Swamp cooler--when can I STOP the water bottle shuffle?

[Etnewbrew]

I've read tons of threads on how to build and use a swamp cooler. My first brew is fermenting nicely in one now. I'm using the frozen water bottle trick twice a day. Keeping swamp water between 60 and 66 degrees. Big swings, I know. But I can only swap bottles twice a day and my closet ambient temp is about 79-80 on average.

My bucket fermented hard for 3 days (I pitched at 75, wish I hadn't). But the swamp water for those first 3 days averaged 60-62.

Okay, enough blabber...when can I stop the water bottle shuffle? Or must I keep swamp water cool for the full 4 weeks? I still have 3 more weeks in primary before going to bottle. It's been 7 days in primary and airlock activity is very very slow.

Thanks folks.

 

[Jhu1321]

Primary fermentation is usually done in 3-4 days. I'd say you're good.

 

[brew_darrymore]

What yeast are you using and what was the original gravity of your wort?

For a beer with OG below 1.050 and fermentation temperature between 62-68F, fermentation is normally done in 5-7 days. After that period, the yeast will start cleaning up fermentation by-products and that process could happen at a slightly higher temperature. I normally go to 70-72F after 7 days and I stay there for another week. You could probably go even higher, since fermentation is over and no significant amount of fermentation by-products will be produced. With Belgian yeasts, I've let beer stay at 80F for 3-4 weeks before bottling.

 

[Br3w4u]

I usually use my kegerator to control fermentation temps but for my last 4 batches I have just been using my 8 gallon stainless steel pot filled with star San and I do the ice pack shuffle for the first 3 days of active fermentation and then just let it do it's thing. I also usually only do a 2 week fermentation but every beer that I made this way turned out great with no noticeable off flavors.

 

[Brownalemikie]

I suggest finding a location with a constant temp in the 70-74 range. Anyways, I've been rotating ice bottles during the first 3 days or until the krausen drops To keep the temp between 64-68 and then allow the temp to slowly rise to 70-72 range. But, I only brew Brown Ales, Stouts and Porters. Your temps may vary depending what type of beer you brew.

 

[Etnewbrew]

My yeast was dry safale S-04. OG 1.06. I only have one location for fermenting and that is the closet. Ambient temp 79 average. Thus the swamp cooler.

 

[Etnewbrew]

Oh. I'm fermenting goose island milk porter. If that matters any.

 

[Br3w4u]

I feel like bigger rooms work better than closets. Even if you can just put it in the corner of a room because you get more airflow than you would in a closet. That's just my opinion.

 

[CGVT]

Primary fermentation is usually done in 3-4 days. I'd say you're good.

This^^^

3-4 days is good for most beers.

BTW, 3 more weeks before bottling seems to be overkill to me.

 

[mongoose33]

You're fine.

My standard approach is to ferment S-04 at 63 or 64 degrees (I have a fermentation chamber). Once active fermentation has ceased--and -04 is pretty fast and aggressive--I then bump up the temperature to 71 degrees for a few days for the yeast to clean up after itself.

My most recent brew w/ S-04 went like this, OG 1.059:

6/10: Pitched yeast at noon. Temp set at 63.
6/13: Tuesday evening, bumped temp up to 65.
6/14: Wednesday morning, bumped temp up to 68.
6/14: Wednesday evening, bumped temp up to 71.
6/17: Saturday afternoon, dropped temp to 63.
6/26: Crashed to 32, used gelatin finings.
6/28: Keg and force carb.

Now, mine may have gone a little faster than yours--I'm rehydrating the yeast and oxygenating the wort. But even so, I'd expect w/ the OG you have to be similar. After 4 days I'd expect you saw the Krausen fall, and the bubbling slow.

So you're more or less done. The way to be sure is take a hydrometer reading. Should end up around 1.012 or 1.014 or so.

******************

If you're doing a swamp cooler with a t-shirt hanging over the fermenter and drawing up water to evaporate, I'd wonder if an enclosed closet allows enough air movement. Yeast is exothermic, and in my experience S-04 is going to bump up the temps of the fermenter by 5-6 degrees over ambient, maybe a bit more.

You might be able to get a little more efficiency out of the swamp cooler (not the ice bottles) by using a small USB fan to blow air over it.

 

[Etnewbrew]

This^^^

3-4 days is good for most beers.

BTW, 3 more weeks before bottling seems to be overkill to me.

Im only doing 4 weeks because thats what the instructions said.

Actually, they said 1-2 primary and if no secondary, then plus 2 more. Maybe I'll bottle at week three then.

 

[brew_darrymore]

S04 works very fast and fermentation is either done or very close to being done for a OG 1.060 beer.

I'd say let the beer warm up for 3-4 days and then bottle or keg. The beer will clear in the bottle/keg.

 

[Homercidal]

I say keep it under control for a few days and let keep the yeast under reign until most of their food is gone. After that, there just isn't enough chance for them to add off-flavors. Then let it warm up. They will have slowed down, meaning they aren't contributing to the problem of higher temps, and they can be more effective at cleaning up the rest of the food and themselves too.

 

[Brownalemikie]

Oh. I'm fermenting goose island milk porter. If that matters any.

I just brewed my first batch of goose island milk Porter from Northern Brewing. Split the recipe into two 2 1/2 gallon batches. It ferments perfect between 66-70 degrees.

 

[Etnewbrew]

I just brewed my first batch of goose island milk Porter from Northern Brewing. Split the recipe into two 2 1/2 gallon batches. It ferments perfect between 66-70 degrees.

I'm excited to see how it comes out. I pitched too high but have maintained ferment temp in the sixties consistently.