How come there not being cooled?

I see in pic's a bunch of you guys don't seem to cool your fermentation process. You just leave them out, and in the light. It's my first batch in the primary and i have it in a water bath, in the dark, checking the temp 3 or 4 times a day...

Am i going over board??

Also, my batch is in a bucket not a glass carboy. Is that ok?

Sounds good! Bucket is fine.

I think others are in the light so that they can take the picture

I know I take my pictures on the way to or from secondary so they are out of the fridge.

The bucket sucks, i can't see my beautiful brew...

very true you cannot see the fermentation process in a bucket, I like to see the action too. Also I think Glass helps when you do a water bath, it transfers temperatures better. I put mine in a closet, no light in a water bath with 2 liter ice packs.

FYI, the tape thermometers that go on the outside of the glass carboys malfunction if they're submerged.


gjork

My fermenter is in a temp controlled upright freezer.

It's quite natural to be concerned about your first batch. There is room in the brewing community for OCD, just don't flame people that are more casual about the process.

Keeping the fermenter out of the light is a good idea and buckets block the ultraviolet light than skunks beer. Most of the year, I can ferment beer in the kitchen. Summers are too hot though.

I've used buckets for years and, personally, do not want to watch the fermentation process.

Being in the UK we don't often get days over 18°C

i know it sounds weird but when i upgraded to a 6.5 carboy i kept the big box i recieved my shipment in. Im using that box to put over my glass carboy with some holes in it of course facing the wall. dont know if this is a good idea or not, but its keepin temp> seems like its fine to me. i like to see the activity in the glass, so at night when i get done with work i check out the progress/krausen in the carboy.