temp variations & FG reading unchanged

[ADAM]

Hi guys,
Great site...and i need a bit of advice...started a brew (and accidentally let it get too hot (above 28C) for couple of days ...very active bubbling but when i reduced temp (got as low as 16-18C) it has stopped altogether. The FG reading has been on 1018 for 2 days now with no activity. Have had in fermenter for 5 days so far!
What should i do?
1.Reactivate with some more yeast (and maintain constant temp around 20-21C). will this affect taste?
2. Wait as the drop in temp will cause the brew to take longer to reach a lower FG reading? how long...12-14 days?
3. simply warm up the fermenter to a constnat 20-22C and do nothing else?
4. Assume the foetal position and lament how badly i brew (try to) brew beer!

[Gough]

Adam,

Don't panic! What was the original gravity of your brew? If it is a high gravity brew then 1018 may be OK. If not, then my advice is to gently swirl the beer by rocking the fermenter - try not to splash and bubble too much - and if you like, raise the temp to 20. Given the high temp, quick fermentation and then sudden temp drop, your yeasties are probably just feeling a bit stressed and having a bludge on the bottom of your fermenter. Gently waking them up will probably get them going again, assuming your gravity was always likely to drop lower. If you post your OG and recipe I might be able tobe a bit more specific.

Good luck,

Shawn.

[ADAM]

Thanks Shaun,

The OG was 1042
Its a masterbrew recipe from Grumpy's Brauhaus in Hahndorf SA.
Boston cream ale if i remember. bolied contents on stove for 15-20 mins...added hops near the end, cooled and added to fermenter. (thru a strainer)

got yeast bubbling in tepid water beforehand and had become quite active by the time (20mins) i pitched it in! I would assume an ale yeast variety that came with the malt!

its still quite cloudy when i siphon some off to take a reading so i assume it would be better to leave it? but for how long? would another week be ok?
thanks again for you help!

[Gough]

Adam,

If the OG was 1042 and you are using a decent dried yeast such as Safale or even the Coopers yeasts then you would expect better attenuation than a 1018 finish. Rousing should do the trick and a little more time at a temp under 22 won't hurt. The cloudiness is probably spent/dormant yeast and trub from the bottom of your fermenter if you are taking readings from the tap. Don't sweat it - the beer above will probably be much clearer. I would hope for a reading closer to 1010-1012 as a finishing point, but this is only an estimate, not gospel. Try and rouse your yeast as I suggested and give it a little more time. Are you able to rack your beer into another fermenter? If so, then I'd rack in a few days as this can also sometimes help rouse the yeast. If not then I wouldn't leave it for much more than another week before bottling. Another week at reasonable temps won't hurt - in fact it will help - but another 2 or 3 weeks on the original yeast cake may lead to problems with autolysis (vegimitey flavour - pretty yucky). If all else fails and in 5-7days time after trying to rouse the yeast etc. it is not budging from 1018 you can always bottle with less priming sugar than normal to avoid potential bottle bombs, but I think you'll find it'll come good. Try and keep your ale temps below 24 in future (18-22 is generally ideal), and try and keep them stable. Your yeast will thank you!

Good luck,

Shawn.

[Nathan]

Hi guys, First time post. Just discovered this site and have already found it very helpful. Straight on my favourites list. I am a new brewer, I just put on my second batch last night. The first is a Cascade Draught Spicy Ghost which has been bottled for a week. I put on a Cascade Pale Ale last night but accidently left the heater on and the brew belt on. The result was vigorous bubbling this morning and a temp of 28 degrees. I have had everything off today and the temp has cooled to 24 and will cool further overnight, stabalising at 20-22 degrees. Its still bubbling away. The OG was 1040 and is about 1032 now. Is this major change in temperature likely to give a nasty taste?
I'm really enjoying this brewing caper and looking forward to trying heaps of different recipes. Thanks for your help.

[Gough]

Don't worry too much about it. You might get some slightly cidery falvours from that high a temp but it should still be quite a good brew everything else being equal. Temp is important but not something to lose any sleep over, especially when you are starting out. Aim for lower temps and temp stability as one way of improving future brews. As long as you like what you're brewing it doesn't really matter what anyone else thinks anyway... One of the good things about this hobby!

Shawn.