Looking for re-assurance

[Rbeckett]

Brewed a Hanks Hefe in the rain Saturday, when I got up Sunday morning it was bubbling nicely. I let it remain ambient temp until this morning and put it into the ferm chamber at 14.5 degrees C ( about 58 F) It seems like the bubbling has almost completely stopped. Is it possible I shocked the yeast goin from ambient of 24.1 to cooled 14.5 too fast? I know the RDWAHB motto, but it seems so abrupt that I was wondering if I should have lowered it to an intermediate temp and to the final temp in smaller steps. This is the maiden voyage of the Keezerator fermamongous I built from a used freezer so I am just a tad concerned I might have hurt my yeasties. Experts, whattya think....
Wheelchair Bob

 

[beaksnbeer]

Still fermenting just not a vigorous as at warm temps. You'll be fine wait til you try your first lager

 

[homebrewdad]

Odds are, it's totally fine. Colder temps = slower fermentation. If you are concerned, let it warm a couple of degrees.

Of course, the only way to know is to take a gravity reading.

 

[tacks]

I can't put my fermenters on the floor here in Metro Detroit because the concrete is a steady 56-59 degrees F depending on the season. Get it up off the floor if that's where it's at, and another thing many of us do (especially to keep light out of our fermenting beers) is put a towel around it or a coat on the carboy. Insulation is your friend when fermenting. temperature fluctuations of 10 deg. F or more in a 24 hour period are enough to make many yeasts go dormant, which is only half of what you described (24.1 to 14.5C is roughly 18F fluctuation). Like the others said: warm it up. If it doesn't start back up in 24-48 hours, you might consider repitching. Happy brewing, hope it turns around for you!

 

[Rbeckett]

Upped the temp to 16.0 Degrees C from 14. Bubbling had stopped completely and it could not possibly have fermented out already. So I raised the temp 2 and will see if the yeast rouse and finish the job or I can repitch in 24-36 hours to give the temp change time to take effect. The slow down was pretty abrupt and the keezer is a converted freezer so the shelves get way colder than a normal fridge since the cooling coils run through the shelves and I tend to think stepping the temp down in the future may be the most appropriate way to approach temp changes in this system. It is the maiden voyage of lower temp fermenting, so there are going to be hitches and starts in the learning curve.

Wheelchair Bob

 

[unionrdr]

It's better to start at a low temp & raise it up then the other way around. Keeps the yeasties working better.

 

[bjkgnsnhs]

Odds are, it's totally fine.

 

[Rbeckett]

Went to the Fermentis site and re-read the spec sheet. I am an idiot. it says 12.4 to24 and ideal is 18. so I set the temp up to 18 and I have seen bubbles start out of the airlock again. I guess I need to re-read the instructions more thouroughly and quit assuming I am remembering what I read correctly. You know the mind is a terrible thing when wasted....

Wheelchair Bob

 

[unionrdr]

At least,as I get older,I realize it's not just me havin brain farts on occasion....

 

[beaksnbeer]

Urrr? forgot what were talking about

 

[Rbeckett]

Unionrdr farted? Or something about old brains,,,,,I think

WCB

 

[unionrdr]

I was remembering that old military movie about top gun or other. He was in the CO's office,discussion about his forgetting something. CO accused him of a "brain fart" in HIS office. Hence my use of the term,brain fart. Easy to do as we get older...:smack: