dreaming".

If shaking, rolling, agitating your fermenter did anything to finish off a beer we'd be shaking the shit out of them just before bottling to provide the same yeast for priming.

If there's yeast in the fermenter, believe me there's yeast in the beer.

Best remedy is to just leave the thing alone. Primary ferment for 2 weeks, don't touch, rack to secondary or keg after this.

The beer will live.

Warren -