Does stirring the fermenting beer in order to help cool it off from 70 to 67 hurt the yeast. Keep in mind it was stirred up gently at high krousen . It was not shaken just gently rocked back and forth in order to help mix it up in a small water bath. I’m not looking to refine my methods just want to know if disturbing the yeast at there peek will hurt them, i.e. cause detrimental effect. Thanks for any opinions.
I doubt you hurt it. I wouldn’t worry about it getting to 70 in the first place though. If you don’t want the temp that high just make note of it and correct it on the next batch.
During active fermentation when the yeast is still using dissolved oxygen the stirring/mixing will not be a problem.
I use a 7.5 inch deep restaurant bussing tray for my fermentor cooling or heating. It is surprising how fast adding either warmer or cooler water will change the temperature of the fermenting wort just due to the heat transfer to the added water.
When actively fermenting your beer is doing a pretty good job of stirring itself.
Yes it does.
I lived in Fallon for about 18 months in the late 90s.
The question concerned cooling the wort not stirring up the yeast. Active fermentation produces heat.
Navy?
Understood, and the natural movement of the beer during active fermentation aids in dispersing heat into the surrounding water just as rocking would. My point was just that and not about rousing the yeast.
I regularly shake my fermentor during primary to rouse the yeast that may have settled. Is the consensus that I should not be doing that?
The ale yeast seam to work hard making that beer and destroying there floating city 72 hrs in seam to me may have some sort of effect on the yeast. I’m over thinking again but without the over thinkers out there where would we be," don’t answer that". So I say again, does stiring up the fermentation vessel at the peek of activity harm or change the outcome of the beer.?
Seems like you answered your own question. I’d leave it alone. If you don’t like the fermentation temperature document your procedure and adjust a variable on the next batch.
The only time I would “stir” a fermenter post-pitch would be to rouse the yeast on a stalled fermentation. I would rock the carboy gently, rather than shake it.
If I wanted to cool the fermenter, I’d add ice or cold water to the water bath.
Keep in mind that dropping the temp on ale yeasts could cause them to floc out. Letting the temp rise as fermentation finishes is fine to do.