Sad day...no brewing until fall

Getting my basement finished, which is where my fermenting space is/was. stayed a perfect 64 all year round. constrcution startes today and with all the dust and light, i have decided to suspend brewing for the summer. i could do a saison upstairs somewhere but the 2 year old and/or dog would get into it. i guess i will update some equipment. ordered parts to turn my keg into a keggle.

If there's ever a time to take a brewing hiatus, it's the summertime.

JohnnyO said:

If there's ever a time to take a brewing hiatus, it's the summertime.

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Funny, I feel the same way about winter.

brewingmeister said:

Funny, I feel the same way about winter.

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Depends on whether the middle of nowhere is North of the 39th parallel or not...

If you freeze anything you brew in the winter or can't get wort to boil... its tough to brew. Down where I'm at, ferm temps get HIGH in the summer.

JohnnyO said:

If there's ever a time to take a brewing hiatus, it's the summertime.

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Yeah I feel your pain. I want to brew, but I just can't maintain a decent fermentation temp. I can run a swamp cooler for a few days, maybe a week, but I'm just not going to carry ice bottles everyday for 3-4 weeks. My house will hold at about 73 in the basement, but I don't know what ale yeast will do well that high. Got a saison out in the garage, but that is about it.

cox8611 said:

ferm temps get HIGH in the summer.

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Sure and I've dealt with 118 in the shade but when your hose line freezes it hinders the progress.

brewingmeister said:

Funny, I feel the same way about winter.

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I agree. It just gets too damn cold to stand outside all day. Plus the outside water lines really complicates things.

befus said:

Yeah I feel your pain. I want to brew, but I just can't maintain a decent fermentation temp. I can run a swamp cooler for a few days, maybe a week, but I'm just not going to carry ice bottles everyday for 3-4 weeks. My house will hold at about 73 in the basement, but I don't know what ale yeast will do well that high. Got a saison out in the garage, but that is about it.

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swamp cooler in my 77 degree house (carboy wrapped in two wet towels in bucket of water with cheap box fan blowing on it) is at a steady 63*F according to the fermometer stuck on the outside

befus said:

Yeah I feel your pain. I want to brew, but I just can't maintain a decent fermentation temp. I can run a swamp cooler for a few days, maybe a week, but I'm just not going to carry ice bottles everyday for 3-4 weeks. My house will hold at about 73 in the basement, but I don't know what ale yeast will do well that high. Got a saison out in the garage, but that is about it.

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Why do brewer's put themselves through this? For less than $100 you can buy a used fridge and a temp controller to keep a 65 F fermentation chamber winter or summer!

This has been the best investment I have ever made for brewing. No more constantly checking temps to make sure your beer isn't too hot or cold...just set the temp, insert your fermenter(s) and forget it for 3 weeks.

Jayhem said:

Why do brewer's put themselves through this? For less than $100 you can buy a used fridge and a temp controller to keep a 65 F fermentation chamber winter or summer!

This has been the best investment I have ever made for brewing. No more constantly checking temps to make sure your beer isn't too hot or cold...just set the temp, insert your fermenter(s) and forget it for 3 weeks.

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I know you are right, but I already have a freezer and a beer fridge (which I occasionally cold crash in) in the garage and a LOT of sh...tuff. I really don't need a larger electric bill or another piece of clutter to deal with. I may just have to do it, if I can make the space.

I brew larger batches and stock up for the summer so I don't have to brew. Cold weather makes brewing a lot more convenient for me. Besides, there is always plenty of other stuff to do in the summer than brew beer. I dealt with the controlled temp thing by sealing off a small area in the basement. I use a fan hooked to a controller to pull cold air in from outside. It's like my own little walk in cooler without the big electric bill. This years early warm snap didn't do me any favors though.

befus said:

I know you are right, but I already have a freezer and a beer fridge (which I occasionally cold crash in) in the garage and a LOT of sh...tuff. I really don't need a larger electric bill or another piece of clutter to deal with. I may just have to do it, if I can make the space.

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Space issues is the only excuse. When you set a refrigerator at 65F it only kicks on for about 3 minutes every 20 minutes. Generally a refrigerator only costs about $10 per month if you set it at 35F...@ 65F it will likely cost less than $3-4 per month to run and you only need to use it for the first week or so of primary fermentation, after that your beer can sit at 70F in your house without issue.

I'm in the same predicament. We are moving in 2 months and I k ow I won't have time to brew for a while. I am just trying to brew up as much as I can before then. I have 2 kegs full and 3 fermenters full. Trying to get all 8 kegs full for the move (though they are going to suck to move them too!).

D_Nyholm said:

I'm in the same predicament. We are moving in 2 months and I k ow I won't have time to brew for a while. I am just trying to brew up as much as I can before then. I have 2 kegs full and 3 fermenters full. Trying to get all 8 kegs full for the move (though they are going to suck to move them too!).

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It would suck more to move EMPTY kegs.

Jayhem said:

It would suck more to move EMPTY kegs.

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Very true!

Get a mini fridge and temp controller! I live in a nyc apartment with my gf. If I can make it work, so can you.