Hey all,
I'm on my fourth batch of beer, first time posting here, and I'm wondering if you guys (and girls) can help me out...
So I brewed a batch two nights ago, Amber Ale extract recipe from Northern Brewer with Wyeast 1056 liquid yeast (didn't have time for a starter this time). I didn't get enough ice at the store so my wort wasn't cooling fast enough, but it got to be 11 pm and I had to go to bed so I ended up pitching around 78* (I know it was too high but, hey, I had work). Anyway, when I woke up 8 hours later it was still 78, so I wrapped the carboy in a wet towel, blasted the AC, and managed to get it down to around 72 by the time I got home from work. Morning #2 (about 36 hours after pitching), I moved the carboy to a water bath with a little bit ice, wrapped it in a wet t-shirt, and got it down to about 64-66, by the time I got home from work today.
From what I've read on here, the higher-than-ideal temp during the first 24-36 hrs probably didn't hurt the beer too much because the yeast wasn't in alcohol production stage yet, so it shouldn't have produced much off-flavors (phenols?). What I'm worried about now, though, is whether I shocked my yeast by dropping the temp so much.
It was a fairly gradual drop (78-72 from ~0-15 hrs, 72 from ~15-33 hrs, 72-65 from ~33-38 hrs), but it was still about 13 degrees overall, which I know is a lot. The yeast seems to be doing fine (still bubbling steadily at hour 48) but I'm wondering if the temp shock is going to produce off-flavors--or, worse, stall my yeast? I happen to have some more 1056 in the fridge; should I make a starter now in preparation for it stalling? Or should I just chill out and see how it goes?
P.S. I have a hydrometer but my wine thief is broke. Any tips on how to pull beer from a carboy without one?
Thanks for any advice you can give! Love this forum! :rockin:
Mike
I'm on my fourth batch of beer, first time posting here, and I'm wondering if you guys (and girls) can help me out...
So I brewed a batch two nights ago, Amber Ale extract recipe from Northern Brewer with Wyeast 1056 liquid yeast (didn't have time for a starter this time). I didn't get enough ice at the store so my wort wasn't cooling fast enough, but it got to be 11 pm and I had to go to bed so I ended up pitching around 78* (I know it was too high but, hey, I had work). Anyway, when I woke up 8 hours later it was still 78, so I wrapped the carboy in a wet towel, blasted the AC, and managed to get it down to around 72 by the time I got home from work. Morning #2 (about 36 hours after pitching), I moved the carboy to a water bath with a little bit ice, wrapped it in a wet t-shirt, and got it down to about 64-66, by the time I got home from work today.
From what I've read on here, the higher-than-ideal temp during the first 24-36 hrs probably didn't hurt the beer too much because the yeast wasn't in alcohol production stage yet, so it shouldn't have produced much off-flavors (phenols?). What I'm worried about now, though, is whether I shocked my yeast by dropping the temp so much.
It was a fairly gradual drop (78-72 from ~0-15 hrs, 72 from ~15-33 hrs, 72-65 from ~33-38 hrs), but it was still about 13 degrees overall, which I know is a lot. The yeast seems to be doing fine (still bubbling steadily at hour 48) but I'm wondering if the temp shock is going to produce off-flavors--or, worse, stall my yeast? I happen to have some more 1056 in the fridge; should I make a starter now in preparation for it stalling? Or should I just chill out and see how it goes?
P.S. I have a hydrometer but my wine thief is broke. Any tips on how to pull beer from a carboy without one?
Thanks for any advice you can give! Love this forum! :rockin:
Mike