Fermentation temperature emergency

[Harbey]

Well, probably not an emergency, but a worry. I brewed a simple pale yesterday using S-05. This morning it's bubbling away nicely but the temperature probe has fallen off the side of the FV so, rather than being at the 19C I'd set, the FV is actually at about 22C now I've reattached the probe. At this point, would you keep it set at 19C and bring the temp down? I'm worried this will cause the yeast to stall. Or, keep it at this temperature now and have a slightly more yeasty flavour than hoped for interfering with what was supposed to be a clean hoppy taste? Or go somewhere between the two and hope for the best?

 

[terrym]

You haven't told us whether you are actually controlling the temperature or just measuring it.
Anyway if its only 24 hours in the exotherm from the first part of the fermentation will have raised the temperature a little. Give it a day or so and the exotherm will die away and the temperature will drop
But if you are looking for a clean taste you need to get the temperature down below 20*C if you can, lower if possible.
I dont use s04 but the data sheet says the optimum range is 15-20*C

 

[Harbey]

Yes, temp controlled. And, I mistyped, it was 05 not 04. It was about 5pm last night that I pitched the yeast so its not had long at the higher temp.

 

[Cyberjip]

US-05 should still give you a nice clean fermentation at 22. I would keep it there, shouldn't get any off flavours.

Have you thought about using a thermowell, would stop this sort of accident and also be slightly more precise at measuring the wort temp.

 

[foxy]

I would be setting it lower, the exothermic action of the yeast can be as much as 2 C higher than a probe touching the outside of the fermenter or as much as 8 C higher than ambient temperature. As suggested above a thermowell is a good option and easy to make.

 

[Cyberjip]

You are still well within the temp range for this yeast even if it was a little higher, I prefer to keep it constant rather than moving it up and down to much.

As with all things brewing others will have a different opinion.

 

[Harbey]

Well, I ended up lowering the temp control to 20C - hopefully won't be too much of an issue.

I'd just been thinking about the thermowell as it happens. I'd definitely be going down this route but I've now got a stainless FV and I'm a bit nervous about drilling it. I was thinking I might look into drilling a second hole into the rubber bung if there's enough space.

Anyone gone down any other routes for this?

 

[nixhaz]

For the record I almost always end up with 22C for S-05 and it's yummy. No off flavours.

 

[Harbey]

Thinking about it, I wonder if I could replace the tap on the fermenter with a thermowell? I never use the tap as I prefer to syphon the beer after fermentation and I always worry that the tap is a weak spot for cleaning/sanitising so that would be a double bonus really. Would it be ok to have it at that depth, assuming I can find something of the same size?

 

[Cyberjip]

Thinking about it, I wonder if I could replace the tap on the fermenter with a thermowell? I never use the tap as I prefer to syphon the beer after fermentation and I always worry that the tap is a weak spot for cleaning/sanitising so that would be a double bonus really. Would it be ok to have it at that depth, assuming I can find something of the same size?

What FV do you have?

I would prefer the thermowell to reach as close to the centre of the liquid as possible but I'm not sure it's entirely necessary.

 

[kelper]

Thinking about it, I wonder if I could replace the tap on the fermenter with a thermowell? I never use the tap as I prefer to syphon the beer after fermentation and I always worry that the tap is a weak spot for cleaning/sanitising so that would be a double bonus really. Would it be ok to have it at that depth, assuming I can find something of the same size?

That's a good idea! I don't buy FVs with taps anymore as they can be knocked open or off. But I just put the probe in the water bath. I often use a Tilt soI know that the beer will be warmer than the water bath for the first few days. (I have 33L and 23L FV's and one fits in t'other and I half fill the gap with water and that's where the aquarium heater goes too.

If your probe lead is long enough, you could run it via a blow-off tube instead of an airlock?

 

[Harbey]

What's the thinking on just dropping the Inkbird probe into the wort?

I've got a 30L Klarstein fermentor. Link here.

 

[Harbey]

Having now done a little more Googling, I've realised that my Inkbird has the little black plastic probe but there are plenty of long, stainless ones which look like they'd be a lot better in this situation. I'm assuming these ones (the stainless) could happily just sit in the wort?

 

[Alex.mc]

S05 should be fine at 22c. I've not noticed any off flavours in the past.

 

[kelper]

My Bluetooth thermometer has s/s probes and s/s braided cable, but it's definitely not waterproof. The Inkbird probe is waterproof.

 

[foxy]

Having now done a little more Googling, I've realised that my Inkbird has the little black plastic probe but there are plenty of long, stainless ones which look like they'd be a lot better in this situation. I'm assuming these ones (the stainless) could happily just sit in the wort?

You can use a stainless dip tube down the centre of your fermenter, or cut the cost down and use a piece of silicone tube down the centre,bothe with the ends blocked off. Then just drop your probe down the centre. You could use the hole for the tap if you are confident you can seal the hole where you are fitting the probe. The exothermic action creates pretty strong currents inside the fermenter so the wort is always moving.