Does anyone know if you can prevent the mess that is created by using the swamp cooler method? My guest bathtub is a mess every time I use it for this. I was thinking maybe something like pool chemicals or household cleaners. Could this harm the beer? Would simply cycling the water every few days suffice? Any other ideas?
preventing swamp cooler mess
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JesseRC
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what mess.? Are you letting the blowoff go directly into the tub?
Are getting mold? I use a little bleach in the water in the cooler, and it helps alot. I don't have much mold in my climate, though, so it's really not a problem for me.
+1, this works wonders, doesn't take much either, just an once or two will prevent growth in the water...shouldn't effect the beer at all, unless you are mixing the swamp water with the brew, that's a nasty thought.
Cycling the water every few days will also keep growth at bay, but it is much, much easier to add an once or two of bleach. Maybe now you'll be leaving the tub cleaner than you found it.
Buford
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I use a small Rubbermaid container big enough for the fermenter and sit that in the tub so it doesn't get the tub gross. I used to use the whole tub but I end up using less water this way as well.
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If using a rubbermaid container, what is the need for the tub then?
JesseRC
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Very recently I had three fermenters in the tub so the Rubbermaid while a good suggestion for doing one at a time wouldn't have worked for me there. My water developed a really nasty film on the top and there was all kinds of gunk on the tub surface when I drained it. I may try bleach next time. I wasn't sure if the ale pails or carboys were porous enough to let any of the bleach water seep through over time.
It sepends on the size of your rubbermade I would say, I have seen some big enough to get three fermenters in. Mine, not the largest mind you, can work in several permuntaions.
I figured out with the 3 gallon square sided betterbottles I could get between 6 and 8 of those bad boys in there.
springer
Well-Known Member
what type of mess you getting? mine stays clean for several days with a little bleach in it . Are you getting blow off in the tub water?
Kinda hard to get mold when there is 3 feet of snow on the ground... lol
Buford
Well-Known Member
Because it's right beside the tap when I need to add water... but the real reason is that that room isn't used for anything else and has no windows so the fermenters stay out of the way and in the dark.
JesseRC
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Irie5447
Well-Known Member
a couple capfuls of bleach should do the trick, just dont use too much.
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