Temperature Controll (Warming)

[ChemistBrewer]

Hello all im new here! Great Forum and great info. Anyway...

I just moved and decided to get a little more serious about my brewing. I have a chest freezer for serving/Carbing/ and Lagering. I would prefer to keep that one that way. My problem is I have a root cellar type basement that does not stay warm enough in the winter for proper ale temp. Plus I want to regulate them more so I get more desirable results. So my questions are:

What do you think the cheapest and easiest way to consistently keep a space about 60-68 degrees is?

Would it be easier just to pick up a second chest freezer with a dual temp controller and use a ferm-wrap or some type device to keep it warm?

I thought about building the "Son of Fermentor" type chamber for warming use. However, I sometimes brew 4 batches in very close time frame and wondered if that would get too hot, during various active fermentations, thus needing to be cooled? Also by the time I build a big one I may have almost enough money in it to buy a used chest freezer.

I live in NC and its only too cold about 3 month of the year but we do have some wild temp swings all winter long. Space is not an issue I have plenty at this time. I have looked at some of the custom made fermentor chamber project but dont really have the time to put into one of these. Thanks for the help!

 

[tre9er]

Chest freezer that will fit as many fermenters as you plan to have going at any one time. Build your own dual stage controller (STC-1000, search "ebay temp controller") or buy a dual stage Johnson Controller or similar.

However - The issue with multiple fermenters is that they will be at multiple stages of fermentation assuming you brewed them at different times, so one might get hotter than the other. Controlling ambient temp is only useful to a degree, but the internal beer temps can be up to 10* warmer than ambient during the height of yeast growth. Keep this in mind, though if you ferment on the low end of the temp range (in terms of ambient temps), say 62 for ales, you'll ensure your beer won't rise too terribly much and throw off a lot of funky flavors.

Having each batch ferment through it's hottest phase by itself is usually best. Then you can take them out and use a single-stage fermwrap or reptile heater to keep them WARM enough (whereas the new batches will need more cooling than warming).

Out of curiosity, what's the ambient temp in the root cellar, on average, during the winter?

If it's cold enough, you might be able to just use single stage controllers on fermwrap or reptile heaters and let nature handle the cooling part. Again, I'd ferment on the low end of the yeast's spectrum as air temp doesn't cool very efficiently so your temps will rise some before they are held in check.

 

[ChemistBrewer]

Out of curiosity, what's the ambient temp in the root cellar, on average, during the winter?

If it's cold enough, you might be able to just use single stage controllers on fermwrap or reptile heaters and let nature handle the cooling part. Again, I'd ferment on the low end of the yeast's spectrum as air temp doesn't cool very efficiently so your temps will rise some before they are held in check.[/QUOTE]


Right now its about 40-48 at night and mid to high 50s during the day. I have one batch going now to test the space. Ive got the carboy wraped in a wool blanket and Ive been keeping a space heater on at night on a timer to go off at about 8am. the space heater keeps the carboy at about 55 all night. I have signs of vigorus fermentation that has been going strong since I pitched my starter of whitelabs burton ale yeast 3 days ago. In fact I had to use the blow off tube.

 

[tre9er]

Right now its about 40-48 at night and mid to high 50s during the day. I have one batch going now to test the space. Ive got the carboy wraped in a wool blanket and Ive been keeping a space heater on at night on a timer to go off at about 8am. the space heater keeps the carboy at about 55 all night. I have signs of vigorus fermentation that has been going strong since I pitched my starter of whitelabs burton ale yeast 3 days ago. In fact I had to use the blow off tube.

Like I said, at those temps, for Ales, I'd get single stage controllers and individual fermwraps or reptile heat tapes and set the heat for the low end of the spectrum, in the low 60's. As exponential growth phase get's going and the beer heats itself, the ambient temps of 40's-50's will help keep that in check. Of course, if the temps get into the 70's in summer down there, at that point you'll need to use cooling as opposed to heating (my basement runs from 62-78 depending on season, so cooling is all I use although I do have a dual stage controller).