[james1116]

This is my second batch of beer.  The first one went pretty smooth.  My second batch seemed like a comedy of errors.  I brewed a  witbier.  It is this witbier that I have a couple worries/questions about.  After struggling through the brewing process I put 5 gallons of wort in the fermenter and went to bed.  In the morning when I checked on it, it had started fermenting.  A 2 inch head of foam and bubbles through the blow off tube.  Well, its 10 days later and there is still a layer of foam on the wort and I have noticed any bubbles in the last 5 days and the wort has a slight greyish color in it. (the grayish color may be my imagination)  Just wondering if this is normal for a wit?  My second question: I ferment in an unheated garage in a freezer with a heater in it.  Well the heated got unplugged and this morning when I noticed it the temp was down to 40 f.  Is this going to have an adverse effect on the beer?  thanks for any help

James

[tygo]

The temp is likely your main problem.  You've put the yeast to sleep.  Get the temp back up into the low-mid 60's and rouse the yeast and you should be fine.

[james1116]

I probably jumped the gun on this one.  I brought the carboy inside to warm it up and it has been a little over an hour and the temp is up to 60f and I see bubbles coming up from the yeast cake.  Thanks

[tygo]

Might want to give the carboy a gentle swirl or two to get the yeast back up into suspension.  Glad it cooking again for you. 

[euge]

My second batch seemed like a comedy of errors.

Been there brother. It gets better. And worse.

Belgian yeast are funny critters. I didn't brew a Wit but a Saison a while back. I pitched at 90F and let it rip with no control. A great deal of the yeast never dropped out but remained... cork-like and bobbing on the surface of the beer. The Saison was a hit.