Swamp Cooler

Just put my American Rye ale in the swamp cooler yesterday. This is my first time using one. My question is, how do you know exact temps inside or know how cold to keep your water. I've been using ice bottles, but I don't want to take the lid off to take a temp and possibly infect.

Note: my glass Carboy is being used and I ruined my sticky temp strip, getting a new one today but just want to see what you guys do.

It depends on what temp you are trying to achieve. I typically only use a swamp cooler during the summer months, when I have decided to brew a lager and need the cooler temps.

I usually run all my ales at normal room temp to start, then put them in the basement which is around 60*. After I rack to the secondary, I may let it sit if another week or two, then bring it back upstairs to a slightly warmer room around 70+* for a couple days, to finish. Then rack into bottling bucket with your priming sugar, or rack right into my kegs.

I assume that the swamp water is the same temp as the fermenting beer (attempting to get some data to back this up). I'll take a temp reading a couple of times a day on the water, using my thermapen now, but I used to use a floating thermometer and just leave it in the bath.
Put some bleach in the water too, it'll get nasty after a few days (especially if you've splashed some wort in there at some point). I wouldn't recommend one of those sticky temp strips in the swamp bath btw, it'll stop working after a week or so of being submerged.

What's your ambient room temp? The temp of the wort should be similar to the temp of the water ideally so you could just take a temp reading on the water. When I used a swamp cooler up here in MN I would keep it in there for the first three or four days and I would add new frozen water bottles two or three times a day depending on how warm it was. I'd say take a temp reading on the water, drop in a two frozen bottles before going to work, come back and take another temp reading before deciding.

It's an imperfect science depending on your ambient temp, water level, size of frozen bottles, yeast activity. You need to play with it a bit before getting the process down.

I used to tape my SS dial thermometer to the side of the bucket, above the water-line but below the beer-line, and get a "decent" idea of what was going on inside. If you can insulate the probe somehow that will help. It won't be exact, but it will key you on increases. Aim to keep that temp reading a few degrees lower than you want because it's near the edge. Don't add so much ice that it will take days on end to melt. There is a key point when fermentation really get's going that is when you want to be prepared for. Temps can rise 5-10 degrees inside, easily. After that, let it free rise without ice bottles to a reasonable room temp to finish out. The first few days (reproduction and initial fermentation) are the crucial time.

Ideally you put a thermowell into your fermenter and monitor internal temps that way.

Yeah I figure the temp of the fermenting beer gets up to 5-10 degrees higher than the water in the swamp cooler at high krausen, or most vigorous part of fermentation. But when there are no signs of fermentation I assume the temp should be within a degree or two. No science to back this up, but my beers have tasted a lot better since following this model.

You can't always check the swamp cooler water temp, cause you've added ice. It's not accurate until it's normalized after all of the ice melts. By then you're playing a huge game of catch-up. Try to get SOME sort of reading on the beer itself via stick-on thermometer or taping something to the side, ideally, a thermowell in a bung. You need to know AS the temp rises, not after.

I just used a stick-on thermometer above the waterline of the swamp cooler, but below the beer line. That worked pretty well and was verified by Thermapen readings. Within a couple degrees anyway.

The water in the swamp cooler is a great heat sink, and prevents the temperature of the fermenting wort from running away. The wort will stay within a couple of degrees of the water, even at the height of fermentation.

I use a swamp cooler even when I'm fermenting at room temperature as it keeps the wort temp stable.

I've never tried cooling with it. I just use it at RT for most beers, and use a fish tank heater to raise temperature for Belgians.

Calder said:

The water in the swamp cooler is a great heat sink, and prevents the temperature of the fermenting wort from running away. The wort will stay within a couple of degrees of the water, even at the height of fermentation.

I use a swamp cooler even when I'm fermenting at room temperature as it keeps the wort temp stable.

I've never tried cooling with it. I just use it at RT for most beers, and use a fish tank heater to raise temperature for Belgians.

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I used it because my room temp is 70 and if the yeast drives the heat up 5-10 degrees I'm over my mark for an ale using wyeast 1056

I find the stick on fermometer to be pretty accurate and adhere it just above the water line. As for the ice bottles, what I've done is add a bottle, check the temp in an hour and note the change, add another, do the same and so on until I reach my desired temperature. This way I know how many bottles to add to achieve a desired temperature.

Once active fermentation slows I stop adding bottles and allow things to rise to ambient, which in my room is about 66-68 depending on the season. As noted , the water acts as a buffer to maintain a pretty consistent temperature for the rest of fermentation time. If I need it to warm more I remove from water. If I'm fermenting something that needs to be warmer still I use a brew belt with a thermostat.

MinnesnowtaBrew said:

I used it because my room temp is 70 and if the yeast drives the heat up 5-10 degrees I'm over my mark for an ale using wyeast 1056

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I know I'll get flamed for this, but I brew ales in my basement in a swamp cooler in the summer without any cooling. Water temp probably gets up to 72 at the peak of summer.

I figure messing with ice bottles is just too much hassle, most ale strains are good to about 72 F, and with using a swamp cooler I avoid any major rise in temperature.

I've not found an issue. No alcohol taste, and no major unwanted yeast flavors (I usually use PacMan or British strains for my ales.

Calder said:

I know I'll get flamed for this, but I brew ales in my basement in a swamp cooler in the summer without any cooling. Water temp probably gets up to 72 at the peak of summer.

I figure messing with ice bottles is just too much hassle, most ale strains are good to about 72 F, and with using a swamp cooler I avoid any major rise in temperature.

I've not found an issue. No alcohol taste, and no major unwanted yeast flavors (I usually use PacMan or British strains for my ales.

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I'm not surprised Pacman handles it fine. I am majorly surprised that the British strains don't taste awful at that temp. There's really no reason for anyone to flame you. If it works for you and you like the product, that's all that matters.

FFLLAAMMEEEEE!!

seriously, glad it works for you, but id add at least a frozen bottle or two into the mix from time to time, over the first few days. just sayin

I just take the temp. of the water, and try to keep it somewhere in the 60's. Lower 60's for the first few days, then I don't worry about it so much.
You will drive yourself crazy trying to keep the temp exactly at 68 or whatever.
Maybe I am wrong and I am sure some one will tell me that I am, but I have a hard time believing that 5 gallons of fermenting beer sitting in a cooler full of water will get 10 degrees warmer then the water.

I use a normal glass tube on plastic frame thermometer that you can pick up at the store for $3. I keep it submerged in the swamp water and grab it whenever I want to check temps. Also, if using ice bottles, wrap your swamp cooler in blankets to help insulate it. It'll keep it cooler longer. With enough blankets and ice bottles, I was able to keep my octoberfest between 38-40 while lagering.

I just brewed my first batch yesterday and its my closet in my apt and the temp strip is reading 72 and the fermentation is just starting to get going. I brewed a 2.5 gal batch and had not heard of swamp coolers until today. So two questions?

1) Since its not a full batch, will the temp rise enough that i have to worry?

2)If I go and get a bucket and start cooling tonight, is that too late? If this batch will ferment, then I'll start using them next time. I don't want to cool it too quickly and stop the fermantation

I definitely will need them for my apt. Ambient temps are around 68-72(a little cooler in my closet). Plus being able to put it in a bucket and wrap it in t-shirt or towel will allow me more places to put my fermenters w/o having to worry about keeping them out of the light.

The sooner you get the temp down the better! The yeast may shock a bit but they'll adjust pretty quick.

After the temp drops, give the vessel a gentle swirl to rouse the yeast and they'll get busy again!

I started sealing my stick on thermometers with clear packaging tape, simply placed over the thermometer. It seems to keep water out while cleaning the fermentor. I've had the same oneinstalled for a dozen batches or so, still working properly. Just a tip for your new one. I still keep it above the waterline in the swamp cooler though.

I find my wort temps are very close to water temp within a degree or two.

IME water temp stays within 1 degree of the temperature inside the fermenter. That's at High krausen and I have the same reuslts when adding ice, and when using an aquarium heater. The 5-10 degree rise is only if the fermenter is in ambient air. The water bath will keep it closer to 1-3 degree rise because of the added thermal mass. (The exothermic reaction is contained to only about 1/2 the mass)

results of ice:
http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/09/swamp-cooler.html

results of aquarium heater:
http://woodlandbrew.blogspot.com/2012/12/fermentation-temperature-control.html

wickman6 said:

I started sealing my stick on thermometers with clear packaging tape, simply placed over the thermometer. It seems to keep water out while cleaning the fermentor. I've had the same oneinstalled for a dozen batches or so, still working properly. Just a tip for your new one. I still keep it above the waterline in the swamp cooler though.

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I do the same thing. I have them on 3 fermenters. Between them they have done about 100 brews with no issues.