Brewing In Garage During Winter in Cold Climate

[Jiffster]

I'm in Michigan and it gets pretty darn cold during the winter. I'm curious what others do in similar climates to continue brewing?

Aside from the general question above, I also have some specific questions relative to where my own progression in brewing is headed after just brewing my first batch (currently fermenting):

1) How do you use an immersion or counter flow wort chiller in cold climates in your garage?

2) Once you move up to full boil, all grain brewing, how do you chill your wort.... Especially in winter?

3) Based on question #3, I assume once you get to this level you are using some type of wort chiller and not using a water/ice bath?

4) Once you move up to bigger batches, (10 gal +) how do you move your batch around? (I.e. From garage to basement)

So many questions.....

Thanks!

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

1.) I brew(ed) in my garage with the doors cracked open for cross ventilation. By time I got to the chill the garage was nicely heated from the boil.
2.) Plate chiller
3.) ?
4.) I kept everything in the garage. Used siphon to avoid lifting.

 

[Psylocide]

1. I don't... I leave it outside at sub freezing temps with the lid on, it cools down pretty quickly. I don't know why so many people are dead set on cooling that wort "as quickly as possible."

2. See #1.

3. See #1.

4. Siphon into fermenters... carry to basement?

 

[Jiffster]

1.) I brew(ed) in my garage with the doors cracked open for cross ventilation. By time I got to the chill the garage was nicely heated from the boil.
2.) Plate chiller
3.) ?
4.) I kept everything in the garage. Used siphon to avoid lifting.

2.) Plate Chiller: still have to allow water to run out don't you? If it's 20 degrees out, where does the water go? And where do you get it from?

3.) I was basically asking if anyone uses bath chilling at this level.

4.) But if you need to ferment at 65-70 degrees, how can you keep it in the garage?

 

[Jiffster]

1. I don't... I leave it outside at sub freezing temps with the lid on, it cools down pretty quickly. I don't know why so many people are dead set on cooling that wort "as quickly as possible."

2. See #1.

3. See #1.

4. Siphon into fermenters... carry to basement?

Ok, makes sense to me now. Starting to get the picture.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

2.) Plate Chiller: still have to allow water to run out don't you? If it's 20 degrees out, where does the water go? And where do you get it from?

3.) I was basically asking if anyone uses bath chilling at this level.

4.) But if you need to ferment at 65-70 degrees, how can you keep it in the garage?

1.) Washing machine. And what doesn't go there, goes in the yard. Water heater is in a closet in my garage. I have lines feeding from the cold and hot sides of that. Worst part of cold weather brewing is the clouds that form in the garage.

4.) Dual stage Ranco controlling freezer and UL Listed ceramic space heater inside the freezer. But, it doesn't take much to heat an insulated box.

 

[mrgrimm101]

I also live in Michigan, and will probably start brewing in my garage very soon.

1.) I would imagine that if you don't have a sink or hose spigot nearby, you would probably have to have some sort of pump system and a holding tank of some sort for the water.

2.) Full boil can still be chilled using an immersion chiller, it may take longer with a 25' chiller..maybe upgrade to a 50'. If you have a large kettle with a valve on it, you can get a counterflow or plate chiller and chill as you transfer from kettle to primary.

3.) I use an ice bath along with my immersion chiller. Currently, I put some ice water in my sink, put the kettle in, get my chiller going, and add more ice/water until the sink is full. I put my "water out" hose from my chiller in that sink once it gets cold enough. Michigan winters are perfect because we have a natural method of chilling...SNOW! Get a large tub or tote and fill with snow and place the kettle in..scoop out the water as it melts and repack with snow as needed.

4.) I currently brew 5 gallon batches, so I don't have personal experience here. I would imagine your set up would be a bit more permanent and your primary would be close to where you brew so there isn't much carrying of equipment..just transferring of the wort.

 

[mrgrimm101]

1.I don't know why so many people are dead set on cooling that wort "as quickly as possible."

I've read several books that say that the wort is the most vulnerable to contamination at this point, so you want to chill and pitch as soon as possible to avoid a potential problem..

 

[Brew_Dude41]

Lots of folks will use a submersible pond pump to recirculate water out of a 5 gal bucket of ice water. Run that through your chiller and you can get to pitching temps pretty quickly.
To psylocide's point, there is a camp of folks that practice 'no chill' brewing and let the wort cool off with out assisting it.
In homebrewing there are as many ways to do things and techniques to be discussed as there are brewers-as long as they work for you, there is nothing wrong with it.

 

[Psylocide]

I've read several books that say that the wort is the most vulnerable to contamination at this point, so you want to chill and pitch as soon as possible to avoid a potential problem..

Well... the boil took place in the BK and the steam sanitizes the lid when it's put on at flameout.

Even if you chilled your wort quickly, but didn't sanitize your siphon properly, you're going to introduce nasties, so there is no difference there between the two methods.

Yes, you can pitch faster, but if your sanitation is good, there's really no reason to worry.

 

[mrgrimm101]

Well... the boil took place in the BK and the steam sanitizes the lid when it's put on at flameout.

Even if you chilled your wort quickly, but didn't sanitize your siphon properly, you're going to introduce nasties, so there is no difference there between the two methods.

Yes, you can pitch faster, but if your sanitation is good, there's really no reason to worry.

Fair enough, I was just stating what i had read. A lot of sources emphasize how vulnerable your wort is at this point...but your points make a lot of sense.

 

[Psylocide]

Fair enough, I was just stating what i had read. A lot of sources emphasize how vulnerable your wort is at this point...but your points make a lot of sense.

I'm also not debating that it isn't a good practice, just that it's not as important as everyone makes it out to be.

At least in my experience.

 

[TheCADJockey]

Yeah, so we get some pretty nice weather here too..

You're making it sound much harder than it needs to be. If its that cold, just put it outside. Don't stick it in a snow bank. If you have a tub or kid pool you can place it in and hit with some water, it will chill fast.

That being said, @psylocide has preached no chill for a while. I scoffed at the idea every time and every brew day I got stressed out trying to chill. Finally did no chill. I'll never go back.

 

[blizz81]

3.) I use an ice bath along with my immersion chiller. Currently, I put some ice water in my sink, put the kettle in, get my chiller going, and add more ice/water until the sink is full. I put my "water out" hose from my chiller in that sink once it gets cold enough. Michigan winters are perfect because we have a natural method of chilling...SNOW! Get a large tub or tote and fill with snow and place the kettle in..scoop out the water as it melts and repack with snow as needed.

I really think this + a submersible pump recirculating the water is the answer if you're going to use an IC regardless of season.


In the summer, you can easily get down to pitching temps (even for lagers if you wish) whereas if you're just going off hose water, you'll hit a point of diminishing returns and / or use a lot of water to cool down all the way.


In the winter, you're not running water down your driveway / etc creating an ice rink, and can use snow and ice that nature provides.

 

[Peruvian802]

I'm planning on having a spigot plumbed into my garage that I can turn on and off when brewing so it doesn't freeze. . As for the discharge from the chiller, if I can't run it outside, I will use 2-3 5 gallon buckets and carry them outside for dumping while the next bucket fills. I've had to use this method when brewing in the garage during a rain storm and it worked okay.

 

[dammBrewer]

Living in WI and brewing in my garage; I know how the OP must feel. I would love someone's input on how to best keep the garage warm for winter brewing. Last winter kicked my butt and I didn't brew much. I even went out and bought a Mr. Buddy heater; but it runs on propane which burns up pretty quick (I brew with Propane too and that bill gets pretty large). I was thinking of a natural gas heater (expensive and no current line to the garage). Or an electric heater (again; expensive and now I need a new breaker sub panel). I love brewing but hate the winter cold. I want to change that this year.

*Following....thanks in advance.

As for the OP's other questions;
2. I wonder mostly too where the water goes when chilling. I am thinking just run the hose out of the garage to a place where a little ice buildup isn't going to be a huge concern.

3. Counterflow chiller works for summer, would probably work great in winter provided you have access to a spigot. (See 2.)

4. Not sure, I don't currently partake in too many 10 gallon batches. I would think with the temps and struggles you may incur, a 5 gallon day may be enough to entail .

Happy Brewing!

 

[blizz81]

Living in WI and brewing in my garage; I know how the OP must feel. I would love someone's input on how to best keep the garage warm for winter brewing. Last winter kicked my butt and I didn't brew much. I even went out and bought a Mr. Buddy heater; but it runs on propane which burns up pretty quick (I brew with Propane too and that bill gets pretty large). I was thinking of a natural gas heater (expensive and no current line to the garage). Or an electric heater (again; expensive and now I need a new breaker sub panel). I love brewing but hate the winter cold. I want to change that this year.

Get a bigger burner...with the jet burner we run, if you want to heat up at all, just huddle closer to the beer!

 

[kh54s10]

I'm in Michigan and it gets pretty darn cold during the winter. I'm curious what others do in similar climates to continue brewing?

Aside from the general question above, I also have some specific questions relative to where my own progression in brewing is headed after just brewing my first batch (currently fermenting):

1) How do you use an immersion or counter flow wort chiller in cold climates in your garage?

2) Once you move up to full boil, all grain brewing, how do you chill your wort.... Especially in winter?

3) Based on question #3, I assume once you get to this level you are using some type of wort chiller and not using a water/ice bath?

4) Once you move up to bigger batches, (10 gal +) how do you move your batch around? (I.e. From garage to basement)

So many questions.....

Thanks!

1) as long as your supply lines don't freeze a chiller works amazingly fast with winter cold water... I just run the water outside. If you can go to a drain all the better.

2) see #1

3) I use an immersion chiller. I don't do no chill because I want my brewday finished on the brewday not the next day.

4) I don't do larger than five gallons but if I did it would be split into 5 gallon fermenters or I would have a conical in a situation where the cold would not be an issue.

I'm also not debating that it isn't a good practice, just that it's not as important as everyone makes it out to be.

At least in my experience.

OP, The only thing that is important with no chill is that you have good sanitation practices. The idea of pitching ASAP is, partially, that new brewers might not have great sanitation practices and will be at higher risk, so the sooner the better for them.

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

By time I have strike water heated, my garage is tolerable in shorts and a t-shirt.

 

[dammBrewer]

Get a bigger burner...with the jet burner we run, if you want to heat up at all, just huddle closer to the beer!

An excuse to buy new equipment.....hmmm. SWMBO might have an issue with it. But I don't think she would want me to freeze to death either lol. That said, I get concerned with ventilation. So, having to open the doors a crack for cross ventilation...i lose heat; at least last winter I did. Thus....

 

[kh54s10]

I sit on a chair next to a table on a side wall. I have an electric heater under the table. It keeps me just warm enough until the boil is started then the burner is more than enough until neat the end of the chilling process.

Try making a small cubicle that you can sit in and heat up.

 

[betaman]

I fill my HLT with ice water and circulate through plate chiller.

 

[andrewmaixner]

12gal batches, infusion mash.

Mash all electric in my basement, with coolers and ANOVA sous vide heater.

Carry outside in 5gal buckets to do the boil. Start burner as soon as the first wort bucket comes out

Chill with hose and copper coil just like in summer, when possible
I have done a recirculating ice bath once. It annoyed me, but so be it.
If it's cold enough just let it cool in the wind

Fill fermenters outside and carry them back to the basement. Or if I am feeling like it, carry the cooled pot with 10-13 gallons back downstairs, carefully, first. One step at a time, backwards. Just like doing deadlifts.

 

[treacheroustexan]

My stove can handle a 7 gallon rolling boil, so I lucked out and get to brew in the winter while watching it snow on the outside from my toasty apartment

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I have both colder than crap winters and hotter than hell summers here so I brew in the garage in the winter, only issue I have is steam raising up to my garage ceiling, I'm slowly staining the sheet rock, Ive started putting a fan blowing out to the driveway and it seems to help somewhat and yes I keep the garage door up a foot

 

[Natdavis777]

I'm in Michigan and it gets pretty darn cold during the winter. I'm curious what others do in similar climates to continue brewing?

Aside from the general question above, I also have some specific questions relative to where my own progression in brewing is headed after just brewing my first batch (currently fermenting):

1) How do you use an immersion or counter flow wort chiller in cold climates in your garage?

2) Once you move up to full boil, all grain brewing, how do you chill your wort.... Especially in winter?

3) Based on question #3, I assume once you get to this level you are using some type of wort chiller and not using a water/ice bath?

4) Once you move up to bigger batches, (10 gal +) how do you move your batch around? (I.e. From garage to basement)

So many questions.....

Thanks!

It gets pretty cold where I am at, so I am insulating my garage for this winter. I try and keep the door shut as much as possible. Now that I am all electric, I should fare a bit better this year.

I use a plate chiller, running water from the spigot in my garage. The runoff goes outside, where I try to keep it in the yard so I dont make my driveway an ice rink.

As for moving the beer, all my stuff stays in the garage, so its just a matter of moving the carboys into the ferm chamber after brewing. Milk crates work wonders for moving full carboys around the house FYI

 

[steveoatley]

I have a system where i fill my Mash tun with Snow & a little water
and pump that threw a HERMS coil.
Just recirculate it

- in the summer i use ICE - from the corner store.

Because before I had a Herms coil, i was carrying my 7 gal pot
into the house, and running water threw an immersion chiller, then into the washing machine - as to not waste clean water.

You can use SNOW to cool you wort, with a pump, and a container to fill.
I just keep shoveling snow into my mash tun to get the temp to crash quicker.

my 2 cents
Steve

 

[kombat]

I don't know why so many people are dead set on cooling that wort "as quickly as possible."

To achieve a good cold break and minimize chill haze later in the process. Also to minimize the time the wort is vulnerable to organisms, potentially infecting/contaminating the wort before the yeast has a chance to get going. Also to shorten the brew day.

 

[kombat]

Well... the boil took place in the BK and the steam sanitizes the lid when it's put on at flameout.

OK, so let's say I want to try no-chill. I finish the boil, kill the flame, put the lid on, then ... what? Just leave it for several hours to cool on its own?

Do you ever have an issue with the steam condensing on the lid, forming a bit of a seal, then as the wort/air in the kettle cools, the lid gets deformed as everything contracts?

So it's 12 hours later and your wort is finally down to 70° F. Now what? You rack to the fermenter, move it downstairs, aerate, prep/pitch the yeast, and clean everything up?

How does this save any time? It sounds to me like it just turns 1 brew day into 2. When I'm done brewing, I want to be DONE brewing. I want to pop a cold one, kick up my feet, and look forward to checking on my baby the next morning. Not dreading all the work and cleanup that still has to be done.

 

[kombat]

By time I have strike water heated, my garage is tolerable in shorts and a t-shirt.

Are you not opening the garage door? Aren't you worried about carbon monoxide?