Anyone ever survived 50 degree (F) for 3 weeks?

[shlegminitism]

I'm considering having a go at making either a marzen or a maibock for my next batch (from extract). Right now, with my lack of extra refrigerators, it would seem that bringing my apartment's temperature down to around 50 would be the best solution, and i'm trying to determine whether or not its worth it. Its getting colder outside so it would be economical, and i'm sure the beer would be good. Wearing jackets, sweaters and wool socks is easy, but my only worry is taking showers, which could be easily remedied by just not doing it, but that wouldn't be good for social interaction. Anyone been down this path before?

 

[jaobrien6]

Unless you keep the fermenter in the bathroom, just close the door when you take a shower. It's not going to warm up the whole apartment. Now is it worth it? I don't think so personally, 50's pretty cold to deal with for a few weeks. But if you do it, definitely let us know how it goes!

 

[kaiser423]

:rockin: This is awesome. If you do this, you should definitely twitter the experience or something. I'd pop some popcorn and watch from the warmth of my couch.

 

[shlegminitism]

Even though the shower might eventually warm up the bathroom some, my worry is more about the air temperature in the bathroom. If its around 50 and the water temperature closer to 80 or 90, thats a big jump. I have heard spring diving is safer in the winter because the cold temperature of spring water is closer to the air, which is less of a shock for the body. I think my best chance of not getting sick is to take a cold shower, which is nothing new i guess.

Anyone in the medical profession out there know what risks would be involved with that kind of temperature difference vs taking a cold shower in cold air. Aside from discomfort, would it be relatively safe? I'm pretty sure i wouldn't be in there long enough for hypothermia, and if i got hypothermia from 50 degree temperature, then i will succumb to natural selection for the sake of mankind.

Wow, this may be like man vs. wild in the (dis)comfort of my own home.

 

[MBasile]

Dedication.

 

[jarrman00]

Do it. I am not an expert, but I do have plenty of experience with having a cold house. I have live with room mates that love the cold. There is a window in our living room that has not been closed for over a year and most times the fan is on. I would say that our house will get as low as 40's or colder in the winter and I have had no problems showering. You will get used to wearing a light sweat shirt around the house.

If you are really worried, turn the shower on a few minutes before going in and close the bathroom door. It will warm up the bathroom air and you will be more accustomed to the temperature when you get in.

 

[eriktlupus]

sheesh,, no need to go to such extremes man..
take a large tub, the ones sold for keg coolers work great, place fermentor inside, fill with cool water, wrap a towel or shirt around fermentor. take 4 2 liter bottles and fill 3/4 full with water, cap and freeze. using 2 bottles at a time place them into the tub of water until they that then swap with the other 2 still in the freezer. this is known as a swamp cooler, to decrease the heat transfer also wrap a large towel or two around the whole thing to insulate it from the ambient temp in the apartment.

 

[CuddlyBurrito]

:rockin: This is awesome. If you do this, you should definitely twitter the experience or something. I'd pop some popcorn and watch from the warmth of my couch.

+1 EPIC

sheesh,, no need to go to such extremes man..
take a large tub, the ones sold for keg coolers work great, place fermentor inside, fill with cool water, wrap a towel or shirt around fermentor. take 4 2 liter bottles and fill 3/4 full with water, cap and freeze. using 2 bottles at a time place them into the tub of water until they that then swap with the other 2 still in the freezer. this is known as a swamp cooler, to decrease the heat transfer also wrap a large towel or two around the whole thing to insulate it from the ambient temp in the apartment.

dont do this because it is not as EPIC.. only do this for a backup if you cant take the cold.


that said, I thought of this too, because i love the cold weather and am trapped in a state that is capable of getting down to the 50's in December.. lol

 

[JesseRC]

Cant you just let one room not get heated. Like leave your bedroom window open , seal the vents to that room , close the door, sleep in the living room.

 

[JVD_X]

Now that's dedicated! It'll suck getting out of the shower!

 

[Yooper]

sheesh,, no need to go to such extremes man..
take a large tub, the ones sold for keg coolers work great, place fermentor inside, fill with cool water, wrap a towel or shirt around fermentor. take 4 2 liter bottles and fill 3/4 full with water, cap and freeze. using 2 bottles at a time place them into the tub of water until they that then swap with the other 2 still in the freezer. this is known as a swamp cooler, to decrease the heat transfer also wrap a large towel or two around the whole thing to insulate it from the ambient temp in the apartment.

That's what I do- I call it the "Yooper Lagerator".

Don't forget that after fermentation is finished in about two weeks, you'll need to rack the beer, and then "lager" it. Lagering is best done at about 34 degrees for about 6 weeks. You may want to use a fridge, or the cooler method, instead of not heating your apartment for that period!

 

[remilard]

Dedication.

I vote insanity.

Dedication is buying a refrigerator.

 

[The Pol]

So you are setting the A/C at 50F?

I mean I fly to Atlanta often, and I cannot imagine that a lack of heat will get you to 50F. I mean, in Indy my house remains 70F-74F all day and night currently with no heat on.

So, I answered my question, you are using a/c to get your home down to 50F.

Yoop is right, the lagering process will take 6 weeks at 35-40F... that may be harder to pull off.

 

[bighandsray]

Schleg, I gotta give you props for your dedication to beer. You can survive at 50F for as long as you want. I worked in vermont for a winter and kept the thermostat on 48-50. I worked outside and wanted to reduce the daily temp variance I would have to go thru. You can adjust. But there are much easier ways of making a maibock. Cooling one room is one idea. " Swamp coolers work pretty well. Also you could use a maibock recipe and ferment with Pac man yeast like Rogue does for Dead Guy. Even S-05 will probably get you close to the flavor profile. If you go with an ale yeast age the beer for a month or so then when you get a couple of real cold (I mean cold for Atlanta) days put it outside when the temp is between 30-40F for a cold crashing. Or check craigslist for a free fridge.

 

[Revvy]

Sounds like me in the opposite extreme when I was brewing my saison this summer.

Yeehaw, I came home to my apartment, it was 88 in here at 8pm (so it must have spiked to 90 at least during the day) and my saison was still cranking out the funky belgian ness....

Today I added a pound of homemade clear candy syrup to it, and when I cracked open the bucket, the krauzen had fallen and it smelled pretty close to Saison Du Pont...Yeha!!

I sweated in the bedroom of my loft for 3 days, sitting and sleeping near a couple fans while my precious brew bubbled away in the living room's brewcloset.

It was SO worth it. The beer was fantastic.

 

[IrregularPulse]

Aren't you supposed to keep your house at least 54° because of your pipes?

 

[david_42]

Yeah, two winters in Ithaca, NY in a single-wide with louvered windows. I wasn't brewing beer, just living on a starving student income. A hot shower before bed makes it possible.

 

[weirdboy]

It's perfectly doable. Millions of people pull this off every winter.

In Japan, most of the homes (at least of the ones I've stayed in) do not have central heating, and are very poorly insulated. You get around this by piling up the blankets at night, and during the day, using space heaters when you are in a particular room. For sitting around in the living room watching TV or reading a book, they often use a thing called a kotatsu which is like a coffee table with a space heater underneath it, and a blanket on top. Link to wikipedia.

It's much more economical, but makes for cold trips to the bathroom. My recommendation is that if you don't have one, you get one of those cloth toilet seat covers so the ceramic doesn't (literally) freeze your butt when you've got to go.

 

[JVD_X]

So you are setting the A/C at 50F?

I mean I fly to Atlanta often, and I cannot imagine that a lack of heat will get you to 50F. I mean, in Indy my house remains 70F-74F all day and night currently with no heat on.

So, I answered my question, you are using a/c to get your home down to 50F.

Yoop is right, the lagering process will take 6 weeks at 35-40F... that may be harder to pull off.

Actually that is a good point... if you are in an apartment/condo complex it is likely your neighbors will keep your space warm anyhow.

 

[MultumInParvo]

Do it!

Will it be worth it? Certainly. You gain a story to tell. A good story is definitely worth being cold for a few weeks.

Hell, I ran a marathon mostly just to say I did. I'll tell you being cold won't be THAT bad.

 

[StunnedMonkey]

Dude. Brew the beer, Cool the apartment. Pitch the yeast. Then lock up and head to Jamaica for three weeks.

Problem solved.

 

[GrizlyGarou]

There's this thing we do up north called 'ice fishing'. It's basically standing on a frozen lake, waiting for fish to swim along and eat your bait. Given that 50 degrees is well over the temperature required to make the ice, I'd say you can survive it.

You could always just make the swamp cooler, but where's the adventure in that? Think of the bragging rights you'll have when you give some of those beers to your friends! "Dude, you owe me big for this beer, I lived in a 50 degree apartment for three weeks to make it, just for you!" You'd have 2 cases worth of favors you could call in for all kinds of cool stuff!

 

[PseudoChef]

People still seem to be forgetting the "lager" aspect of lagering (i.e., what Yooper brought up: 32°F for 3-4 weeks). It's not just fermentation that needs to be low.

 

[weirdboy]

People still seem to be forgetting the "lager" aspect of lagering (i.e., what Yooper brought up: 32°F for 3-4 weeks). It's not just fermentation that needs to be low.

I was assuming he was going to put the stuff in a fridge for the lagering part.

 

[shlegminitism]

Actually that is a good point... if you are in an apartment/condo complex it is likely your neighbors will keep your space warm anyhow.

I have screens on all the windows and a large sliding door in the bedroom. As long as it looks like the weather is going to be cool enough (and it should within the next few months) it shouldn't be a problem.

Looking for a fridge on Craigslist would be a good idea. I am on a student budget, so buying things to aid in this process would be difficult.
Thanks for all the suggestions and opinions guys. If i go through with it, i will keep everyone posted.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

While this thread is totally ridiculous, you can survive just fine at 50º. No problems at all. I did it for two winters (actually ranged from 50º-55º).

 

[Yooper]

I was assuming he was going to put the stuff in a fridge for the lagering part.

Well.............if he had a fridge for the lagering, wouldn't he also have a fridge for the fermentation?

Nope, no way around it. After the beer ferments, your apartment has to be 32-34 degrees for 4-6 weeks to make a real lager.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Nope, no way around it. After the beer ferments, your apartment has to be 32-34 degrees for 4-6 weeks to make a real lager.

That may or may not cause some problems for your home.... mostly may.

 

[shlegminitism]

Well.............if he had a fridge for the lagering, wouldn't he also have a fridge for the fermentation?

Nope, no way around it. After the beer ferments, your apartment has to be 32-34 degrees for 4-6 weeks to make a real lager.

Foiled!

Also you could use a maibock recipe and ferment with Pac man yeast like Rogue does for Dead Guy. Even S-05 will probably get you close to the flavor profile. If you go with an ale yeast age the beer for a month or so then when you get a couple of real cold (I mean cold for Atlanta) days put it outside when the temp is between 30-40F for a cold crashing. Or check craigslist for a free fridge.

Victory!

With this yeast, as long as it keeps the flavor somewhat similar, i would probably be better off. As far as the cold crashing, what does that actually do for the flavor or what is its purpose? Would fluctuation between the 30-40 range be bad or as long as it is somewhere along those lines will it be ok? What should i shoot for, or should i just save up for a means to keep it cold for a long period of time?