brew or wait

I have a couple of free days this weekend so I want to brew a couple batches of beer. My only method of temp control will be a swamp cooler. I have to leave town for 4 days starting on the 15th. If I brew now and keep the temp down during the hardest part of the fermentation, and when I leave town just turn the AC up on high in the room , do you think I will be OK temp wise? OR I COULD transfer to secondary the day before I leave and stick the carboys in the cooler to cold crash.. any suggestions?

what will ambient temps be when you leave?

As you said, the fermentation will probably be over by then....in my opinion it shouldn't be a problem to have the beer resting at ~75.

AZ_IPA said:

what will ambient temps be when you leave?

As you said, the fermentation will probably be over by then....in my opinion it shouldn't be a problem to have the beer resting at ~75.

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+1. As long as you start cooler and let the temp rise you should be good.

AZ_IPA said:

what will ambient temps be when you leave?

As you said, the fermentation will probably be over by then....in my opinion it shouldn't be a problem to have the beer resting at ~75.

Click to expand...

No idea exactly.. In my bedroom where to be honest I would feel safe hanging a side of beef lol... That said it seems you guys are voting to just leave it in the swamp cooler while I am gone rather than racking and crash cooling.. I do have another option.. a son lives next door and a nephew a couple houses down. I could get one of them to change ice bottles once a day while I am gone??

OHIOSTEVE said:

I do have another option.. a son lives next door and a nephew a couple houses down. I could get one of them to change ice bottles once a day while I am gone??

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Hmmm now there is a idea... a beer babysitting service.

So the beers will have been in the fermenters for 10+ days before you leave? On almost any beer active fermentation will be totally finished at that point, and the temperature could get up to 75-80°F without any problems. I say just leave them in the swamp cooler, which will knock a few degrees off even without ice.

I'd just leave them in the primary in the swamp cooler. As you stated the most critical part of fermentation will be done.

GT

in the swamp cooler they will stay! Thanks all.