Advice on keeping ferm temp down in SLC

[BrewsterT]

I live in Salt Lake and just want to know what other people here do to keep there fermentation temp down in the summer. I was thinking a shallow tupperware bin with some water in it to keep my buckets cool might work. My apartement is not very well air conditioned so it still gets up to about 80 or so in the basement during the summer months.

 

[scottland]

I live in Phoenix, so i can tell you a thing or two about hot temperatures in the Summer. Anyway, i just got into brewing, and ran into the same problem. I combed craigslist for a few weeks, and found a nice dorm-sized mini fridge for super cheap. My ale-pail fits perfectly inside, and I've built a temperature controller from a $20 aquarium temp controller that's commonly sold on ebay.

I just set a temp on the controller, and it kicks the mini fridge on and off to keep it there. For the $60 I have invested, it's worth every penny. On the cheaper end, get a big rubbermaid tub, wrap a towel around your bucket/carboy. fill the tub up about 8" with water, and drop some frozen water bottles in there. The cold water will wick up the towel and evaporate to cool the beer.

 

[Beernik]

My house has a cellar that keeps good ale fermenting temps most of the summer. Mid July to mid august is the only time it gets too hot.

In Utah, use ksl's classifieds. You can buy and sell stuff much faster than on craigslist. I tried selling my jeep on craigslist for 3 months. Sold it on ksl in a week.

 

[jonbomb]

I live in philadelphia. I just brew what compliments the season. Hefe's in the summer since its like 70 degrees constantly in my basement. I can brew ales to in the summer but I gotta find some type of cooler spot. Lagers in the winter... Very simple. No need to buy a fridge or bucket I just brew what I can in that temeperature.

 

[scottland]

I live in philadelphia. I just brew what compliments the season. Hefe's in the summer since its like 70 degrees constantly in my basement. I can brew ales to in the summer but I gotta find some type of cooler spot. Lagers in the winter... Very simple. No need to buy a fridge or bucket I just brew what I can in that temeperature.

Not all of us have that luxury. The low temps in Phoenix are over 90 most nights in the summer (sometimes over 100), and there are no basements here. Keeping your house under 80 degrees will cost a fortune (300-400 electric bills), so other than a saison, I need a temp-controlled environment.

 

[Whut]

On the cheaper end, get a big rubbermaid tub, wrap a towel around your bucket/carboy. fill the tub up about 8" with water, and drop some frozen water bottles in there. The cold water will wick up the towel and evaporate to cool the beer.

And you can add a fan.

 

[Beernik]

That looks cool

 

[jdwest32]

And you can add a fan.

I live in Phoenix and I do what is in the pic. I am making a Wit right now and it stayed 66F the entire time. I wish i could find buckets like you have.

 

[Whut]

I wish i could find buckets like you have.

Easy, I got them at Home Depot.

 

[Jewrican]

i would run a test run with just water in a bucket or carboy and see how well you can do before risking a batch of beer on it.

Well, do a wine if you have to for the summer lol

 

[Revvy]

The easiest thing to do for temp control is the swamp cooler. If you do a search of the thousands of threads already here on this topic (hundreds every summer) you'll see various designs, some simpl like mine, some really complex. But you'll get plenty ideas.

I go up as high as I can with the water, then use the t-shirt as a wick to draw the water up as a wick around the rest of the fermenter.

Basically it is a rubbermade bin, water, some frozen water bottles (you ca also chuck rock salt in) and t-shirts over the fermenters to act as wicks, drawing the cold water up and around the fermeters.

I have gotten the water in the swamp cooler down to the high 50's and the fermenter a few degrees higher.

A fan blowing on it can be used as well.

 

[Bizoune]

If you can spring a few bucks on a temp controller, I'd go for it. It's probably the most useful piece of equipment that I own. I use it with a mini-fridge perfectly sized for a carboy. I've also used with a heater to ferment a saison at 28C, in a carboard box, for 6weeks. Results were terrific.