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What's too warm?

PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 4:48 pm
by bjurcina
I just started a double wash. One with turbo classic and the other with triple distilled. 12 hours later the triple distilled has yet to really kick off but the classic is bubbling strong. The problem is that its temperature is up to 32 and I'm concerned that I need to bring it down. Am I right and if so are there any suggestions as how to safely cool it?

Thanks

Re: What's too warm?

PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 5:01 pm
by Jimmy
40 is the killer temp, but conventional wisdom is that cool and slow gets better quality than hot and fast. 17 is the lower limit, but the yeast won't die it just gets suspended. Over 40 and it's dead as a dodo. 32 is perhaps high but if it's just started it'll drop. If you're really concerned you could perhaps put some damp towels onto it or something like that but I wouldn't worry.

Re: What's too warm?

PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 9:30 pm
by bjurcina
Thanks guys. I moved it to a cooler spot and will keep an eye on it.

Re: What's too warm?

PostPosted: Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:02 pm
by bjurcina
OK so now I have the opposite problem. Before it cooled down the Turbo Classic wash stopped bubbling and turned clear. This was just over 24 hrs after it started. The Triple Distilled started bubbling around the same time and is now going strong. I'm thinking the classic died somehow. Temperature did not drop on the classic until bubbling stopped and SG is around 1010. I was a little short on sugar when I mixed the classic and I'm wondering is it possible that it consumed 5kg of corn sugar within the first 24hrs. I added more sugar after it stopped bubbling and moved it to a warmer spot but still nothing. I'm considering adding more yeast.

Any thoughts?

Re: What's too warm?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 1:13 pm
by bjurcina
Thanks Aldanmac

Yes I did add the sugar after it stopped bubbling and that was also when I measured SG. I figured the reading wouldn't be right with the sugar in it but I wasn't sure. I'm still a newbie and along those lines it seems it was still bubbling all along, just not nearly as much as when it started. I checked it today and SG is at .995 so I have to assume its still fermenting. I don't have an air lock so I was just going by what I saw. The liquid had cleared and it didn't bubble unless you disturbed the container. I see now thought that there is the odd bubble surfacing if you watch it long enough.

It just seemed to be boiling one minute and then almost nothing the next. I'll let it brew for a while and see what happens. It does smell like wine as well so everything seems ok for now.

Re: What's too warm?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 31, 2012 9:03 pm
by bjurcina
I can't argue with that. I might pick up a couple tonight just so I can get a better idea of what the wash is actually doing. I actually made the same mistake last time. I thought it was done after a week but when I tried to get it to clear and degass it kept coming back. I seem to be a slow learner. :-[