Tuesday I brewed 10 gallons of 1.050 alt. I split it into two 6.5 gallon big mouth bubbler fermenters. I pitched one with a single packet of WLP036 Dusseldorf alt yeast, the second with 2 packets of K97. I then placed both fermenters into a small chest freezer with the temperature set on the controller (so I thought) at 58 to 62°F.
Wednesday morning before I headed out at 8:00 a.m. I checked the temperature controller and saw it was reading 56°. Huh. I must have screwed it up. I opened the lid and saw the K97 fermenter was going great with a nice krausen, while the WLP036 was just starting, as would be expected. I hastily re-set the temperature controller.
When I got home at 3 p.m, I went to check the controller and found that now I had really screwed up the reset, as now it was reading 2°! I unplugged it and opened the lid, and left it open. Basement temperature is around 65°.
This morning I checked the fermenters. K97 is back to full krausen, but no sign of life in the WLP036. How long should I wait to add new yeast to it? One day? Two days? Now? No more WLP036, but I do have a packet of Diamond lager.
Rant, skip if you don’t want to read: I hate the Johnson A421 Digital temperature controller. Every time I use it I have to get the instruction manual out, and the instruction manual is awful. I used to own a Johnson temperature controller that lasted 15 years. Temperature was set with a dial, that was it. Digital controller has all these settings, and I am never sure when it is reset properly until I check it several times and am satisfied I got it right. I will give it credit, once it is set it performs like a champ.
