Tropical storm isaac

Homebrewer from Tampa FL here. As some may know there is a tropical storm possibly to become a hurricane heading too close for comfort. With the Florida heat I have no choice but to ferment in a fridge with temp controller. If this storm hits i may be without power for a up to a few days and worried about how it will affect my DIPA that's sitting in the secondary.

It's dryhopping right now and FG is only a couple points away. If my power goes out and that carboy gets up to 80-80 degrees for a up to a few days, does anybody think i'll run into problems with off flavors? fermentation is pretty much done but there's a ton of dry hops and probably some yeast settled at the bottom.

I'm trying to decide if i should perhaps buy some kind of plastic tub to place the carboy with some water\ice in case i lose power or if i should just not worry since fermentation isn't active anymore. Homebrewer problems...

Thanks everyone for your help

off flavors are created during the fermentation and cell splitting process which is over in your beer. it should be fine! also - isaac looks like weak sauce. we should get some wind and rain, but not sure about wide spread power outages

I agree that the most of your fermentation is done so the warmer temperature is not a big concern.

Using a swamp cooler is not going to work too well if your power goes out. Your ice will soon run out unless you have a really well insulated freezer.

You could do like a lot of sleezeballs do and buy a generator and if you don't use it return it. If you do use it take it back and say that it didn't work right.

While the direction is still iffy, being from the New Orleans area, I was not planning on brewing during the worst of the season but have 2 batches fermenting now. I have a generator but that has to be used for food in the freezers.
I agree with what the others have said. Just get it as cool as you can now and if the power goes out, it would likely take a full 24 hours or so for the temperatures of the beer raise alot.

I wish this storm would jump over the gulf and get some rain to all those farmers who really need the rain. Let's all wish it that way.

You know your a homebrewer when you hear a hurricane is coming and your first thought is about your fermenting beer. :cross:

brew during the hurricane and film a documentary of it

DirtyHaus,

I'm right down the street in St. Pete. I don't know how long you've been in FL, but the one thing I've learned through about 20 hurricanes and tropical storms is that if the weather guys are saying it's going to hit here, there is no way in h#ll it is going to hit here.

Seriously, though, this one does look like a 24-48 hour rain storm. I would worry more about flooding than anything else.

They always say the way that that Tampa Bay area is nestled into one corner of the gulf, it would be almost impossible to take a direct hit from a hurricane from the gulf side. The ones we need to really worry about are strong storms that come across the state from the Atlantic side.

Best of luck. Let me know if you want to throw a Tampa Bay brewers hurricane party!!

Bring it on, Issac!

Topher is right, the first 2 places they mention are safe! But, it doesn't have to be a hurricane to cause problems. Just a slow moving rain storm can wreak havoc, cause tornadoes, flooding etc.

You know your a homebrewer when you hear a hurricane is coming and your first thought is about your fermenting beer.

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Love it!

Yeah, most off flavors are formed in the first three days of fermenation. OP should be good.

He might have to resort to drinking warm beer if the power goes out. Better fill the freezer with bags of ice, just to be sure.

Just a slow moving rain storm can wreak havoc, cause tornadoes, flooding etc.

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LOL...the description above sounds like 3-5 p.m. every single friggin day in July/August here in Tampa Bay!

TopherM said:

LOL...the description above sounds like 3-5 p.m. every single friggin day in July/August here in Tampa Bay!

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Here too. Yesterday it only rained for 35 minutes and streets flooded. There's a school 3 blocks from my house that the local tv station uses as one of the many temp and rain gauges and in that 30 something minutes of rain, it was 2.35 inches! Like Tampa, it's almost every afternoon that somewhere close gets rain.

Looks like we're in the clear if it stays on this course. Time for surf.

Beer-lord said:

Here too. Yesterday it only rained for 35 minutes and streets flooded. There's a school 3 blocks from my house that the local tv station uses as one of the many temp and rain gauges and in that 30 something minutes of rain, it was 2.35 inches! Like Tampa, it's almost every afternoon that somewhere close gets rain.

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When Debby came by a month or two ago, we got 11" of rain in one day. Crazy.

Lived in FL for 6 years when we had charley/francis/ivan one year and katrina/rita/wilma the next. I remember they kept freaking out on the news for 3 weeks prior with the typical "ITS COMING RIGHT FOR US. PANIC!!!" news reports. Then again i was on the 3rd floor in St Pete so i didnt really care, just made sure i had enough beer flowing for the hurricane party

newtstampede said:

Lived in FL for 6 years when we had charley/francis/ivan one year and katrina/rita/wilma the next. I remember they kept freaking out on the news for 3 weeks prior with the typical "ITS COMING RIGHT FOR US. PANIC!!!" news reports. Then again i was on the 3rd floor in St Pete so i didnt really care, just made sure i had enough beer flowing for the hurricane party

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I've had houses here since '92. "HUNKER DOWN!" Haha, that always makes me laugh.

passedpawn said:

When Debby came by a month or two ago, we got 11" of rain in one day. Crazy.

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I was flying back home (TPA) when Debbie came through and I am very surprised my flight wasn't canceled. The bastards took away my drink 45 minutes out due to turbulence! I got home to standing water in the roads right before the tornadoes started forming.

As for Isaac... *yawn*

Those of us in the Central Gulf Coast certainly aren't yawning.

The thing about hurricanes is that for them not to kick your ass, you have to hope that they kick somebody else's ass.

We aren't sure where this one is going to hit, but the bastard made me put off brewing a Pale Ale this weekend.

It's nice to be a brewer. I had lots of fermentation gear to fill with water and freeze. I have 15 gallons in my freezer, three kegs on tap and a pool full of water to flush toilets. I think I'm prepared...

CGVT said:

It's nice to be a brewer. I had lots of fermentation gear to fill with water and freeze. I have 15 gallons in my freezer, three kegs on tap and a pool full of water to flush toilets. I think I'm prepared...

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Very good point. I tried explaining this to SWMBO.

As for *yawn*... that was directly related to all of the "OMG THE SKY IS FALLING/senationalism" in regards to Isaac and the RNC. It's the only damned thing on the news. It annoys the hell out of me because it's not a secret we get hurricanes in Florida and it's hurricane season! I find it humorous they decided to delay tomorrow's schedule and Isaac turned West. That being said, good luck with the storm. Sounds like you are ready to hunker down and do what needs to be done.

Either way I have an Irish Red that isn't happening today.

Oh frack, it's looking like we may get a bunch of this one in the N.O. Area. For now, I'm staying put. I may have to keg my Slobber a few days early but my pale ale is only in one week.
At least I have 8 gallons in the kegerator if we run out of water. I need the generator for the 2 fridges so I hope my beer in the kegerator doesn't go bad.

Watching this one closely in New Orleans. Fortunately, the hurricane prep is done, three cornies and two firestone kegs are full

I can't believe anyone's actually worried about this thing. It's not even raining here anymore except the occasional sprinkle. I understand your concerns but the media is blowing this out of proportion. If I'm not too drunk n lazy to mill some grains I might brew in bit.

Kids have the school day off tomorrow here. Woot! Snow days used to be one of the best feelings when I was growing up. I feel good for them.

ghack said:

Watching this one closely in New Orleans. Fortunately, the hurricane prep is done, three cornies and two firestone kegs are full

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I have 8 gallons ready to drink and 10 gallons to keg in the next week to 10 days. I was going to brew this weekend or next but now I'll wait.
This forecast changes every 3 hours. No one is safe.

TopherM said:

DirtyHaus,

I'm right down the street in St. Pete. I don't know how long you've been in FL, but the one thing I've learned through about 20 hurricanes and tropical storms is that if the weather guys are saying it's going to hit here, there is no way in h#ll it is going to hit here.

Seriously, though, this one does look like a 24-48 hour rain storm. I would worry more about flooding than anything else.

They always say the way that that Tampa Bay area is nestled into one corner of the gulf, it would be almost impossible to take a direct hit from a hurricane from the gulf side. The ones we need to really worry about are strong storms that come across the state from the Atlantic side.

Best of luck. Let me know if you want to throw a Tampa Bay brewers hurricane party!!

Bring it on, Issac!

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I've only been living in Tampa for a few years and just starting to notice the big storms always seem to miss us. I stopped worrying since I posted this thread as Isaac moved further off coast than I thought. Living in Miami my whole life up to the last few years I've been hit pretty bad by some hurricanes especially Andrew which almost blew my house away. Guess I just need to get over my paranoia.

If you were around to see it it's hard to forget man. Andrew was bad.

KeyWestBrewing said:

If you were around to see it it's hard to forget man. Andrew was bad.

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I remember being a kid and helping my uncles reinforce the front door with broom sticks because the storm was about to blow it off it's hinges, scary ****.

What key are you located in? I hope Isaac didn't do too much damage down there. I'm going to spend labor day weekend at my inlaw's house in marathon key, hope the boat didn't get damaged in the storm haha

It wasn't even raining when I woke up for work this morning. Yawn.

I'm glad it's not getting too strong too fast but it's the rain we fear. That's where people die and that's where the major damage will be.
Guess I better keg my Slobber a few days early in case I get any damage. I'm thinking they'll be no brewing this weekend either.

It's great news that Florida was spared the brunt of this. They've had their share of misery.

DirtyHaus said:

I remember being a kid and helping my uncles reinforce the front door with broom sticks because the storm was about to blow it off it's hinges, scary ****.

What key are you located in? I hope Isaac didn't do too much damage down there. I'm going to spend labor day weekend at my inlaw's house in marathon key, hope the boat didn't get damaged in the storm haha

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Key West, born and raised. It honestly wasn't bad down here at all. No heavy rain and the winds never really picked up. The lobster are gonna be out for the pickin now that the storms passed. But if your interested, Labor day weekend were having a brewfest down here with over 100 varieties of commercial craft beer. Our local Homebrew club will also have a booth serving our Homebrew at the tasting, about 20 kegs worth. It's like $30 at the door and is all you can drink.

KeyWestBrewing said:

Key West, born and raised. It honestly wasn't bad down here at all. No heavy rain and the winds never really picked up. The lobster are gonna be out for the pickin now that the storms passed. But if your interested, Labor day weekend were having a brewfest down here with over 100 varieties of commercial craft beer. Our local Homebrew club will also have a booth serving our Homebrew at the tasting, about 20 kegs worth. It's like $30 at the door and is all you can drink.

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RIGHT ON!!!! I'm most def try to drag the family down to key west for brewfest. I'll only be an hour away, thanks for the heads up

No prob...It's our 3rd year doing it and it's really a great time. If you google key west brewfest they have a website showing the time of the big tasting and all the beer dinners/events they'll be doing throughout the week. Names Cole if you happen to stop by our HBC's booth. Enjoy the Keys!!!

passedpawn said:

I've had houses here since '92. "HUNKER DOWN!" Haha, that always makes me laugh.

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I was kinda bummed when Don G. retired prior to this hurricane season. Always good entertainment.

I brewed 11 gallons of Dubbel yesterday storm be damned. Best side effect - minimal traffic on the way to work this morning!!!