Cold House - Where to ferment?

Hello!

My house is normally pretty darn cold in San Francisco, and we do not have a heater. The temp in my house ranges from 54'sih, to 68'ish during the day, making it very difficult to get a consistent ferm temp. I've purchased a fermwrap....as well as a temp controller. Aside from using these two pieces, does anyone have any tips they use to create a consistent ferm temp? I'm going to start with Ales, but my house gets WAY to cold at night to keep the yeast happy.

I'll be fermenting in glass carboys.

HELP!

You can always put the carboy in a big Rubbermaid bin and fill it with water. I do this and rotate ice packs in it to keep the carboy cool but you could add warm/hot water to keep it warm. The water will slow down the temp swings. It would be like a reverse swamp cooler.

Could you put it in a box with a lamp? How about one of those heating pads you use on your back?

Disclaimer: It might be a fire hazard.

A cold house is an advantage. Yeast performs better at the lower end of the spectrum. Keep it cool the first 3-4 days and then move it to the warmest part of your house to finish.

Yup. I was brewing in San Diego with some buddies for about a year before I move to SF and decided to take it up again on my own. SF is just so cold!

make lager.

heckler73 said:

make lager.

Click to expand...

This^. SF has great brewing weather.