Will a little warmer temps hurt?

I live in south texas it's hard keeping anything at 76 degrees or below during the summer.

My office has it's own AC so I should be able to keep it close, but I'm wondering if the temperature gets up to 78ish for a few hours in the middle of the day does that do significant damage?

Any summer time tricks to maintaining temperatures that doesn't require insane electric bills?

Do you have the ability to get a chest freezer? You can ferment in that. I got one off Craig's list for about $60 added a temperature controller and it has worked perfectly!

I haven't tried this yet but some folks put the carboy in a tub of water and wrap it in a towel or old sheet. Put the bottom of the sheet in the water so it wicks up around your beer. I've also heard of people using fan with this method to promote the wicking effect.

Think of it like sweating, when you sweat in the summer the breeze evaporates it and cools you down. Works for beer too!

Another trick I've read but haven't tried is to place the carboy in water like before and keep rotating frozen bottles of water in and out of the bath a few times a day...

Also, I didn't even answer one of your original questions. Higher temps are something I've had trouble with before and, depending on the yeast, can produce off flavors.

I had an ale that I let go at around 76 and it turned out having a banana flavor. This was caused by esters released by my yeast at high temps. Green apple is another common flavor released from high temperatures.

Keep in mind that the fermentation temperature of your beer could be as much as 10 degrees higher than the ambient temp of the room due to the exothermic reaction it creates.

I have a freezer in my office (which is actually a converted garage)

Problem is I need it as a freezer. Though I may be able to switch to a fridge/freezer combo then temp control the fridge if that's even possible.

There is also the problem of having no idea how to install a temperature controller heh

Yes, warmer temps will hurt. If it gets up to 78 degrees ambient, your wort could be 8-10 degrees higher than that. This will stress out the yeast and cause quite a few off flavors that can make it almost undrinkable sometimes. Do yourself a favor and just get a big tupperware container (the kind that you would pack stuff up for moving or storage, big enough to put your carboy or fermentation bucket in), put your primary vessel in there and fill it up to the level of the wort and cycle frozen water bottles or ice packs out to keep it around the mid sixties. Quick easy and cheap, works like a charm. I had the same problem when i lived in florida and once i found out about doing that (swamp cooler), it's made a world of difference in the flavor of my beer. hope that helps and works out for you.

Yeah, a swamp cooler is cheap and really easy. It will cut the temp by at least 5 degrees, so your 76ish ambient should be OK with one.

http://billybrew.com/swamp-cooler-homebrew

beer_30 said:

There is also the problem of having no idea how to install a temperature controller heh

Click to expand...

Installation is a 4-step process:

1.) Plug freezer into temperature controller.
2.) Plug temperature controller into wall.
3.) Dangle thermometer probe inside freezer or taped to carboy.
4.) Turn dial on controller to desired temperature.

Granted, if you go the STC-1000 route, it involves getting your hands a little dirty and connecting some wires yourself, but I just have my fermentation chamber (read: chest freezer) hooked up to a simple dial-based controller like the one I described above. It works great.

Sent from a ship in the mid-Atlantic using Morse code

76 is definitely too warm. The fermentation process can add 5-10 degrees. A swamp cooler is the cheapest route but requires you to monitor and change ice bottles frequently.

You cannot put a controller on a fridge/freezer and still freeze. The sections are not separated in the cooling system.

A Johnson A419 controller among others. Plug the freezer into the controller, the controller to the wall. Tape the sensor to the fermenter (you want to control the temperature of the wort, not the air temperature in the freezer).

Fermentation temperature control is one of the best ways to improve the flavor of your beers.

kombat said:

Installation is a 4-step process:

1.) Plug freezer into temperature controller.
2.) Plug temperature controller into wall.
3.) Dangle thermometer probe inside freezer or taped to carboy.
4.) Turn dial on controller to desired temperature.

Granted, if you go the STC-1000 route, it involves getting your hands a little dirty and connecting some wires yourself, but I just have my fermentation chamber (read: chest freezer) hooked up to a simple dial-based controller like the one I described above. It works great.

Sent from a ship in the mid-Atlantic using Morse code

Click to expand...

that's easy enough. Any recommendations on temperature controller?

That's correct, but I'd recommend using a chest freezer instead of a conventional refrigerator. In my experience, a chest freezer better accomodates a carboy than a refrigerator, with less wasted space (like the aforementioned freezer on top rendered useless).

If you cant use a water bath to keep it cold, which is the cheapest option, your next cheapest option is something like the Cool Brewing bag.
https://www.cool-brewing.com/

I think there's a forum post here about it somewhere and a lot of people seem to like it. Its a bit expensive at $60 + shipping but if you dont have room for a fridge/freezer, and cant just keep giant tubs of water laying around due to kids its the best next thing.

Throw your beer in, throw in a few ice packs or frozen bottles of water, seal it up and watch the temps to determine how often you need to add ice. In reality its only the first 72 hours that really matter in the fermentation, although you should do your best to keep it cool if it starts going up a few degree's after the main fermentation push your probably ok.

The temps your listing though(75+) are way way too hot and you will end up with foul beer.

beer_30 said:

that's easy enough. I assume that's not going to allow me to have a freezer on top though?

Click to expand...

Unfortunately not. A fridge\freezer uses one compressor and the plug in temp controller will control when the compressor kicks on and turns off.

beer_30 said:

I live in south texas it's hard keeping anything at 76 degrees or below during the summer.

My office has it's own AC so I should be able to keep it close, but I'm wondering if the temperature gets up to 78ish for a few hours in the middle of the day does that do significant damage?

Any summer time tricks to maintaining temperatures that doesn't require insane electric bills?

Click to expand...

Im in central Tex,,, so understand the wort chilling and fermentation temp control issues you have.

.. it will make beer with what you describe.. but I'll bet, it'll make beer your not going to like much or at all.

There are hundreds of ways to control temps...and they are described in thousands of differences a ways in this one forum alone.


The freezer to ferm chamber is in my opinion the best way, if you have the room for it.. Cheap, easy to convert, full control and very little fussing with it from wort in to beer out weeks later.

The "Swamp cooler" with or without pump with or without ice is another popular.

But in my opinion, way more work to keep a consistent temp then worth... but for sure, better then no effort at all to control temps.

Used or new freezer, STC1000 controller, few items to build the controller and a bit of time to put it all together...And you have a Temp controlled, for both heat and cooling (before you say.."But im in texas.. no need for a heater" I have my Ferm Chamber in a spare bedroom of the house...and the heater has been on for days not to maintain proper temps for two batches I have in there...it's just too darn cold otherwise)

I live in Phoenix and have had great success with the water bath method. cost was $5 (got the tub with rope handles from walmart) and i easily keep my fermentation temps 60-66 degress with amazing control just by dropping in 1-2 frozen 2 liter bottles. once a day.

Thanks a lot guys. Glad I asked before I started brewing my first because even though it's cold now it's 76 in my office

Higher temps??? Sounds like it's time to make a saison with wyeast 3724!