keeping primary cool?

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brendanb

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hi, i live in chicago in a poorly insulated apartment.

as we start getting into warmer weather, i pretty much have to stop brewing because there is nowhere in my building that maintains a cool temp.

i have an ipa that's two days into primary that's been creeping up from 65 to 70...and it's leaning towards 72. it's killing me to see this.

i have an ice pack that i just sorta leaned up against the carboy...but that just seems silly...and isn't doing anything.

does anybody have any advice?

i would assume i need some sort of bucket or whatever, and put some water and ice in there to keep it cool...and put the carboy in there?

does that work?

what do you guys do?
 
I have a 25 gallon tub that I bought at Lowe's for about 10 bucks. I fill that with a little water and put my primary in it. Then I fill some Gatorade or Vitamin water bottles with water and Freeze them, then I can swap those out to control the temp of the water. I usually try to keep the water in the tub about 5 degrees cooler then I want the inside of the fermentor to be.
 
Most people put their primary in a cooler with frozen bottles of water to keep it cool, that seems like the easiest. Maybe you can go buy one of those big coolers, or perhaps a styrofoam one at a gas station for a few bucks that would work better.

Some other things ive heard of people doing is setting their primary in water, and changing out ice bottles as necessary, wrapping their primary in a WET towel, placing a fan on it, etc...

Check out these links(they have pics that will help you visualize:)
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/keeping-fermenter-cool-114165/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/no...ers-microbrew-fermenter-w-spigot-cool-127955/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/what-do-you-do-summer-keep-your-fermenters-cool-97152/
 
Here's my solution:
4189-DSCF0002.JPG


That's just a wheeled cooler. I removed the lid- first because it was hollow, and secondly so I can still use it as a cooler by popping the lid back on. I made a new lid out of a sheet of wall insulation foam. I put a water bath around it, and then add a frozen water bottle (or two) to maintain the temperature at a nice ale temperature. I just float a floating thermometer in the water bath to monitor the temperature.

The nice thing is that it takes a very long time for the water bath and beer to change temperature- so even in a heat wave, you can be gone all day and it won't rise that much.
 
thank you all!

i appreciate your quick responses. i put the carboy into a tub with cool water and an ice pack and the temp has already stopped rising.

related question...do i need to keep the primary cool for the entire time it's in there? i was planning on trying the "3 weeks in primary - straight to keg" technique. how important is it to keep the temp down for the entire 3 weeks?

i'm scared of the yeast cake rotting under all the heat.
 
Temperature control is at its most critical during the first 5 or so days of fermentation. Letting the temps rise a little after the first week probably wont hurt much, but I would avoid it if possible. I would not let if get above 70 degrees. Remember that stable temps within the yeast range will produce the best beer possible. Good luck! :mug:
 
thank you, doug.

looks like i'll be adding ice rotation to my daily schedule for a while then!
 
Here's my solution:
4189-DSCF0002.JPG


That's just a wheeled cooler. I removed the lid- first because it was hollow, and secondly so I can still use it as a cooler by popping the lid back on. I made a new lid out of a sheet of wall insulation foam. I put a water bath around it, and then add a frozen water bottle (or two) to maintain the temperature at a nice ale temperature. I just float a floating thermometer in the water bath to monitor the temperature.

The nice thing is that it takes a very long time for the water bath and beer to change temperature- so even in a heat wave, you can be gone all day and it won't rise that much.

is that a 5 gallon carboy then being fit into a 15 gallon cooler? or does it only fit a 3 gallon?
 
is that a 5 gallon carboy then being fit into a 15 gallon cooler? or does it only fit a 3 gallon?

That's a 5 gallon, but bigger ones fit. I can put an ale pail in there, but not with that lid. I usually use the 5 gallon carboy for lagering, so that's a lager in there in the picture.
 
Hmm, I never ferment in BetterBottles, though I do have two that I just use for secondaries. So you're saying a 5 gallon Ale Pale doesn't fit? That sux, because it seems a more efficient idea than the swamp bucket method...though I suppose I could ferment in a BetterBottle, you can't squeeze a hop bag into it...
 
Hmm, I never ferment in BetterBottles, though I do have two that I just use for secondaries. So you're saying a 5 gallon Ale Pale doesn't fit? That sux, because it seems a more efficient idea than the swamp bucket method...though I suppose I could ferment in a BetterBottle, you can't squeeze a hop bag into it...

I don't have a 5 gallon ale pail- I don't even know if they make them. My ale pail is 6.5 gallons. I make the lids- so I can put whatever I want in there. The original lid is hollow, so I just took it off and made other lids out of foam.
 
No, you're right, there is no 5 gal Ale Pale I always just call it that cuz I have idiotic tendencies. Are you saying the Ale Pale lid won't fit? Or are you saying it just won't fit with the original cooler lid, but the one you fabricated is ok?
 
No, you're right, there is no 5 gal Ale Pale I always just call it that cuz I have idiotic tendencies. Are you saying the Ale Pale lid won't fit? Or are you saying it just won't fit with the original cooler lid, but the one you fabricated is ok?

The lid in the picture is made for a carboy. In order to do it with an ale pail, I use a different lid set up. I have it so just the airlock pokes out, to better insulate the cooler.
 
I'm planning on building a foam box to put over an air conditioning vent to keep my 6.5 gallon buckets cool this summer. Building to fit 3 6.5 gallon buckets or glass carboy combo.

I've used a big cooler and a water bath in the past (make sure bucket is draped in towel and towel extends into water in cooler. evaporation seems to drop temp by almost 10°.) could only fit 1 bucket at a time in the cooler bath... seems like lately I have at least 2 going at any given time.
 
If you have the space to build a Fermentation Chiller, this thing is great.

http://www.blackcanyonbrewers.com/Black_Canyon_Brewers/Links_files/chiller.pdf

Your temperatures can be maintained within a few degrees. It will easily maintain ale temps in the heat of summer, and you can leave it alone for a couple of days with no worries. If you have a balcony on your apartment, you could probably get away with putting it out there.

I used mine in my garage last summer, and it was fine. But I am thinking of making it better this year. I have an idea about setting up some ducting so it will draw in the cold air from my crawlspace instead of needing ice. I haven't thought it through very well yet, but I think it could be done.
 
Thanks for posting this thread as I've been battling keeping my primary warm the past few days. We've been going through a cold spell here in NoCal and my house is dipping into the low 60's...I know, I know, we're spoiled up here, but this is below the ideal fermentation temps. I guess a fermentation chamber of sorts is the way to go...
 
Yooperbrew: That is the coolest idea I have ever seen!!! The moment I get out of work I'm headin to walmart:D Right now I'm just using a 20 gallon Rubbermaid container with a bunch of frozen water bottles but your setup looks way more efficient. Thanks for the pic!
 
I have the same cooler as yooper but instead of the foam lid I put two beach towels over it now. First batch I didn't cover it and I was rotating two half gallon bottles at a time to keep the temps into the low 60s/upper 50s. With the blanket now I can keep it with one bottle ever 18 hours.
 
Here's a small addition to the thread, while mostly within the same topic: once bottled, what does everyone do to keep the fruits of their labor within a reasonable temperature? I built an 8x4 styrofoam beer cooler in my attic that I cycle two frozen gallons of water through in the summer. I manage to keep it at 65F that way, which isn't ideal but is far better than 95F. Its fairly well organized, I have managed to fit about 175 beer bottles and 50 wine bottles in it and there is still room for more.
 
If you have the space to build a Fermentation Chiller, this thing is great.

http://www.blackcanyonbrewers.com/Black_Canyon_Brewers/Links_files/chiller.pdf

Your temperatures can be maintained within a few degrees. It will easily maintain ale temps in the heat of summer, and you can leave it alone for a couple of days with no worries. If you have a balcony on your apartment, you could probably get away with putting it out there.

I used mine in my garage last summer, and it was fine. But I am thinking of making it better this year. I have an idea about setting up some ducting so it will draw in the cold air from my crawlspace instead of needing ice. I haven't thought it through very well yet, but I think it could be done.

That writeup by Ken sure is a blast from the past. I made one years ago, and it served me quite well during the hot summer months in West Texas. And the cost for materials was well under $20 at the time.
 
Looks like I am giong to have to invest in something to keep my primary cool sooner than later. It was 87 in PA yesterday, is supposed to be 91 today and upper 80s again tomorrow:eek: I had to move my primary down to the basement this morning because it was alerady up to 72 degrees and I figured it would only go up from there as the day goes on...
 
Find an Ace Hardware, they carry 15 and 17 gallon tubs for $15 and $20. Perfect for a keg, or your carboy.
 
Looks like I am giong to have to invest in something to keep my primary cool sooner than later. It was 87 in PA yesterday, is supposed to be 91 today and upper 80s again tomorrow:eek: I had to move my primary down to the basement this morning because it was alerady up to 72 degrees and I figured it would only go up from there as the day goes on...

i'm with you. My laundry room stays pretty cool thru out the day but not sure how long that will remain to be true once summer is in full swing. I was thinking a beer tub and a wet t-shirt. but a box chiller seems a bit nicer.

along these lines though, which is worse, a higher fermentation temp (within reason obviously) or shaking up the fermenting wort while trying to move it?
 
i'm with you. My laundry room stays pretty cool thru out the day but not sure how long that will remain to be true once summer is in full swing. I was thinking a beer tub and a wet t-shirt. but a box chiller seems a bit nicer.

along these lines though, which is worse, a higher fermentation temp (within reason obviously) or shaking up the fermenting wort while trying to move it?

Shaking would probably be more of a help than a hinderance, up to a point...wouldn't it?
 
Well i guess it is more dependent on what stage the yeast is at, re-production or feeding. i was trying to focus on the feeding stage which could lead to oxidation when shaken. But i guess that is better than a half fermented wort because the heat killed them off?
 
You can always brew a saison or some other warmer fermenting belgian ales in summer, they can ferment up to 85 degrees F.
 
i'm with you. My laundry room stays pretty cool thru out the day but not sure how long that will remain to be true once summer is in full swing. I was thinking a beer tub and a wet t-shirt. but a box chiller seems a bit nicer.

along these lines though, which is worse, a higher fermentation temp (within reason obviously) or shaking up the fermenting wort while trying to move it?

I brewed on Friday so I am about 6 days into my fermentation. I am really trying to avoid the banana/clove taste (brewing a hoppy wheat) so I took my chances with shaking the beer to move it to a cooler temp. I was very careful and I don't think I disturbed it too much...I hope.
 
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