Process check - falling temp during primary ferment

[Fraser's BRB]

So my plug fell out for my heat belts overnight (I blame the cat) and two of my ales have been sitting at around 12 deg for the better part of 18 hours.

They're about 3-4 days since pitching and have had active fermentation up to this point. I haven't taken a gravity reading yet.

I'm aware that the yeast can become inactive due to lower temps (both ale yeasts WY1056 and WY1968), so I've plugged the belts back in to get them back up to 18/19 deg and given them a bit of a shake to get any fallen yeast back up into suspension.

Is there anything else I should do/look out for at this point? Will take a gravity reading later when it's back up to temp, just seeing if I've done all I can at this stage?

 

[mosto]

I'd say you've pretty much covered it and would expect the yeast to become active again. Did ferment kick off fairly quickly? If so, the bulk of the work would have been done already, so the yeast maybe ready to finish off and go into clean up mode. I've had a similar thing happen with no ill effects.

 

[Bribie G]

I've got a heat belt, it's been hanging on a hook for the last three winters, including the ones at Old Bar that's just up the road from the Hunter.

Currently 13 degrees ambient in the garage most times, but I use the mighty Bribie Chestinator® and my brews sit nicely at around 18 to 20 degrees during the first part of exothermic fermentation. Then things start to cool down at exactly the time you need them to.

I have now made three of the insulated chests. Just did a quick check, three brews at 19, 19.5 and 20.
I actually had to remove a chest off the top of one of them last night for a few hours as it had gone up to 22, but it was a stout so no harm done.

 

[Fraser's BRB]

Both fermenters are back up to 17deg and still heating and both have started actively bubbling again, so all good.

I won't bother taking a gravity reading at this point for a few more days as they're obviously doing their thing for now.

That Chestinator looks a treat! My only concern with that is we have quite large temperature differentials here between day and night. Eg this morning it was around 2 deg and a bit after lunch up to around 16 deg and due to my small house, the fermenters in question are located in a fridge outside.

 

[stilvia]

Going from my last ferment, US-05 (WY1056) functions well around 12-13c. I did raise it to 18c after 5 days then to 21c after another 2 days. Just poured my first glass and it is has turned out great.

 

[dr K]

My experience mirrors that of Bribie G. Now it gets cold here in Canbeera. I had an old chest freezer about 10 years ago, in the shed. Mid-winter I just left my ales to ferment, no heat source other than that generated by the ferment...when the temp started to drop I knew that fermentation was finishing.

K

 

[Weizguy]

I'd say you've pretty much covered it and would expect the yeast to become active again. Did ferment kick off fairly quickly? If so, the bulk of the work would have been done already, so the yeast maybe ready to finish off and go into clean up mode. I've had a similar thing happen with no ill effects.

I saw the word kick and immediately thought of the cat. I hope the cat was figuratively "booted" out of the brew area.
I have a friend whose brewing is utterly incompatible with his cats; constantly contaminated beer, despite the best care, as the cat is allowed full access to the brew are. I'm sure the cat sees it as brewing in "his" cat-zone.

 

[Fraser's BRB]

I saw the word kick and immediately thought of the cat. I hope the cat was figuratively "booted" out of the brew area.
I have a friend whose brewing is utterly incompatible with his cats; constantly contaminated beer, despite the best care, as the cat is allowed full access to the brew are. I'm sure the cat sees it as brewing in "his" cat-zone.

The fridge in question is outside so it's hard to keep the cat away from it. The cat may or may not have caused the issue, but is an easy target and forgives more quickly than the wife.

Both brews recovered nicely and are cold crashing as we speak, so if nothing else it was a good exercise in learning about recovering from an unexpected circumstance.