How to brew at 90 degrees inside the house

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Kayos

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It is 90 outside today. The house is still a good temp to brew, but I am thinking about when the summer hits and it is 85 or so inside with the air on where SWMBO let's me keep the fermenters. I am thinking I'll have to keep the fan and wet blanket trick going for the whole 3 weeks of fermentation. I have had a bunch of fun learning to brew the last few months, but with summer coming earlier and earlier, I am wondering if I will have to take a break during the real hot months. I would hate to have a bunch of batches turn out funny tasting because the wort was too warm to ferment correctly.
 
You could build one of these. That's what I use and I ferment in the garage where it's 100+ in summer. Or a converted ice chest which I'll probably do some year so I could try lagering some day. Below is a pic with the top and front off.

027-small.JPG
 
put the fermenter in your tub, put a beach towel around it, turn the faucet to trickle cold water over the primary. Rig up a fan to blow on the primary. The evaporating water will suck heat out of the beer, netting you around 10°F below ambient - possibly more at 90°F. I usually do it when my place hits 80°F during the summer.
 
Like Desertbrew says, build a chiller. They rock for us folks in hot weather places with NO basements. My Kolsch has been sitting pretty at 65 degrees when we have had temps in the house approaching 80 in the last week. I use my Apple Juice jugs for freezing the water.

4569-FermentationChiller2.jpg


4569-FermentationChiller1.jpg
 
EdWort said:
Like Desertbrew says, build a chiller. They rock for us folks in hot weather places with NO basements. My Kolsch has been sitting pretty at 65 degrees when we have had temps in the house approaching 80 in the last week. I use my Apple Juice jugs for freezing the water.

And I threw 12 half gallon jugs out last night...

If anyone's curious how to build what EdWort has, it's called "Son of Fermenter", and you can find it here. I have two, and they're great. I can sustain 45 degree temps for 24 hours before I need to replace the ice, so you can't truly lager, but you can make a cloudy lager if you're not concerned with aesthetics.
 
mmditter said:
Why would you even bother to have the a/c on if you only set it at 85? Isn't that kind of like if your house is burning down and you try to put the fire out by peeing on it?

Well, in Wisconsin, that wouldn't be a very effective strategy.

Comfort level in AC is determined largely by how often the AC runs (thus moving air through the house and taking the humidity out.)

If you live where the air is very dry (like Arizona) and the temps are, say, 100 or above, then the AC is going to run alot to hold the house at 85, and in that dry air, that may be pretty comfortable.

Here in Kansas, we routinely have 100 degree days, and it's alot more humid than Arizona, but not humid like Houston or Atlanta. We keep our AC at 78. It runs most of the time on a hot day and the house is quiote comfortable.
 
I don't know what it costs to build one of those chillers, but an old chest freezer plus a Ranco or Johnson Controls thermostatic controller (about $75?) would be the ultimate solution here.
 
Kayos said:
Thanks for all the help, guys! BTW....what fermenting temp for Belgian's?

Really you should keep them below 75°, but they tend to ferment better at higher temps to get that funky flavor. IDK about 80+ though...
 
cweston said:
I don't know what it costs to build one of those chillers, but an old chest freezer plus a Ranco or Johnson Controls thermostatic controller (about $75?) would be the ultimate solution here.

I know this is quite a simple question, but can a converted chest freezer hold a 65-70 degree temp? I guess if the ambient temp outside the fridge is > than that and you set the Johnson/Ranco for 65-70, then it would, but what if the ambient air temp outside is not (i.e. in winter)? There is no way (no heater) for the freezer to increase temps, correct? I guess you could just brew lagers in winter, but just curious as I've always wondered this but never asked...
 
SilkkyBrew said:
I know this is quite a simple question, but can a converted chest freezer hold a 65-70 degree temp? I guess if the ambient temp outside the fridge is > than that and you set the Johnson/Ranco for 65-70, then it would, but what if the ambient air temp outside is not (i.e. in winter)? There is no way (no heater) for the freezer to increase temps, correct? I guess you could just brew lagers in winter, but just curious as I've always wondered this but never asked...

Correct.

But it's easy to set up a heated brewing chamber in a freezer or other insulated enclosure. You get an in-line heating thermostat (ca $12-15) and wire it up to a porcelain light fixture with a 15 or 25 watt bulb. You can easily hold a temp at least 20 degrees above ambient temp that way. This is what I use for basement fermenting of ales year-round.

I think some of the pricier ranco controllers can be used to conrtol a heating or cooling device--I'm not sure about that.
 
Blender said:
Check out this thread on a Ice Cube cooler conversion. Looks workable.>http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=42533&hl=igloo

Awesome You know a great idea when you think I should have thought of that myself!

I think I'd pop the original lid off and fashion a homemade replacement instead of cutting a hole in the original. But this is one great idea.

Thanks !! :mug:
 
mmditter said:
Why would you even bother to have the a/c on if you only set it at 85? Isn't that kind of like if your house is burning down and you try to put the fire out by peeing on it?

LOL, obviously someone doesn't live where the temps are 110 in the summer....
 
abracadabra said:
I think I'd pop the original lid off and fashion a homemade replacement instead of cutting a hole in the original. But this is one great idea.


I was thinking if you are going to fashion a new top why not use a rectangular cooler that fits two carboys/buckets. They will be a bit shallow but i figure one could make a nice hood for the cooler with that pink insulation board. THats what i was thinking of doing, the ice cubes can only hold one fermenter and i always have two going at any given time.

Any one else thought of doing this? It may just be the same price and effort in making the whole chiller out of that insulation stuff. any thoughts?
 
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