Is it ok to drop my fermentation temperature?

[Adam Sparks]

Just a quick question regarding temps.

 

I recently got a fridge and heat pad hooked up to a controller, however I have the probe just sitting on top of my fermenter in the fridge, two days into the ferment I notice that my fermenter is reading 22 degrees but the ambient fridge temp is stable at 18. So I see now that having the probe in the beer is a better option.

 

Question is.... Am I going to cause more harm than good by popping the probe into the fermenter and dropping the temp down to 18? Or should I just leave it be and remember for next time? yeast is wyeast 1056

[Ralph]

i have the probe of my thermostat stuck to the outside of my fermentor, with some closed cell foam over the top. It seems to work ok and I think that having closed cell foam insulating the probe from the ambient air temp means it will be getting a reasonably good reading of the actual temperature of the liquid in the fermentor. I have the probe attached about half way up the fermentor so I am taking the middle temperature.

 

By the way, are you sure that the thermometer on your fermentor and the thermometer on your thermostat give the same reading at the same temperature?? It may be that at 18 degrees the fermentor thermometer reads 22 deg??

 

If it was me, I would stick the thermostat probe to the outside of your fermentor with something to insulate it over the top.

[Tom C]

I have one of those stick-on digital thermometers on the side of the fermenter and it consistantly reads 4-6 degrees warmer than the thermostat probe in the same spot (insulated with foamsimilar to Ralph's).  I'd definitely trust the probe reading over the coloured strip.

[Adam Sparks]

Yeah its measured against a stick on thermometer, so Ill trust the probe and let it do its thing... thanks