How badly have I messed up?

[fizzypish]

Sorry about the essay but the devil is in the details as they say!

Done an all grain brew on Saturday. Blonde pale ale. Everything went perfect (done the same brew 2 weeks ago and I hit my temps and gravities better this time!). Used US-05 dry yeast. Rehydrated it in a sterilised container (same size as a chinese take away tub) with boiled water @ 28 deg cel. Left it for 10 min. Stirred with the thermometer. Left for 5 min (covered at all times) and pitched. Here's where I think I cocked up. The fermentation vessel filled with wort was at around 24 deg cel when I pitched and sealed it up.
I thought the room might have been warm enough so I just left it un insulated and without the thermo stat on. Temp dropped to 14-16 deg. Nothing happened. I did nothing for a day and then stuck the element on. Temp rose to 20 deg cel. About 3 inches of krausten formed
and pressure began to build. That was tuesday. Today (wednesday) pressure is dropping as I can see the water in the bubbler receeding.
I presume when the temp dropped some of the yeast went dormunt so I sterilised a plastic stirrer and stirred up the contents of the fermentor.
I also had an experment in my demijohn where I made a yeast started from some old washed yeast from a brew a couple of months ago. I made it the same day I brewed and I used some wort which I filtered from the grain through an old white shirt after I had finished my sparge. Yeast was refridgerated in a sterile container and the started appeared to take off fine. Is just slowing down today. Poured off the top 1/4 of liquid, shook it up and pitched the rest. Sealed up the container and now I play the waiting game!


What do ye think? Will she ferment? 

[delzep]

Where is the mess up? Looks alright to me

[fizzypish]

I got worried when the pressure began to decrease after the krausten formed. I thought maybe when the temp dropped initially that the majority of the yeast hibernated and their may not have been enough to ferment 22L of beer. It's been in the bucket since saturday and I'm a anxious to get fermentation going properly. If the yeast doesn't consume the wort, something undesirable might. Or maybe I'm wrong and panic'd... Just looking for guidance from the master brewers on this here site!

[Rossa]

Did you take a reading?

[fizzypish]

I brew at home (tipp) but work in Dublin so I had to get my father to pitch the extra yeast and stir it up. I didn't want to bother him with taking a reading as well. I wont touch it till Sunday I'd say. Might take a reading then. Still not bubbling though. Hopefully its just a poor seal somewhere or the lid isn't sitting snugly. Hopefully.....