Newb needs help controlling temp in 2nd floor apartment.

Hello all, I'm new to the forums and brewing in general. I've been thinking about getting into it for years and finally made the leap. Two weeks ago I had a friend that is tested in the field help me out. We didn't use a thermometer to measure the boiling temperature or the hydrometer since he pretty much has a "brown" thumb in this department and knew from experience when to turn the heat down.

So we put the wort in the plastic tub that came with my kit, but the problem is - is that my apartment in the city right now gets a bit hot. With the ceiling fan on, when I come back from work at night the temp in the apartment is about 75 F - my instructions say the wort should be 68 -72 F. To counter the temp issue, I used a simple MacGuyver set up of: Placing the plastic bucket in two garbage bags (to keep the water out in my later steps), then I place that in a keg tub filled with water. I then place a 2-4 frozen water bottles in the tub to keep the temp down. The problem is, is that there's no real good way to keep that constant. Anything I place in there is just going to keep the temp down low which will then steadily rise. I can't exactly get a time release set up. And I can't have anyone come up to my apartment to check on it while I'm at work.

I've heard someone suggest that I put styrofoam around and under the keg tub set up to help keep the cold in. I also was thinking of getting a mini dorm fridge used in conjunction with a digital thermometer set up... but that's kind of expensive and I'd like to keep costs down.

Sorry for the long explanation, but could anyone offer me any ideas? I don't exactly want to wait a month / month and a half till the temp drops here in Chicago.

I am kind of in the same predicament. I setup a cheap system that kind of works (very similar to most of the ideas you see posted on this forum). However, I really think the fridge solution is the much better way to go, especially if you can get a used fridge on the cheap. It really takes a lot of stress out of the process - especially in very hot climates. It can get into the 90's where I live, and at that point, its almost impossible to cool to a low fermentation temperature without an extreme amount of ice, or a fridge.

So I think while there are cheap DIY ideas out there, in the long run the stress free option is far and away to use a fridge.

The other advantage of a fridge is that you also have lagering capability - which you may not think is necessary now, but if you buy Brewing Classic Styles (which everyone should) you will quickly start to want to brew lagers.

Hmm, yeah I'd like to buy a fridge, but I'm not sure where to look for a cheap one (not in college any more where I can pick one up at the end of the year)... In Chicago it's going to be getting cold soon, but really this whole thing is a matter of getting a constant temp. Adding the water bottles works, but I've heard that you shouldnt' have it range all that much or you'll shock the yeast. Also, with my apartment, I'd need to get a dorm fridge, anything else would be much too big... so I'd also have to keep my eye on the dorm fridge and make sure it will fit my bucket and/ or better bottle car boy.

2 words "Swamp cooler" search for it

Mine keeps my fermenting beer at 64deg in a 75deg house

What model do you have, it looks like there are quite a few.

Arkador said:

2 words "Swamp cooler" search for it

Mine keeps my fermenting beer at 64deg in a 75deg house

Click to expand...

+1

I usually change the ice bottles when I wake up and when I come home from work and it keeps the temperature pretty consistent.

Gold Miner, do you use a swamp cooler? I didn't see any swamp coolers in my search that used ice bottles? Maybe I found the wrong thing...

I think I was way off what I thought a swamp coller was, google image search found me this: http://www.brew-dudes.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/swamp-cooler-002.jpg

correct?

Same idea but without the damp towel or t-shirt to wick water.

Rubbermaid tub with fermenter sitting in about 4 inches of water with ice bottles.

Works better than I can believe.

Fermenter is cool to the touch even near the top.

Hmm I'm using something like this: http://www.essentialpartyrentals.com/Images/products/small/BS15.jpg

Which isn't doing the job, I would be that a cooler would insulate a bit better.

It should work alright. Buy some water bottles at your local store and switch 'em out of the fridge. Family Dollar in Chicago has 1 liter water bottles for $1, IIRC. Those take a while to thaw out and should keep the water pretty cool.

It's in the 60's here anyway, man! Open the window

I think a few people have this cooler. If I'm correct, then the carboy fits in there pretty well. I have an Igloo like that but no wheels. I'm trying my first batch with it right now. I might have screwed up though because with my cooler the water comes nearly up to the top of the carboy so I might be over cooling it. I have no idea what the temp is inside the fermenter.

Kyle, I bought a 12 pack of bottles so i'm set with those... yeah it's cool outside, but my building is a humid box (good for my cigars i guess)... It'll be 60 outside, but 75 in my apartment. How many water bottles would you suggest using? I've been using 3-4.. maybe I should use more (though I'm concerned about it being too cold when i leave, and not cold enough when I get home --- should that be a big issue?)

Pretzelb, I'm going to pick up the cooler my family has and see if that'll work, that way I don't have to go out and buy one if it isn't needed.

Large dark extra thick towel (like beach towel size but thicker)and a 10.00 box fan blowing down. Wet the towel when you get up and again when you go to bed. Im in the south and it works pretty well never gets above 70 or below 65. carboy sits in a walmart plastic keg tub about 3' high

put the towel on top of the plastic keg tub then TY? I'm trying to figure out how I'd rig the box fan without it being directly on top.

Dunno, I just dump half of my bottles in and let it get down to 58-60 in the ice bath. I figure that the temperature will reach some sort of equilibrium. So for me, it's 8 12 bottles (I think).

My ambient temp is as high as 80 in the heat and I managed to keep it in the 60s that way...after asking for similar advice on this forum, of course.

BTW, I think the container you're using is fine. I use a trash can I picked up from the local Ace. Isn't especially well insulated but does the trick.

If you're handy you could try the "Son of Fermentation Chiller". Here's a link to my attempt: SOFC

if you aren't using a cooler you need a large container of water the thermal mass will keep it cool all day. This is my set up temps stay constant all day and night water capacity of 6 gallons with the BB in it . I use two one liter bottles and change then in teh morning and when i get home and at bedtime.



I also use a large Brute garbage pail when I use the 15 gallon plastic Dulex fermenter . Same concept large volume of water when its done fermenting I just throw a pond pump in it and water the plants outside

hlumbard said:

If you're handy you could try the "Son of Fermentation Chiller". Here's a link to my attempt: SOFC

Click to expand...

+1

Here's mine.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/son-fermentation-chiller-question-s-117095/

I've just started my first lager in the SOFC. Apartment temp 70-75. chiller is staying at 55. Took some serious ice changes the first 1-2 days but now 2 gallons of ice are lasting 2 days. Can't wait to see how it works at 40deg. for the lagering!

It really depends on the delta between the ambient temperature and your target fermentation temperature. I am using a passive cooling system similar to a son of fermentation cooler. If your ambient temperature is below 80F then it will work great. But if you temperatures get up to the 90's then I don't think that it is a good solution - as you will be replacing ice like crazy.

In mine I use frozen water bottles. When its above 80F I would have to replace at least 4-5 times a day to keep the fermentation temperature below 72F. Most of the time that is not even physically possible so the temperature fluctuates a lot. Below 80F I can replace once a day to keep the fermentation temperature at 68F.

My point is, with passive cooling there is a limitation in how much below ambient you can cool without having to replace ice at a ridiculous rate (in which case you cooler is acting as a remote fridge).

If you live in a place that can have prolonged high ambient temperatures in your apartment I would really recommend thinking about a fridge. If not, then any of the passive cooling methods would work fine.

I am not so lucky. It seems like every time I brew a heat wave kicks in. My plan is to move to a small fridge (like one that would be used for a kegerator) and start fermenting in kegs. The batch size is a little smaller, but it will a lot cleaner then my current setup. It is a "set and forget" method that will greatly reduce stress and hassle - and it allows for lagering capability.