Any tricks on cooling your fermenter?

[jbb3]

I have an all grain BIAB batch percolating away in the basement. It hasn't even been going 24 hours and the yeast is going crazy already...

The temp strip says it's around 78 so way too warm.

I have a small freezer but no way/no know how to modify the temp control so it doesn't freeze.

Other than turning the AC way down, any tricks for cooling the glass carboy fermenter??

BTW, It's an English Pale Ale...

 

[hunter_le five]

You might try putting it in an ice bath. Do it as soon as you can.

Either way, you are probably going to have some pretty strong estery flavors in the one.

I have a small freezer but no way/no know how to modify the temp control so it doesn't freeze.

This won't help you immediately, but in the future you might try a simple plug-and-play temp controller like a Johnson A419. This is what I use. No modification needed, just plug the freezer into the controller, and the controller into the wall, and attach the temp probe to the fermenter. You'll be set for temperature control in less than 2 minutes. If a dummy like me can figure it out, so can you.

 

[boydster]

Get a rope tote, put the carboy in it, fill the tub with water, add ice (frozen 2L bottles work well) as needed to maintain the temp you are looking for. The risk you run now is making the yeast drop out. Reducing the temp by 10+ degrees and keeping the yeast active will be a challenge.

 

[ericbw]

I just had this happen to me, although in the upper 60s, not all the way to 78. When it got up to about 68, I put it in a shallow water bath with a little ice. Eventually, I left it without ice, then took it out of the water. I think it has gotten up to 68 again, but after the fermentation had died down.

An ice bath will help, but will it be soon enough?

 

[WayFrae]

Get a big tub and put your carboy in it, fill it about halfway with water, put an old tshirt on the carboy so the bottom of the shirt is in the water, and set up a fan to blow on it. This will cool your carboy down quite a bit. To cool it even more, put some ice in the water.

 

[j1n]

Buy a STC-1000 and wire it up to control the temp in the freezer. I built mine for $35. there are many DIY videos online and wiring diagrams to help you build it. Also many here have built it for less that $35. if i didn't buy a project box from radio shack it would have only been $25.

 

[Bearclaw215]

There's a few ways to control temp i can think of.

Evaporation - Partially submerge your carboy with a cloth that will pull water into in wrapped around the carboy to take advantage of evaporation to cool your wort.

Swamp cooler - This is just a cooler/plastic tub you partially submerge your carboy in and add plastic bottles with frozen water to lower your temp. This method requires you to check in every few hours and add bottles as current ones melt. It's a simple way i can think of to cool, but you can make it as complicated as you want with a bit of imagination. I've seen people on hbt rig up pumps to pass cold water through an immersion chiller from another cooler all controlled by a temp controller. You can also combine this with evaporation for better results.

Temp controller - This is where the real fun begins. You just pick up a controller, i have a ranco etc 11100 i picked up off ebay for 45$ to wire myself which is easy enough and I like my unit. I see others using and enjoying the little black ones, i can't recall the name of but im sure someone will chime in with it. But anyway, you just place your probe in the fridge/freezer (taped to the fermentor or a thremowell is great to have), plug your fridge/freezer into the temp controller, set your desired temp and temp +/- and you're good to go. For the +/- you dont want too small like .25F +/- as your fridge/freezer will be running a lot and shortening its lifespan, mine only goes as low as 1F +/- and i find that adequate.
Nice thing about temp controllers is some of them will heat as well so do your research and buy for your needs/wants.

Glycol- If you have money to burn, want to have some fun and the best this is the way to go. From jacketed fermentors to completely custom cooling rigs. I'm not going to get into it as it varies as much as your imagination can go. Do a quick google search for "glycol fermenter" and be prepared to be jealous, i usually am.

Hope this helps out since temp control is a huge part of making better beer. Good Luck

 

[WayFrae]

There's a few ways to control temp i can think of.

Evaporation - Partially submerge your carboy with a cloth that will pull water into in wrapped around the carboy to take advantage of evaporation to cool your wort.

Swamp cooler - This is just a cooler/plastic tub you partially submerge your carboy in and add plastic bottles with frozen water to lower your temp. This method requires you to check in every few hours and add bottles as current ones melt. It's a simple way i can think of to cool, but you can make it as complicated as you want with a bit of imagination. I've seen people on hbt rig up pumps to pass cold water through an immersion chiller from another cooler all controlled by a temp controller. You can also combine this with evaporation for better results.

FYI, a swamp cooler is just another name for an evaporative cooler.

 

[Bearclaw215]

Yea I didn't see everyone elses post beat me to it. Just trying to keep it simple since there's different names for just about everything

 

[jbb3]

Dang... Hope I haven't screwed the pooch on this one already but sounds like I may have...

Was my first outdoor brew. Everything went well. I'm staring to get the hang of working through the brew process. But obviously have a lot to learn...

Already had the fermenter it in a plastic tub so added water and some ice and small fan. It's down to 70. Think I will let it equalize for a while. Damage may already be done so don't want to chance stalling it too. Will continue to bring it down slowly from here.

Trick is trying to do it between conference calls...

Looks like I may have a DIY Digital temp controller in my future.

Thanks ALL for the great tips and tricks!!

 

[jbb3]

65 degree. Still bubbling so far...

Should I leave it there or drop a few more degrees for an English Pale Ale??

 

[hunter_le five]

I would leave it, unless you have a good reason to do otherwise. 65*F is fine for most ale yeasts. Not sure what you are using though.

 

[boydster]

I would leave it, unless you have a good reason to do otherwise. 65*F is fine for most ale yeasts. Not sure what you are using though.

+1, you've cooled it 13 degrees fairly quickly. I'd leave it be now, just try to maintain that temperature.

 

[BierMuncher]

Inexpensive container to hold your fermenter (oil change bucket at Sears with the top cut out)

Large t-shirt wrapped around the Carboy.

Fille bucket with water and let water wick up the t-shirt.

Place a small fan near by to cool the wet tshirt.

 

[jbb3]

I would leave it, unless you have a good reason to do otherwise. 65*F is fine for most ale yeasts. Not sure what you are using though.

safale s-04

 

[ram5ey]

A temp controller and a fridge/freezer is your BEST option but also most pricey...I made some great beer before I went that route that were done in a closest in my apartment with the fermentor in a 10 gal tub I got at HD for about 10 with a towel wrapped around the fermentor. Just fill the tub about half way and then I could adjust the desired temp with ice filled bottles. I also found that I could better adjust the temp by how much ice was in the bottles. In the end I got a freezer and a Johnson controller.

 

[jbb3]

Inexpensive container to hold your fermenter (oil change bucket at Sears with the top cut out)

Large t-shirt wrapped around the Carboy.

Fille bucket with water and let water wick up the t-shirt.

Place a small fan near by to cool the wet tshirt.

View attachment 204735

I always knew beer and wet t-shirts went together but this is not the image that I conjure up when i think about it...

 

[jbb3]

Added the wet t-shirt with small fan last night before bed with the water but no ice. I expected to get up today and see a higher than desired temp. But to my pleasant surprise, still holding in the mid 60s!

At first, I though the wet t-shirt was touching the temp strip and artificially lowering the temp. So I turned the carboy so the temp strip was on the opposite side of where the fan was and I made sure the t-shirt was not physically touching the temp strip and left it for a few hours. Still in the mid 60s!

You guys really do know your tricks!!

Question is: Damage done?? Is starting off fermentation in the 78 deg range for the first 18-20 hours (vigorous yeast activity) enough to ruin the beer??

 

[BierMuncher]

Added the wet t-shirt with small fan last night before bed with the water but no ice. I expected to get up today and see a higher than desired temp. But to my pleasant surprise, still holding in the mid 60s!

At first, I though the wet t-shirt was touching the temp strip and artificially lowering the temp. So I turned the carboy so the temp strip was on the opposite side of where the fan was and I made sure the t-shirt was not physically touching the temp strip and left it for a few hours. Still in the mid 60s!

You guys really do know your tricks!!

Question is: Damage done?? Is starting off fermentation in the 78 deg range for the first 18-20 hours (vigorous yeast activity) enough to ruin the beer??

Warm vigorous initial fermentation can lend itself to some hot alcohol warmth in the beer, but this is usually limited to high gravity brews. Even so, the alcohol warmth will fade with some time. At worst you may have coaxed some floral, fruity esters out of the beer.

 

[BrewerDan1]

I have tried several ways to control fermentation but the simplest way for me was to build the 38DD fermentation chamber. In the summer I can control the temperatures with a couple frozen 2 liter bottles and in the winter I connect a 200 watt heater, all controlled with an STC 1000. It does an outstanding job. I am sure I found the plans and cut sheet on this site and would like to give credit to the person that designed this box but I just do not remember.

 

[ericbw]

Warm vigorous initial fermentation can lend itself to some hot alcohol warmth in the beer, but this is usually limited to high gravity brews. Even so, the alcohol warmth will fade with some time. At worst you may have coaxed some floral, fruity esters out of the beer.

I didn't know that this was mostly a problem with higher gravity. So a lighter cream ale might not produce the hot alcohol that you'd get from a stronger beer? I had some wild temperature swings on the current batch, so I'm a little nervous.

 

[jbb3]

I have tried several ways to control fermentation but the simplest way for me was to build the 38DD fermentation chamber. In the summer I can control the temperatures with a couple frozen 2 liter bottles and in the winter I connect a 200 watt heater, all controlled with an STC 1000. It does an outstanding job. I am sure I found the plans and cut sheet on this site and would like to give credit to the person that designed this box but I just do not remember.

Funny you post this. I recently came across these plans and definitely plan to construct one. Looks like a financially reasonable way to control temp within limits.