Temperature Control in the desert

[gpogo]

Where I'm currently living my roommates keep the house at 80F coming from the midwest we always had our house around 72 and a closet would be a perfect place for brewing.

I'm planning on brewing a Belgian Wit in a few weeks and don't think 80F is going to be too good for the resulting beer. Any suggestions on cheap ways to maintain a decent temperature?

My current plans are either:

1. Set the fermenter in a small container of water and put a frozen soda bottle(capped) of water in each day.

2. A cardboard box inside of a bigger cardboard box with paper(and if I can find some packing peanuts those too) and put a smaller frozen soda bottle in with it and cover the open tops of the boxes with either a wet or dry towel(not sure which would do better)

I live in southern california right on the edge of the desert so it is hot and dry here.

Any other suggestions? I can't amass too much equipment because I have to move it with me when I leave in a few months and changing the air conditioning settings are not an option either.(neither is waiting a few months to brew again )

 

[Arneba28]

The tub with the water bottle will work ok but not great. The cardboard box will not work, I tried it!. My suggestion is getting some insulation board and making yourself a cheap fermentation chamber with a lid.

Someone help me with a link to fermentation chamber plans

 

[gpogo]

Are you talking about the SoaF - http://home.elp.rr.com/brewbeer/chiller/chiller.PDF

I would totally do that but, I lack the money and room for it at the moment.

 

[Yooper]

Well, I built a new lid out of styrofoam for an Igloo cooler. It works great (see my gallery for pictures), but I'm not dealing with super high temperatures. I might bring my fermenter down to 62 from 80 (ambient), so it might not work so well for you.

 

[A4J]

I live in the desert. We keep room temps at 82F during the day when we're at work.

This is what I do:

With just 2 frozen water bottles switched out 2x a day, I'm able to keep the BetterBottle inside the cooler in the mid 60's

*edit*
the Better Bottle in the bucket needs 4 frozen water bottles changed 2x a day to maintain temps in the high 60's.

 

[olllllo]

Do as above, but cover the carboys with a wet t-shirt. In a dry climate, a fan will evaporate the water and keep things cool. If you can, get an aquarium pump to continue to rewet the shirt.

If you get monsoons like we do, the humidity will limit how effective this works. Generally if the dewpoint is under 50, you'll be fine.

Google adiabatic cooling.

 

[solidghost]

Do as above, but cover the carboys with a wet t-shirt. In a dry climate, a fan will evaporate the water and keep things cool. If you can, get an aquarium pump to continue to rewet the shirt.

If you get monsoons like we do, the humidity will limit how effective this works. Generally if the dewpoint is under 50, you'll be fine.

Google adiabatic cooling.

Yes, it is surprisingly that the wet t-shirt works very well, especially if the weather is very dry. However, too bad, where I stay, the humidity is very high.