[Iliff Ave]

I pitched a pack of S04 into about 72F wort. I put the fermenting bucket in an ice batch and was able to get the temp down to 64F within 4 hours. Airlock activity was visible under 18 hours and is chugging along at 65F 24 hours later.

Is there anything I should be worried about with this process? I realize it would have made more sense to pitch the yeast after the wort had chilled however I just wanted to be done with it. I have found this strain to give off some funky flavors in the high 60s for some reason so I try to keep in the low-mid 60s.

I am used to US05 which is very forgiving. Not so much for S04 in my opinion...

[flbrewer]

IMO, I don't think that's too warm. When I've had issues (albeit with S05) it's been pitched in the 80's.

[Iliff Ave]

I am more worried about any effects from dropping the temp after pitching. I realize that if I fermented at 72F I would be in trouble but just curious if temp change will noticeably affect the character of this yeast in this circumstance.

[Stevie]

I'm sure it will be fine.

[HoosierBrew]

+2.  No worries. I've done that before in the past. You wouldn't want to wait until you get healthy krausen activity to drop temp that much, but 4 hrs shouldn't give you any issue.

[Iliff Ave]

That's what I was thinking. I was just impatient since my chiller is very inefficient in the summer.

I am just paranoid. I have had this yeast do weird things in the past but have also made some good beers with it. The weird things were likely related to operator error...

[HoosierBrew]

I was just impatient since my chiller is very inefficient in the summer.

Here's what I've done in the past in the summer - freeze 4 or 5 (20oz ) water bottles, cool with your chiller until it cools to ~ its limit (ground water temp), remove the chiller, and add the sanitized frozen bottles. You'll need to stir to keep a steady temp reading. It'll get you a few extra degrees of cooling. I've cooled to 60 or 62F this way.

EDIT - You need to be sure to remove the chiller when it hits its limit though, because at that point the steady temp going through the coils is actually resisting/slowing down your cooling the wort any further.

[Iliff Ave]

Gotcha. I am currently using that method to control fermentation temperatures in a water bath. When it hits 66F, I put in a frozen water bottle. When it hits 64F, I take it out.

I should probably use it to get it to pitching temps. Thanks for the suggestion.

[HoosierBrew]

I am currently using that method to control fermentation temperatures in a water bath. When it hits 66F, I put in a frozen water bottle. When it hits 64F, I take it out.

+1. I did that for years. It works pretty well when you can budget time to monitor and change bottles.

[Iliff Ave]

Totally. I work from home for now so luckily it isn't a problem currently...