Fermenting technical problem advice needed

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

sirhcjw

Member
Joined
11/2/18
Messages
8
Reaction score
0
Location
BNE
Hello all,
I had one of my temp probes on my fermentation chamber go haywire and craftbeerpi thought my beer was a 85 deg C so it ran the compressor for like 12hrs.

The beer got down to like 1 degree but did not freeze.

It warmed back up and started bubbling again so I thought cool all good.

I opened it yesterday and dry hopped and after then no bubbles from the airlock?

I wonder should I open and stir with a sterilized spoon?

Has the accidental cold crash dropped all my yeast out of solution down to the bottom of the fermenter?

Advice greatly appriciated.

This is the first brew on my 3 vessel system and I am getting parinoid that I have ruined the brew.

Cheers

Chris
 
You haven't ruined the brew, yeast can take a low temp hit, it is the high temps which will kill them.
Air locks are not the greatest indicator of fermentation taking place, the hydrometer will indicate where you are at.
 
If it was bubbling again after the cold patch then the yeast was probably still alive. It might be worth giving it an extra day or 2 to help finish it off.
 
If it was bubbling again after the cold patch then the yeast was probably still alive. It might be worth giving it an extra day or 2 to help finish it off.

more like the beer degassing as it warms up.
 
if your fg is way off you could add a neutral yeast like us05 to finish it off
 
As above the bubbling isn't really a good way to tell how the ferment is progressing. One problem is related to the solubility of CO2, CC pointed out that as the wort cooled more of the CO2 being produced stayed in solution, as it warmed some came out of solution and bubbled through the airlock...
Yeast once chilled into dormancy can take up to 72 hours to wake back up. Based on what you have posted your brew will probably fire back up, but it will take time. Be patient, it will get there (probably).
Mark
 
Hello thanks to all that posted we are back in business and bubbling away.

My worry now is do I need to leave it and extra few days to really ensure the fermentation has finished?
 
Hello thanks to all that posted we are back in business and bubbling away.

My worry now is do I need to leave it and extra few days to really ensure the fermentation has finished?

Every single time you have any question like this, the answer is always "check your gravity reading" (via hydrometer or refractometer. Never rely on time or bubbling as your indicator).

I'm just amazed that someone is advanced enough to be using a craftbeerpi but forgets about using gravity readings instead of looking at the airlock! ;)
 
Last edited:
Back
Top