fermentation temp too high

I've got my first batch in the fermentation bucket (an Irish Stout) and the lcd thermometer stuck to it says it's at 81 degrees. I didn't take an initial gravity reading before I pitched it last night and started to worry this morning so I went in and got a hydro reading of 1.03.

Either way, I can't figure out how to cool this puppy to 75 degrees. I'm all out of ice from trying to crash cool it.

What I like doing to keep the carboy cool is to set it in a large rubbermaid container filled with water. If you freeze a gallon jug of water and drop it in the water next to the fermenter it will help lower the temp in the carboy. It'll take a while though, it's a lot of fluid to cool. It might take a couple of containers of ice to get the temperature down initially, but once its down its fairly easy to keep it there.

Sounds like you need to get yourself a swampbucket. Place your fermenter in a large bucket/cooler and fill with water. Take a temp reading and rotate frozen bottles of water or ice packs or add ice cubes to maintain your desired temp.

Get one of those big tubs they sell at Walmart for 5$. Put your fermenter in it and put some cold water in to cool. Freeze some plastic bottles in your freezer, then keep rotating in every few hours to keep the temp. down. It takes quite a while to cool down that much liquid, so you may want a few plastic bottles.

here is what i did. i change out 16 oz bottles of ice at night and in the morning. keeps the temp around 70 deg, even in a 95 degree garage

Building an IceCube Fermentation Chiller - BrewBoard