Hey guys,
I did a batch yesterday and Im worried I may have messed up pitching the yeast!
This was my first time doing a 5 gallon batch and rehydrating dry yeast (US-05). I cooled my wort to around 65 degrees. while it was cooling i brought 110ml of water to a boil and cooled it to around 80 degrees.
This is where I think i started to screw up. First i put the water into a sanitized glass and poured the yeast in. the yeast just sat on top so stupid me i stirred it with a spoon (sanitized) and the yeast clumped up and stuck to the spoon. i tried to get as much off the spoon and back in the glass as i could but some ended up getting washed down the drain. Anyhoo, after that i swirled it in the glass and it seemed to mix up ok..
I then racked my wort to my fermenter (a bucket) and shook it around a bit to aerate. Then I poured the yeast in and closed it up. I didn't shake it or stir it again after pouring the yeast in.
I think that maybe none of those things were wrong, but I'm not sure...
Now the thing I think I totally screwed up - I put my fermenter into a swamp cooler. its also my first time using one. the water from my tap is about 50 degrees. So the wort was probably 65ish in the bucket and its sitting in water thats around 50 degrees. when I woke up this morning the water was about 55 degrees.. I am now at work and Im thinking that this is probably too cold for fermentation to start? I cant do anything about it until after work at 6pm (its 11am now).
Am i going to kill off the yeast? can i correct this? should i go buy more yeast?
thanks and sorry for being a noob. cheers
Dude, I think you're fine. It's likely warmed into the 60s by now and the yeast will slowly rouse themselves. You'll likely have airlock activity by the time you get home
you don't need to re-aerate after pitching the yeast BTW