Primary Temperature was too low for one night, any worries?

[nwine]

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I made a Winexpert Riesling last night. The bucket fermometer read 73 degrees on the nose when we reached the full 6 gallon volume and 1.085 gravity. We pitched the dry yeast, sealed it up and stuck it in the basement.

Well, this morning (roughly 12 hours later), the bucket was reading 65 degrees. I grabbed it and took it to a closet on the second floor where the temperature is around 72-73 degrees.

Do I have anything to worry about stuck fermentation?

 

[ibglowin]

No worries. That 65 is actually just fine for a white. It will take longer to ferment but whites are better with a cooler ferment. Should be fine either way. The warmer the temp the more vigorous the ferment will be in most cases using EC1118

 

[nwine]

Hmm, okay good. Well then let me ask; would it be better to be at the cooler 65, 66 degrees? Should I stick it back into the basement??

 

[ibglowin]

It will be just fine either way. If this is your first kit you may wish to keep it upstairs and a little warmer. Once you have more experience with fermentations and you can spot things that do not seem quite right you can try a cool ferment. You probably don't want to be hauling it up and down the stairs. Thats where accidents happen.

 

[DoctorCAD]

Also, why is it "sealed up"? Loosen the lid or drape a towel over the bucket.

 

[nwine]

Well it's got a lid with an airlock

 

[ibglowin]

It's usually safe to just lay the lid on top until fermentation slows down and the SG is around 1.03 or so. Then snap the lid and add the airlock. Fermentation is so vigorous for the first 2-5 days and CO2 is pouring out that there is no need to worry about air as the wine and headspace are full of CO2.

 

[montanaWineGuy]

My wine fermenting environment is as random as it is extreme. You've little to worry about.

 

[nwine]

Yeah I see I have a leak. The airlock is doing nothing but it smells like wine around the bucket. The temperature is reading 79 so I put it in the basement to cool down.

 

[nwine]

So I moved it downstairs and it's now at 74 and the airlock is bubbling. Do i have anything to worry about with 79 degrees for a day???

 

[nwine]

It was a 79 when I checked it this morning

 

[ibglowin]

No, just keep it downstairs in the cooler temps, give it a stir once a day and let her go. Check the SG in a few days to see where it is at.

 

[2020steve]

Leave it down stairs and do not move it around any more, the lees are starting to drop and settle at the bottom and you will be surprised with the SG readings at 7 days. Be patient it takes a lot longer to make wine then drinking it.

 

[PhilDarby]

In two words "no worries"

 

[Boatboy24]

So I moved it downstairs and it's now at 74 and the airlock is bubbling. Do i have anything to worry about with 79 degrees for a day???

Not at all.

 

[heatherd]

It will be fine. Yeast can tolerate a range of temperatures. You can check online to find the range for the one you have used.