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Rich711 · 12-09-2011, 05:09 PM

Hi fellow brewers.

I am still fairly new at this, one batch finished, a second batch conditioning in the bottles and a third batch sitting in the secondary fermenter.

I have a temperature problem in the winter, my basement gets very cold and a good part of my house gets quite cold. I am an expatriated yooper, so the cold temps were no problem for me until the long winter came after I started brewing.

My home does have some warm spots, but that necessitates moving the beer around and up and down stairs for fermentation and carbonation. In the addition to having to lug the brew pales and carboys around, this situation also has the disadvantage of causing my brew to get churned up at just at the wrong times like just before transfer to the secondary fermenter or just before bottling.

I hope to put the entire operation in the basement, but that will be a project requiring a fair amount of cash and time.

Any ideas on how to circumvent this problem, other then waiting for the spring?

Rich

hopsalot · 12-09-2011, 05:12 PM

Brew belt and blankets

Brew Belt : Northern Brewer

Polboy · 12-09-2011, 05:20 PM

my question is how cold is cold?

solbes · 12-09-2011, 05:27 PM

At the point you're at a fermenation chamber may not be the best bet for you. But if you're serious about the hobby and are in for the long haul it might be an excellent option. You need to find a mini fridge thats large enough to accommodate a primary fermentor. Often you can get these cheap (or free in my case). That will obviously cool. Something like a seed germination mat will heat (I had one already). You then need a two stage digital controller allowing it to control cooling or heating (I have a A419 from Johnson controls, $80).

Now you can ferment at whatever temp you want. Lagers in the summer. Ales in winter. No restrictions, just some $$.

Brew belt will work too, but I wanted to be able to brew in the summer which I could not this past year.

**BrewerinBR** · 12-09-2011, 05:39 PM

My house is cold as well, unless you are close to one of the wood stoves. I use the basement fermenter for lager (48f) this time of year, and the bathroom closet for ales. The bathroom closet is right behind the furnace room (propane runs at night) so it stays fairly constant... about 60 to 63F a little low and slow so I leave them for 28 days at least.
So beyond the brew belt and blankets, find the most place with the most consistent temperature and leave them there.
Good Luck

JMcC76 · 12-09-2011, 05:54 PM

Like Hopsalot said, a brew belt would be your cheapest and quickest option.
Brew Belt : Northern Brewer

**1MadScientist** · 12-09-2011, 05:56 PM

I think any used chest or upright freezer, unpluged as a chamber, a heating pad and a temp controller.

BREWER'S EDGE® SPACE HEATER @ Williams Brewing

You can get heating pads a pet stores too, I understand.

**Pappers_** · 12-09-2011, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cciszew

my question is how cold is cold?

This is the key question.

**stratslinger** · 12-09-2011, 06:06 PM

a short, yet shameless plug of one of my own threads

Particularly if you're a bit handy and like building things, a fermentation chamber can definitely be a fun little project that can, as solbes pointed out, let you ferment at any temperature year round...

I just finally added a heating element to mine, and couldn't be happier with the results thus far for both heating and cooling fermenters!

TyTanium · 12-09-2011, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pappers_

This is the key question.

+1 If you're in the low 60's, you're good to go for most ale yeasts. Personally, I wouldn't add heat till you drop to the 50's.