Homebrewing in the summer

[San Jose State University]

Since the weather's getting warmer, and people still like to homebrew, I'd like to know all of your plans to keep your primary/secondary/bottles cool?

Personally, I don't have the $$ or space for a spare fridge, so I'm looking for ideas.

 

[BierMuncher]

We have basements in the Midwest but if no basement, a large plastic tub with cool/ice water is a stop gap solution.

 

[San Jose State University]

hmm that's a possibility. No basements in Cali. Just hot, 100+ deg F rooms.

I was thinking a wet towel dipped in something to act as a wick... and a small fan.
Anyone try that?

 

[The Pol]

Craigslist, that was my solution... small chest freezer and a temp controller from NB... I have no choice. THOUGH, I think I will get my Hugh Heffe and my IPA in before I have to even worry about it

 

[Vermicous]

I had a lot of trouble keeping my temps down last year, so this year I won't even try. I will just be brewing Hefe's and Belgian's, anything designed to be fermented 70+ degrees.

 

[Whelk]

Yeah, buckets with water in 'em. Or Belgians.

 

[San Jose State University]

I had a lot of trouble keeping my temps down last year, so this year I won't even try. I will just be brewing Hefe's and Belgian's, anything designed to be fermented 70+ degrees.

Wait... I didn't know Hefe's and Belgians fermented at higher temps. How high can they go?

 

[Chuck_p]

I am going to move all my brewing equipment to my computer room which in the summer I keep around 68 or so. I have only done 4 brews so far so I am still a near total newbie.

 

[Whelk]

Wait... I didn't know Hefe's and Belgians fermented at higher temps. How high can they go?

80degF? Something like that.

 

[Geordiepete]

Just brew enough now to last the summer!

 

[DeathBrewer]

80degF? Something like that.

yeah, but 80 F will give you a fruity taste for belgians and too much banana for hefes. i always try to get my temps below 75 and only that high if it calls for it.

"son of fermentation chiller" I built one and it's worked well from my tests. haven't really got to use it officially, but EVERYONE i've talked to that has built one has been happy with it. directions here:
http://home.elp.rr.com/brewbeer/chiller/chiller.PDF

and here:
http://www.azhomebrewers.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=84

I'll be trying mine out this summer when it gets too hot. i'm in oakland, tho, so it never gets REAL hot. hell, i could probably do lager's in it :rockin:

 

[Whelk]

yeah, but 80 F will give you a fruity taste for belgians and too much banana for hefes. i always try to get my temps below 75 and only that high if it calls for it.

"son of fermentation chiller" I built one and it's worked well from my tests. haven't really got to use it officially, but EVERYONE i've talked to that has built one has been happy with it. directions here:
http://home.elp.rr.com/brewbeer/chiller/chiller.PDF

and here:
http://www.azhomebrewers.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=84

I'll be trying mine out this summer when it gets too hot. i'm in oakland, tho, so it never gets REAL hot. hell, i could probably do lager's in it :rockin:

Yeah, I only put that as the top range. I've never made a beer that hot, just heard that you can. But right, what you said is probably a better range.

 

[abracadabra]

Can't find the link but someone posted the idea of an Igloo Ice cube cooler with a hole cut in the top to allow the air lock and neck to stick out. It had just enough room for 2 liter soda bottles ( maybe it was 1 liter) filled with frozen water to go in the corners

The soda bottles are swapped out with other frozen soda bottles as they thaw.

If it were my cooler I'd got to the hardward store buy some ridgid insulation and make a new top with a hole in it and save to original Ice Cube lid.

I hate to bust your bubble but a wet towel and 100+ temps ain't gonna happen for you unless you want to change that towel every 20-30 minutes. You'd be better off with a tub of cool water.

 

[Vermicous]

Most Hefe's seem to range 70-75 degrees. Most of the Belgians are in the same category, with a couple of exceptions. Duvel, I have read, reaches 80+ degrees when fermenting.

 

[DeathBrewer]

yeah and duvel tastes like crap compared to it's belgian brothers.

 

[San Jose State University]

Can't find the link but someone posted the idea of an Igloo Ice cube cooler with a hole cut in the top to allow the air lock and neck to stick out. It had just enough room for 2 liter soda bottles ( maybe it was 1 liter) filled with frozen water to go in the corners

The soda bottles are swapped out with other frozen soda bottles as they thaw.

If it were my cooler I'd got to the hardward store buy some ridgid insulation and make a new top with a hole in it and save to original Ice Cube lid.

I hate to bust your bubble but a wet towel and 100+ temps ain't gonna happen for you unless you want to change that towel every 20-30 minutes. You'd be better off with a tub of cool water.

I'm talking about evaporation cooling. Perhaps I could fill a tub with water, sick the fermentor in the tub with a towel over it, and then aim a fan at it.

I'm HOPING that the towel will suck the water from the tub to keep itself wet as the evaporation dries the towel.

Even if it does work, I don't know how much cooler it will keep the fermentor.

 

[Blender]

Can't find the link but someone posted the idea of an Igloo Ice cube cooler with a hole cut in the top to allow the air lock and neck to stick out. It had just enough room for 2 liter soda bottles ( maybe it was 1 liter) filled with frozen water to go in the corners

The soda bottles are swapped out with other frozen soda bottles as they thaw.

If it were my cooler I'd got to the hardward store buy some ridgid insulation and make a new top with a hole in it and save to original Ice Cube lid.

I hate to bust your bubble but a wet towel and 100+ temps ain't gonna happen for you unless you want to change that towel every 20-30 minutes. You'd be better off with a tub of cool water.

It's here>>> http://www.brewboard.com/index.php?showtopic=42533&hl=igloo

 

[DeathBrewer]

the tub will work fine, but do you have a spare tub or a container that could work as such?

those full keg size ice buckets are about the right size. you may need to refill the water, too, or drop some ice in if it gets over temp.

 

[Jetsers]

Just brew enough now to last the summer!

That is what I am doing as we speak. after my 300$ batch running the AC last year, never again.

 

[onecolumbyte]

Wet towel works decent in the spring and fall but not as well in the summer. Best you can do with evap cooling is the "wet bulb" temperature, when it's 100 thats around 70F. 70 might be ok (its def. better than 100) except the fermentation will release heat so you're garunteed that your wort will be hotter than 70. I suggest looking into the Fermentation Chiller or Fridge.

 

[kingjam]

I Have a 96qt rubbermade tub that I am going to put the better bottles into. Then see how many frozen 2 liters it takes to keep the water at 65 degrees. My probe therm has an alarm on it so when the water gets above 65 it will beep, time for new frozen bottles. I hope this will work.

 

[DeathBrewer]

that sounds like a plan. let us know!

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

I live in the South and I want to keep brewing throughout the hot summer months. I keep my house between 80 and 85 degrees during the summer so I need something to keep my fermentors about 10 to 20 degrees colder than my house. I have found multiple sites about DIY fermentation chillers but I still have a few questions maybe someone could help me with.



1: Can an old fridge be rigged to stay at the proper temp for fermentation? If so, what is required?


2: I bottle condition so... what about the bottles? Don't they need to be kept at around 68 degrees as well? If I build the Son of the Fermentation Chiller described in the link in DeathBrewer's post were do I cool my bottles?

 

[HarvInSTL]

1: Can an old fridge be rigged to stay at the proper temp for fermentation? If so, what is required?

Here you go
http://morebeer.com/product.html?product_id=16663

I've been using this to keep my my fermenters cool and all I've had to do so far is add a tray or two of ice cubes in the morning and then check it later in the day.

They are only $13 at Home Depot.

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Here you go

Thanks, I was searching online last night for hours trying to find something like that thermostat.

 

[San Jose State University]

Doing a quick experiment with a low-powered fan and a thermometer with wet paper towel wrapped around it, I've found that I can lower the room temperature 15 deg F with relative ease. I'll apply it to a fermentation set-up and let you guys know how it works!

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Mauribrew yeast, if you can find it, will work at temps as high as 85f fairly clean.