Is fermentation temperature important?

Since I live in Florida, my A/C never really goes below 77F in order to have a reasonable electric bill so I never really get to ferment my ales at suggested temperatures like 60-72F.

Lagers are pretty much out of the question for me too which is a bummer.

Will my beer taste better when fermented at lower temperatures? What are the problems associated with fermenting at higher than normal temperatures - and lower than normal, just to be curious?

Yes. It might be one of the very most important factors in the way your beer tastes.

At higher temps you might get fusel alcohol, which tastes like rubbing alcohol. You'll get more esters. Essentially the flavor won't be as "clean." Getting a ferm chamber has really taken my beers to a new level.

Where can I buy a ferm chamber? I've looked around but they all seem to be do-it-yourself projects. Not that thats a bad thing.

A freezers or refrigerator and plug in a temperature controller. Done.
if you don't want to do the diy controller projects get one of the Johnson controllers from NB or Midwest, etc.

betelgeuse4721 said:

Where can I buy a ferm chamber? I've looked around but they all seem to be do-it-yourself projects. Not that thats a bad thing.

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I live in charleston sc...and before I bought a freezer and converted to a kegerator/ferm chamber I used to use a swamp cooler.

Get a large bucket (like what you would use to put a keg on ice in a party or store Xmas stuff in all year) and then freeze about 6-8 large bottles of water or old milk jugs or juice bottles. Then stick your carboy into the bigger and fill
It until it about 5 inches deep of water and flop in a few of the huge ice cubes and rotate 3 times a day.

Doesn't cost much at all and worked well.

I don't know if the they are sold commercially. Probably are, I've just never seen one but that doesn't mean anything. If you feel like spending a little money the easiest was is to buy a small chest freezer and put a temperature controller on it. Ferment wort at pefect temps and when fermentation is finished drop the controller to around freezing and crash cool a few days to clear the beer even more. Works like a champ!

Or you can always go the horribly inefficient but effective route of a tub and lots of ice.

betelgeuse4721 said:

Where can I buy a ferm chamber? I've looked around but they all seem to be do-it-yourself projects. Not that thats a bad thing.

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Well, how much you wanna spend?

I think the easiest "off-the-shelf" solution is a chest freezer that you plug into a temp controller. It's really simple. You just tape the temp probe from the temp controller to your fermentor and set the temp to something like 63F. With the chest freezer plugged into the controller it just supplies power to the chest freezer when the probe goes above your set point and cuts power when it is at or below the set point. Very easy and basically set it and forget it.

Another solution is to get a tub large enough to set your fermentor in and fill it partially with water. Then take a towel or shirt or whatever and drape it over the fermentor so that it's contacting the water. Pointing a fan at all this helps and adding frozen water bottles to the water also helps. This is a cheaper but less graceful option. But it does work!

Do a search for swap coolers. You can get a plastic tub, fill it with water and rotate 2 liter bottles full of ice through it to keep temps down. The best solution really is a fermentation chamber of some sort. If you're adventurous to make your own beer you should be adventurous to build things that help make your beer better.

Seriously, if you want to get serious about this hobby you need to control ferm temps and a fermentation chamber is the best way to go. Plan on spending a few hundred bucks and do it right the first time. Set it and forget it rules when you start brewing a lot.

I made a fermentation chamber (enclosed swamp cooler) with a $40 70 quart picnic cooler. I built a styrofoam cover (kind of a 7 inch high box, not just a flat slab) and can maintain temperatures well, due to it being completely closed (not air tight, but very well insulated). The foam board was $10 at Home Depot. The hard part was planning it, and cutting it into 9 pieces, with an extra cover in reserve.

dougdecinces said:

Or you can always go the horribly inefficient but effective route of a tub and lots of ice.

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Its annoying, but its cheap and it works

If you stalk the Lowes scratch and dent section you can probably get a brand-new 5 to 7 cu ft freezer with a few scratches in it for under $100. Add a controller for another $50 or so and you are good to go. It makes a huge difference.

I used a 3.5 cu ft freezer for mine. Wish i'd gone a little bigger, but I can fit a 6.5 gallon and 2 3 gallon carboys in mine.

I bought a 4 cf mini fridge off craigslist and built an insulated box around it. I control temp with a love controller and can cool in summer and heat in winter with a 10 dollar heater. My ferm chamber holds 6 carboys and is almost always full. If it's not full I'm not brewing often enough. Total cost was about 350 bucks and its the best money I ever spent.

chumpsteak said:

I bought a 4 cf mini fridge off craigslist .. My ferm chamber holds 6 carboys and is almost always full. .

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I'd like to see how you manage to fit 6 carboys in a 4 cf fridge.. Are you talking about one gallon carboys?

Great suggestions and tips everybody, I really appreciate it. I love this forum.

I just grabbed a 23 cuft chest freezer off craigs list for $80! Getting the temp controller next week---looks like it'll fit 7-8 carboys without a collar. Been a long summer not able to do much in 98 degree heat.

Have y'all notice a change in electricity costs having the extra freezer? I'm a recently graduated college student trying to convince my gf it won't cost much to have that plugged in on our back covered patio. Any thoughts?

boxofjibboo said:

Have y'all notice a change in electricity costs having the extra freezer? I'm a recently graduated college student trying to convince my gf it won't cost much to have that plugged in on our back covered patio. Any thoughts?

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I have not noticed a huge jump, but it does increase the bill some. The constant start/stop of the chest freezer will cost more than if left running all day. It also takes a toll on the motor. I say who gives a fark. My beer is righteous and the chest freezer only set me back $40 on CL. Well worth the money. It's easier to dump a bad GF than a bad batch of beer.

I haven't seen much of a difference in the electricity bill with either my (1997 refrigerator) keggerator or temp controlled ferm chamber (2002 small freezer) which both live in the garage, and my garage gets pretty dang hot in the summer -100 during the day.

Having said that, I haven't gone over my electric bill with a fine tooth comb. I'm sure it's costing me a little more but not enough to jump out at me. House A/C in the summer electric bill.. egahds!

Have y'all notice a change in electricity costs having the extra freezer? I'm a recently graduated college student trying to convince my gf it won't cost much to have that plugged in on our back covered patio. Any thoughts?

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I plugged my chest freezer (converted to a kegerator) into a Kill-A-Watt. I think it came out to about $2 a month. It will be a little different outside.

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Or...you could do this.

I would hunt down something on craigslist or ask around people at work. Sometimes all it takes is a spam message to a group of co-workers, and you'll find somebody looking to get rid of a freezer they are not using. I looked around your area, and I saw these on craigslist. Dunno if they're near you, but it can't be that far.

http://orlando.craigslist.org/app/3226654463.html
http://orlando.craigslist.org/app/3230415767.html
http://orlando.craigslist.org/app/3200530604.html

Then, it's either the Johnson Controls model or a DIY project to get it up and running. I love mine. Best piece of homebrewing equipment you'll own.

IFMracin said:

A freezers or refrigerator and plug in a temperature controller. Done.
if you don't want to do the diy controller projects get one of the Johnson controllers from NB or Midwest, etc.

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Cheaper to buy on Amazon from what I've seen.

Is this a real question? Just search it man, it is first order importance, and in FL you really have to watch it unless you want banana, bubblegum, rocket fuel, green apple, chloraseptic beers.

op said:

Is fermentation temperature important?

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Is a frog's ass water tight?

answer: Yes, indeed it is.

Stauffbier said:

I'd like to see how you manage to fit 6 carboys in a 4 cf fridge.. Are you talking about one gallon carboys?

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Did you read the part where I said I built an insulated box around it?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-mini-fridge-fermentation-chamber-build-256068/

chumpsteak said:

Did you read the part where I said I built an insulated box around it?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/my-mini-fridge-fermentation-chamber-build-256068/

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I did read that, but I wasn't exactly sure what you meant by it. After looking at your link, I get it. Very cool idea and nice work! I would be concerned that all that extra dead space would really tax the compressor on that mini fridge. Does it cycle often?

An old refrigerator works as well as a freezer and they are easier to find on Craigs List. Usually much cheaper-sometimes for free...

Stauffbier said:

I did read that, but I wasn't exactly sure what you meant by it. After looking at your link, I get it. Very cool idea and nice work! I would be concerned that all that extra dead space would really tax the compressor on that mini fridge. Does it cycle often?

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All that dead space is usually filled with 6 carboys so the liquid mass helps maintain temp. I also have 3 pc fans moving air around which helps. The only time the compressor has to work hard is during initial fermentation when the yeastvare active and even then it doesnt cycle all that much. I also have a 10 minute delay set so the compressor can cool down in between cycles if its really working hard. Also, the champer is completely air tight and fully insulated so it doesnt lose the cool air too fast. Been going strong for over a year and through about 30 batches so far without a hitch!

chumpsteak said:

All that dead space is usually filled with 6 carboys so the liquid mass helps maintain temp. I also have 3 pc fans moving air around which helps. The only time the compressor has to work hard is during initial fermentation when the yeastvare active and even then it doesnt cycle all that much. I also have a 10 minute delay set so the compressor can cool down in between cycles if its really working hard. Also, the champer is completely air tight and fully insulated so it doesnt lose the cool air too fast. Been going strong for over a year and through about 30 batches so far without a hitch!

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Very cool! Nice job!