Condensation in primary

[theNOOB]

It is a bad sign if water is beading up on the inside walls of the carboy? Just doesn't seem like this should be happening. I believe the ambient temperature around my fermenter is 74-75, so what is going on?

 

[Airplanedoc]

no worries.

Its just the opposite of a glass of ice water -- warm and damp inside cold glass outside

 

[FattySparks]

Sounds normal, except usually you don't want your fermenter in that warm of an area.

 

[gypsyhead]

Dude, if it's not more humid inside your carboy than out, I'd be worried. They say in the maritime cargo business "Hot to cold, vent bold (to drive off condensation); cold to hot, vent not (to prevent condensation)." Essentially, if your wort is a bit warmer than ambient temp, condensate is perfectly normal, though if you were to ventilate the wort, you would have less (though considerably more oxidation, which is a MUCH more significant issue). In short, don't worry about condensation bud, though you may want to look into better temp control.

 

[Piratwolf]

It is a bad sign if water is beading up on the inside walls of the carboy? Just doesn't seem like this should be happening. I believe the ambient temperature around my fermenter is 74-75, so what is going on?

If your estimate is correct, then your wort may be above 80 degrees. If it's a Belgian yeast and/or you're looking to intentionally create strong off-flavors, please ignore this post. Otherwise, you'll be much happier with your results if you ferment your wort in the 60s! A swamp cooler is a low-cost option for temp control, but there are many ways to do it.

Good luck!