Apartment fermenting with ale pail

[DaSwede]

Hi all! First post, been reading for awhile now! I'm relatively new to brewing.

I live in a small 3rd floor apartment and currently, I do only extract brewing. I ferment using an ale pail (secondary in glass carboy if I feel like doing a secondary at all) in my closet and I carbonate/store bottles in a 4 drawer steel filing cabinet (awesome idea, by the way) also in my closet.

I'm looking for a way to keep the temps in the mid 60s or so for fermenting, but I've no good idea on how to do it. Sometimes I'm gone from my apartment for several days, so I can't switch out frozen bottles, etc every day, so that idea is out. Would the best thing be just to measure the bucket, buy a cheap mini fridge off craigslist and use that? I'm assuming I would have to get a digital thermometer to keep the temps stable? Would the bottles in the filing cabinet be ok for carbonating/storing, even at high 70s or should they be kept cooler? Good ideas for that?

Thanks!

 

[phoenixs4r]

Mini fridge plus temp control. I think people go a little overboard on temp control more often than not.

Your bottles are fine at 70

 

[Revvy]

Cheap end a swamp cooler like these.

More expensive, like phoenix said a fridge, like a dorm one.

 

[phoenixs4r]

Cheap end a swamp cooler like these.

More expensive, like phoenix said a fridge, like a dorm one.

I believe he's trying to stay away from ice exchanges. Again, I think most people tend to go over board with temperature control, but the cheapest option would be a swamp cooler set u like revvy posted. You really only need to control the fermentation for the first week for an ale. Most fermentation should be done at the point, and if it isn't you should put money towards improving your process.

You can also do what u did before I had a fridge. I purchased a 10 gallon cooler, the same ones that folks here use to do all grain with, to cool fermentation down. Once I found a free fridge I turned it into a mash tun. Not quite sure if an ale pale fits in it, but both my carboys did.

 

[Mjkielec]

I have a near identical situation...3rd floor apt. Closet storage. Usually holds around low to mid 70s. Never had a problem and brewed some great ales.

 

[DaSwede]

I have a near identical situation...3rd floor apt. Closet storage. Usually holds around low to mid 70s. Never had a problem and brewed some great ales.

I'm going to hit up craigslist to find a cheap mini fridge, once I've measured... maybe I can even make a lager at some point in it

Another question, if I do a secondary, can that stay at around 75 to 80 without problems?

 

[frailn]

Look for wine fridges/coolers as well. I always seem to find Haier wine coolers on craigslist. Just have to make sure your pail will fit in whatever one you find. Sometimes that compresser hump can get in the way.

 

[phoenixs4r]

Another question, if I do a secondary, can that stay at around 75 to 80 without problems?

Yes its fine. You don't have to secondary, you can just take the carboy out to condition at those temps. Just ensure that primary fermentation is over.

 

[iijakii]

What, you don't want two chest freezers and an electric rig in your tiny apartment like I have?

 

[DaSwede]

What, you don't want two chest freezers and an electric rig in your tiny apartment like I have?

All I have to do is replace my dresser with a chest freezer and keep my clothes on the floor in the corner!