Fermentation temps

[HoosierInFL]

After completing my first batch I am looking at what to brew next. Some recipes call for fermentation temps to be in the 60'sF. How do you keep the fermentation vessel that cold? Keep in mind I have the Coopers DIY kit.

Thanks.

 

[chickypad]

search for "swamp cooler"

 

[Boleslaus]

Yep. Make a swamp cooler. And just so you know for the future, really all ales should be fermented in the 60's except in special cases. Above 70 and a lot of off flavors can be produced.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

yeah, not to beat a dead horse, but a swamp cooler's the easies, cheapest and a pretty effective way to control temps.

 

[HoosierInFL]

Is it not a pain to keep checking temps, swapping frozen bottles, etc for weeks?

 

[bullinachinashop]

What's your floor temp?
The water in a swamp cooler will stay at that temp if in contact with the concrete.

 

[Stauffbier]

Is it not a pain to keep checking temps, swapping frozen bottles, etc for weeks?

It is a lot of work to keep up with.. I'm lagering in a swamp cooler. I have to swap out quite a lot of containers twice a day, but It's good exercise for burning off the calories from drinking so much homebrew!! Look at the photos on my profile, and you'll see a photo of it...

 

[sonex]

Is it not a pain to keep checking temps, swapping frozen bottles, etc for weeks?

yep it sure is but it is the cheapest, and unless you have a way to refrigerate its your best option.

 

[NordeastBrewer77]

Is it not a pain to keep checking temps, swapping frozen bottles, etc for weeks?

less of a pain than drinking bad beer due to high fermentation temps. or not having beer cuz the yeast didn't kick off due to the wort cooling off too much. i guess it's a matter of how hard is it to read a thermometer a few times a day?

 

[Zak]

Would setting the AC in the room you're keeping the fermentation bucket in to a certain temp work out ok?

 

[steber]

I keep mine in my basement which is 75 degrees ambient temp. With my carboy in a swamp cooler setup with a shirt drapped over it my temp drops down to 65 on the carboy. Throw a fan on and it'll pull it down even more.

 

[HoosierInFL]

less of a pain than drinking bad beer due to high fermentation temps. or not having beer cuz the yeast didn't kick off due to the wort cooling off too much. i guess it's a matter of how hard is it to read a thermometer a few times a day?

I can do without the snarky comments. I am not home for a minimum of 12 hours every day, so yeah, it would be hard.

 

[Boleslaus]

I can do without the snarky comments. I am not home for a minimum of 12 hours every day, so yeah, it would be hard.

Don't think he meant it to be too *****ey. I leave home at generally swap bottles between 6-7am and 7-10pm. With a swamp cooler you don't have to be too precise. The beer itself will take a while to change temps because of its thermal mass, so as long as the cooler water isn't changing by too more than 5 degrees you should be fine.

 

[HoosierInFL]

Would setting the AC in the room you're keeping the fermentation bucket in to a certain temp work out ok?

That would require me keeping my house at 65F. Can't do that. I live in south Florida, so things are always warm around here.

I found a small used freezer for super cheap, so I am just going to use that with a temp controller.

 

[Stauffbier]

I am not home for a minimum of 12 hours every day, so yeah, it would be hard.

I usually change out every 12 hours, but every now and then when I'm too busy to get to it I might go as much as 14 hours only losing maybe 1 degree F..

 

[sonex]

That would require me keeping my house at 65F. Can't do that. I live in south Florida, so things are always warm around here.

I found a small used freezer for super cheap, so I am just going to use that with a temp controller.

yep that is the best and easy way.

 

[Boleslaus]

That would require me keeping my house at 65F. Can't do that. I live in south Florida, so things are always warm around here.

I found a small used freezer for super cheap, so I am just going to use that with a temp controller.

That is definitely the best way to go. I would if I had room. My gf is already sick of looking at my kegerator, so until I have a basement or brew space, the swamp cooler hidden in the closet will have to do.

 

[Zak]

That would require me keeping my house at 65F. Can't do that. I live in south Florida, so things are always warm around here.

I found a small used freezer for super cheap, so I am just going to use that with a temp controller.

I live in Phoenix and when we get a cold snap the coldest my apartment gets is mid 60's, but the normal range is in the 70's. I'm new to brewing so I was just wondering if it would work. I can run the ac/heat in just one room to attempt to control the temp. Although I'm pretty sure when the summer comes around I'll need something more to control temps.

 

[muthafuggle]

I can do without the snarky comments. I am not home for a minimum of 12 hours every day, so yeah, it would be hard.

Son, this here's the Internet, and this is one of the mildest and most polite corners of the internet to boot. If you are that thin skinned and snark sensitive, perhaps this isn't the right series of tubes for your dainty constitution.

God forbid you encounter enthusiasm and a soupçon of zealotry about a hobby on a web site specifically designated for that hobby.

 

[ashplub]

I use a swamp cooler in Florida. I use 2x2liter bottles and a few smaller bottles. I drop some in the morning, put the others in the freezer and drop that batch in at night. This method works great with a tee shirt over the bucket so the cool water can wick up it. I can keep the temps in the high 60s in mid summer with the AC off during the day(80s in the house easy) as measured with a stick-on thermometer.

I chimed in to point out that temp control is most crucial during the first few days of fermentation. While it is ideal to keep the beer cool the entire time, I stop the changing of bottles once the vigorous fermentation is over (keeping the bucket in the cooler) and I like the results.

 

[daksin]

If your humidity is low, you can wrap the fermentor in a thick, wet towel, and point a fan at it. Sans fan, you're looking at around 65F, but with my fan, I can get my fermentor down to around 62. I just wet the towel before I leave for work, when I get home, and before bed. Takes about 10 seconds. If your humidity is high, obviously evaporative cooling won't work as well, in which case the muckbucket/ice bottles solutions is the easiest/cheapest.


Chill man. He makes a fair point, we're about as civil a bunch as you're likely to meet on teh intarwebs. Anyway, the referenced comment really wasn't all that snarky. Beer fermented hot is terrible (ask me how I know) and keeping beer cool is cheap and easy.

Also, +1 to muthafuggle for soupçon. That a vocab word this week?