I think somethings gone wrong!?

[bigdave]

I added the yeast to the FV at 9pm last night. The temp was 18-19 degrees but has dropped to 16 over night. This is what has greeted me this morning:



Surely there should be some activity in there after 11 hours?? What could I have done wrong and how can I get things going?

*EDIT*

Ive read through the thread about brews stalling but dont know if this has stalled or just not started?

[Horatio]

I'm no expert, and better advice will more than likely follow, but I would be inclined to leave it be for a while. If the temp' dropped overnight it will have slowed the yeast down. Try to keep it a bit warmer, maybe wrap an old blanket around it, and it should kick into life within a few hours or so. Also, and I know it's hard not to, but try not to keep looking at as until you have a good head of yeast it will be prone to infection from air contact. Wrap it up, leave it for a good few hours then check it.

Good luck.

[Carpking]

What Horatio said... maybe move it somewhere nearer 20 degrees.

[bigdave]

The only thing I can think that I did wrong was adding the yeast! I didnt know if it should be mixed in of left on the top (I stirred it in)? was this wrong?

[EoinMag]

I always sprinkle my yeast on top, not a problem it gives it more time to rehydrate, fermentation takes anything up to 36 hours to start so don't panic yet, 11 hours in this weather is nothing to worry about really, it's cold and things are sluggish, I'll bet that it'll have a nice head by the morning if not earlier. Once it starts to ferment it will warm up of it's own accord.

[bigdave]

I dont really have anywhere warmer to store it. Could it perhaps be worth buying a fish tank heater?

[Swiller]

My FVs are in my garage which is very cold I have always used Aquarium heaters and wrap the FVs in bubble wrap it works for me, it can be a bit fiddly to set the tempretures on the heaters accurately but with a little patience and a thermometer it can be done.

J

[EoinMag]

I am fermenting in my spare room at the moment which is 18 during the day and 15 at night, once the ferment gets going it's not an issue as it will push the temperature to the 20 mark anyway of it's own accord. If you pitched this in the evening then I'd suggest that what has happened is that you went straight into a cold night before it's started, get through the day today, ferment will start and then continue at night when the temp drops, because it will more than likely have started by then.....

[bigdave]

Well, Ive been to the shops and for £10 I've bought a 50w aquarium heater. The kitchen is still only reaching 16 or 17 so I moved the whole lot into the babies bedroom. Ive set the heater to 20(ish) and left it to it. Ill check on it tomorrow morning and see whats going on.

[EoinMag]

Well, Ive been to the shops and for £10 I've bought a 50w aquarium heater. The kitchen is still only reaching 16 or 17 so I moved the whole lot into the babies bedroom. Ive set the heater to 20(ish) and left it to it. Ill check on it tomorrow morning and see whats going on.

Yeah it should kick off fine at that.

[bigdave]

One thing i was just thinking about (i think far too much) is how the positioning of the heater affects the brew? I wonder if making a small hole in the lid and hanging the heater into the center of the FV would produce a more even heat than using the supplied suckers and sticking it to the FV wall? It may be an experiment for a later date?...

[Ditch]

Dave, what ever ye do, don't go threading that flex through any lids, mate! Been there. Done that. Soon discovered I'm not the masochistic type

Just dump it in, hanging by its wire and leave the lid alone at that point ~ That won't bother ye beer either.

[Ditch]

Aquarium heaters ~ it can be a bit fiddly to set the tempretures on the heaters accurately but with a little patience and a thermometer it can be done.

Once ye have the thing set, leave well alone. Or just chuck them out and buy new, modern ones.

What are ye working with there, Swiller? Separate Heater / Thermostat combo's? Or one of those useless old HeaterStat's with just a poxy little ' + ~ - ' knob on top?

Todays modern ones have a visible, sliding bar control on them. Ye twist a knob and a red sheet moves up and down a temperature chart. I can set mine to 19.50 degrees or 20 degrees, just like that. It's so quick and simple, I sometimes choose a degree higher or lower, just because I can!

[Swiller]

Hi Ditch

I am using all in one heater and stat the adjuster is on the top in the form of a dial. I set the dial to 21c and checked the water temp with a thermometer I know to be right and it read 26c so it was just a matter of turning the dial down until it was at the right temp.
I know Ditch one day I will lift my weary arse into the 21st century and get some modern ones!

J

[bigdave]

Im having completely the opposite problem!

I put the heater in the FV at about lunch time set to 20(ish). Theres one of those adhesive thermometers stuck to the outside of the FV as far away from the heater as possible. Its still reading 15-16 degrees!?! I think the problem lies with the fact that its such a large volume of still liquid its very hard to bring it back up to 18+. The heater seems to be warming the fluid immediately around it and then shutting down which is no good! Should I have it stuck to the side of the FV or just have it loose in there? perhaps 50w isn't powerful enough?