So my 5 gallon batch has been fermenting away at 68 for the first week (Wyeast 1335, 63-75 temp. range). Over the past two days, the temp has been 64. It is still fermenting slowly but the temps here have been colder in general and my carboy bath is cooling.
Should I try to warm it up a few degrees by circulating some warm water in the bath? Or just relax and have a beer?
;D
I am sure you are fine. Majority of fermentation would have finished in the first week. I’d say let it ride as long as it stays above 60, even lower really.
I’m sure it will be beer. Don’t worry. If it were mine I would let it be then try to be near 68 for the final 48 hrs just for cleanup.
If you know the volume of your water bath you should be able to calculate how much of what temp to add to attain a certain temp. Kind of like decoction
Or drop an aquarium heater into the water bath. You’d want to have a temp controller and a probe in the water, though.
In truth, though, I wouldn’t worry about it much as long as it doesn’t get too cool and drop the yeast before the beer is finished. Maybe take a gravity reading and see where it’s at. If it’s near your expected FG I’d just let it go.
Taking it out of the water bath will add something like 2-3°F depending on humidity.
How’s the gravity? After a week, it’s probably done attenuating, and temperature isn’t as important.
I’m betting your done. Take a hydrometer reading and check your attenuation. I think you’re good.
It’s still bubbling somewhat regularly from the blow-off tube (not Krausen, but CO2), could it be done and still do this?
Technically yes, but probably not. Beer has CO2 in it which can off gas and make bubbles even though it’s done fermenting. But this occurs in two cases. 1 if it’s under pressure and you release the pressure. As in opening a beer. 2 when the temp of the beer increase and that increase makes the CO2 want to come out of solution. So of your beer temp is stable or dropping and there’s bubbling, its not done done. It might be at or neat final gravity, but probably not done.
RDWHAHB
That’s some first world advice…
What was your OG including recipe, and how much yeast did you pitch - starter or pack? I’m betting it’s done (assuming you used enough yeast) and that what you’re seeing is trapped CO2 coming out of suspension and not fermentation proper.
1.068 was the OG, the recipe range was 1.064-1.068. I used a yeast starter with this one.
Update, checked the hydrometer reading this morning and it’s at 1.020! The range on the recipe called for an FG of 1.012-1.018.
Does this mean it will fall a little more into the range or it’s done at the high end?
Take 3 or 4 gravity readings over the same number of days, that will tell you if the beer is done, not what’s written on the recipe/instructions.
I’ll keep checking…after replacing the blow-off tube w. an airlock, I can see that the activity is still pretty constant.
Waiting is almost always the right thing to do.
+1
FINE, I can wait another week (few days) to check again. I’m just anxious to drop in some hops and inch closer to bottling.
Beer doesn’t cater to your wants im afraid, best to set it and forget it for a few weeks.
[quote]Waiting is almost always the right thing to do.
[/quote]
Absolutely correct.