Fermentation temps for S-04

[Happydad1689]

I have used s04 before and had good luck with low temps, but i am wondering if my garage is too cold right now? My thermometer reads 15c (59f) It is my thermometer sitting in a shelf.....I don't have a way to check otherwise.

I have a clear carboy and I see it is fermenting, it is swirling around like crazy, it's just not as rapid as I have seen before.

What do you think? Should I bring it in the house where it is 69f?

 

[mongoose33]

I'd leave it where it is. Yeast is exothermic, meaning it produces heat during fermentation. It can raise the temp 5-10 degrees above ambient.

I typically ferment S-04 at 64 degrees. But I'll do that in a ferm chamber which will cool down the yeast as necessary. Your situation in the garage would bother me not at all.

Do you have any way to measure the wort temp? A stick-on fermometer, say, or a thermometer probe pressed against the fermenter by a piece of foam secured by a bungee cord? That way you'd know.

 

[9Kegs]

I have used s04 before and had good luck with low temps, but i am wondering if my garage is too cold right now? My thermometer reads 15c (59f) It is my thermometer sitting in a shelf.....I don't have a way to check otherwise.

I have a clear carboy and I see it is fermenting, it is swirling around like crazy, it's just not as rapid as I have seen before.

What do you think? Should I bring it in the house where it is 69f?

I like S-04 but I always ferment at lower ideal temps using a thermowell and a controller within my carboy. As long as your over night low temps do not get too cold and stall progress I would let it ride. Fermentation produces heat while very active. Ideal temp for the yeast is 59 - 68 F .

 

[Silver_Is_Money]

S-O4 would taste nasty at 69 degrees. I think it tastes nasty at 64 degrees.

 

[RM-MN]

You should bring it into the house when that swirling slows down or stops. As long as it is swirling it is fermenting but it may stop before the cleanup phase is done at that temperature.

 

[Happydad1689]

I ended up bringing it in, here is a pic. This is the first time with a clear carboy.

I suppose it looks good.

 

[mongoose33]

Looks normal, though the lower temps are slowing it down a bit. What you might want to do is make sure the fermenter is covered; you don't want to get a light-struck beer being exposed to sunlight or fluourescent light. Drape a dark towel or blanket or some such over it.

 

[Happydad1689]

Looks normal, though the lower temps are slowing it down a bit. What you might want to do is make sure the fermenter is covered; you don't want to get a light-struck beer being exposed to sunlight or fluourescent light. Drape a dark towel or blanket or some such over it.

Yes, I got it covered. I’ve wondered about the yeast I pitched. My old brew store sold prepackaged yeast. (11.5 g) the new store does it bulk (20g) I pitched half as it’s about 4 gal. Do you think I should pitch the rest or leave it?

It’s been so long I’m unsure of myself

 

[mongoose33]

Yes, I got it covered. I’ve wondered about the yeast I pitched. My old brew store sold prepackaged yeast. (11.5 g) the new store does it bulk (20g) I pitched half as it’s about 4 gal. Do you think I should pitch the rest or leave it?

It’s been so long I’m unsure of myself

You're fine. Just leave it be. You're going to have beer when you're done.