ugh...hot weather...

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DeathBrewer

Maniacally Malty
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my steam beer fermented at 70F :(

it's at a friend's house where it usually maintans a nice 60F, but apparently that's only during the winter months. i thought with the bay breeze it would at least keep it in the mid 60s. i've been working too much, too, so i wasn't able to do anything about it. crap.

and the ryePA in my closet is not getting down. shirt, ice, fan and it won't get below 70F.

damnit, i guess it's time to fix my fermentation chiller and invest in some chest freezers...

:mad:
 
Chest freezers are great. They hold a lot more carboys and kegs. I use the Ranco controllers and really like them. You will have confidence when you brew that your beer had the best conditions to turn out great as you intended.
 
lol, i grew up in iowa. i can handle any temperature, but my beer can't ;)

it just took me by surprise...i should have had my fermentation chiller ready.

i think i might install an air conditioner in my closet for ales and use a chest freezer for lagering and keg conditioning.

i don't know what i'm going to do at my friends house as i brew there about twice a month. they are pretty concerned about wasting power, even when i offer to pay the difference. maybe i'll build a new fermentation chiller for two beers at a time and just bring over my own ice every two days.

hmm...that means i need more freezer space, too...
 
I can tell you all about heat man. Here in the DC area, my beers been sitting at a very unhappy 79 degrees.... And the building I live in doesn't turn on the AC for another 2-3 weeks.... I'm dying but my beer is hating life right now... Freezer chest here I come
 
Yeah, it took me 7 years to break down and do it after the green light from SWMBO. Chest freezer is the way to go. So precise and it just makes freekiing great beer fermenting at whatever temp you want. Just get a digital controller and use a thermowell or just use painters tape and tape the sensor to the side of the fermenter. The 10 degree of heat won't make a difference then.
 
well, my friends gave me the ok to build a fermentation cabinet in their basement for fermenting ales in the low 60s.

i've been working all day on a design. they have plenty of wood and i ran to home depot to check out cooling options and foam. they have the 2" foam this time! unlike when i built my son-of-fermentation chiller :mad:

i'll probably build this tomorrow instead of brewing...think of those little yeastie beasties happiness ;)

the cabinet will be roughly 42"L x 30"D x 36"H

if my calculations are right, that should be able to hold a maximum of six 6.5 gallon carboys. not really doing that much at their place right now...but who knows? maybe i'll start making brewing over there a weekly thing :D

i was thinking of using a small window air conditioner to keep the temp, but Home Depot doesn't have anything small enough to work.

any other cooling methods i haven't thought of? i don't want to use ice, obviously, as i won't be there to change it out every day.

EDIT: oh, and i'll still be getting a chest freezer for home. they had them for $450 new, plus you supposedly get a $250 gift certificate when buying it. i may just have to get that this next week!
 
DeathBrewer said:
i was thinking of using a small window air conditioner to keep the temp, but Home Depot doesn't have anything small enough to work.

Sam's club has a 5k BTU with a manual thermostat for 99 bucks.
 
just look at it as a more traditional steam beer. you think them gold diggers in the 1800's cared if their beer fermented at 62 or 70 degrees? :mug:
 
heh. yeah, it'll be alright, i'll just give it a lot of time to mellow. still irritates me, tho, seeing as i planned on their basement temp to be consistent. oh well, now i'm gonna have myself one badass fermentation cabinet

:rockin:

EdWort said:
Sam's club has a 5k BTU with a manual thermostat for 99 bucks.

nice...looks like 5K BTU is about as small as they make them.

i might go with a bigger cabinet than i originally thought, something with shelves so i can put my conical in there :)

they have tons of lumber and boards at my friends house that i can use. I don't have to purchase any wood, although i may have to invest in a skill saw to cut some of the large plywood. oh well, looks like only about $50.

hope i get off work soon so i can start this project. maybe i should get off the forums :D
 

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