Temperatures

[TheNewGuy]

Hi guys,

I am new to home brewing, and just recently got a starter kit. The recommended brewing temperatures are 60-70 for the recipe I got, but my house will probably be more like 80. Do you think this will be a huge issue for this recipe and future brews, and if so, do you have any solutions? I will be using a 6.5 Gallon Fermenter to help you get an idea of the size I will be dealing with. Thanks for your help!

Sincerely,

TheNewGuy

 

[Thundercougarfalconbird]

Temp control is a pretty big deal
Buy a big storage box/bucket(plastic) you may already have one laying around
Put your fermenter in it, fill the storage box/bucket with cold water. put it in a closet, add 2-3 frozen water bottles every 12 or so hours.(search swamp cooler for more insight)

 

[sgillespie]

80 is pretty dramatic. 75 is okay for some yeasts. What type of yeast are you using?

 

[Homercidal]

Listen to me:

Fermentation temperature is one of the most CRITICAL aspects of brewing.

Try to do it right, right away. For most ales, the proper temp is in the low-mid 60's. And that is the temperature of the fermenting wort, not the ambient air temp. The fermentation process can easily add 5 degrees or more.

Look into a swamp cooler or some other simple method for lowering the temps if you have to. It's not really very hard to make something work.

Yes you can brew a beer at the 75 degree temp, but it will not be the best you can make. Try to get it down at least until the bulk of the fermentation is complete, usually 3-7 days, depending.

 

[cklages]

Fermentation temperature is one of the most CRITICAL aspects of brewing.

I fully agree. Fermentation temperature control led to the single largest improvement in my beer since I started. There are many ways to accomplish this, but you really should find one that works for you.

 

[ThePearsonFam]

First question I always ask is, what's your budget? Second, are you space limited? third, how interested are you in the hobby?

For me, it was worth $40 for a freezer and $75 for a TSS2 Love controller/T-61 temp probe (by Dwyer). I rigged it up to be a temp controlled fermentation chamber. I was somewhat limited on cash and am not limited on garage space. This is a very easy project. I can provide more detail if you like...

For the short-term, if you're just itchin' to brew, the swamp cooler style rig is probably the best, least expensive way to go. You can even put the fermenter into a bath-tub with good results.

 

[Russtang]

I used a swamp cooler setup in my bathtub for the first couple weeks of my first ale brew. I was able to keep the water temperature constantly down to around 72 in a house that hovers around 78 this time of year (Phoenix). With summer coming, and no one home during the day, we bump the temps up to the low 80's. I knew the swamp cooler setup was soon going to be marginal for me, so I picked up a used mini fridge for fermentation. I posted this in another thread:

I just got one of these for my $25 craigslist refrigerator/fermentation chamber.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000E7NYY8

It has a switch to select either heating or cooling. I extended the temperature probe wires about 3 feet and ran it up inside the fridge. Working great so far. Total fermentation chamber outlay was less than $60.

If you can't solder, the temp probe wire has plenty of room to cut and splice in some additional cable. Temps are very stable now at 64, and no refilling of the tub or constant fan noise. The fridge is in my garage and only turns on once or twice an hour for a few minutes. Well worth the investment for me.

 

[C-Rider]

Get it coold NOW. By spending $5 on the big muck bucket and then think about a better but costler system

Picture of my muck bucket w/primary air lock sticking out from under a wet towel.

 

[TheNewGuy]

Wow, thank you all for your speedy responses! Now that I know just how important temps are to the whole process is, I think I will try using the swamp cooler method, and adding the frozen water bottles to it. I am planning to store it in a closet to help keep the temps regulated even more. I will probably try my first brew in the next week or two. Thanks again.

Sincerely,

TheNewGuy

 

[stephm]

Do you have an AC in your house?

 

[MaltMonster]

Temp control is a pretty big deal
Buy a big storage box/bucket(plastic) you may already have one laying around
Put your fermenter in it, fill the storage box/bucket with cold water. put it in a closet, add 2-3 frozen water bottles every 12 or so hours.(search swamp cooler for more insight)

I have one stored this way right now.

 

[trevor_b]

I'll probably need to do some sort of swamp cooler method when I start brewing. It's hard for us southerners to keep ideal fermenting temps once the weather starts warming up I suppose.

 

[Primevci]

First question I always ask is, what's your budget? Second, are you space limited? third, how interested are you in the hobby?

For me, it was worth $40 for a freezer and $75 for a TSS2 Love controller/T-61 temp probe (by Dwyer). I rigged it up to be a temp controlled fermentation chamber. I was somewhat limited on cash and am not limited on garage space. This is a very easy project. I can provide more detail if you like...

For the short-term, if you're just itchin' to brew, the swamp cooler style rig is probably the best, least expensive way to go. You can even put the fermenter into a bath-tub with good results.

how exatcly do u half to wire this?

 

[beersteiner2345]

So glad I read this thread... didn't realize fermentation temperature was different from ambient temp... my wort has been at 76 degrees for the first 12-18 hours, despite the air temp being lower.

Just filled the tub, tossed some frozen ice jugs, and put a wet towel on it. I hope this is early enough to salvage the batch... :/

 

[ThePearsonFam]

how exatcly do u half to wire this?

Sorry, I've been out of town... Here's a good link:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/love-controller-freezer-its-alive-error-erp-alarm-237646/

Let me know if you need more help.