Brewing in the cold

[SkylerChaBro]

I'm coming up to my next brew which I will be doing outside. The catch is, it's going to be no higher than 25 for the next two weeks. What tips do you all have for outdoor brews in the dead of winter? The thing that concerns me the most is maintaining temps during a partial mash.

 

[maltMonkey]

For one, realize that your evaporation rate will likely go down, especially if it's windy and your using a propane burner.

 

[Ben25]

It hasn't gotten above 15 in the last week here. I brew inside.

 

[Mainebrew]

I am brewing today, wolke up to -16 this morning!

 

[cabot]

Right on Mainebrew. I'm also brewing today! The plan is to setup the propane burner right in the driveway...and keep the mashtun inside the house...that way I'll do most of the things inside...and just have to get the boil going outside and heat up strike and sparge water...then just keep an eye on it from the kitchen Hopefully. Have a good brew man

 

[kgs]

O.k., incredibly n00b question, but why are so many homebrewers brewing outdoors, in the garage, etc.? Even here in Tallahassee I wouldn't want to be out in the cold or the heat... my kitchen ain't huge, but it seems to work fine for 5-gallon batches. (Plus we have a crazy cold snap this weekend and it's 23 degrees!)

 

[flyangler18]

I'm in the single digits here, a bitter 4°. Mash inside, boil outside.

 

[beersydoesit]

KGS I brew outside because
I can't get a 5 gal pot on the stove
I have an electric range so boiling takes too long.
Outside is less messy (for me anyway)

Regards

 

[maltMonkey]

O.k., incredibly n00b question, but why are so many homebrewers brewing outdoors, in the garage, etc.? Even here in Tallahassee I wouldn't want to be out in the cold or the heat... my kitchen ain't huge, but it seems to work fine for 5-gallon batches. (Plus we have a crazy cold snap this weekend and it's 23 degrees!)

When you're brewing AG, typically your system uses propane burners, takes up a lot of room, and involves large kettles that would not fit on a kitchen stove...not to mention they can make quite a mess.

Also, some people just don't like their house to smell like wort.

 

[kgs]

I just looked -- yup, a kettle that size would not fit. (I did like the wort fragrance of my first partial-mash batch... very yummy and haimisch.)

 

[fratermus]

O.k., incredibly n00b question, but why are so many homebrewers brewing outdoors, in the garage, etc.?

* waterhose cleanup
* huge amounts of room
* turkey frier burner pumps the heat
* out of the SWMBO's way

 

[McKBrew]

If I brew outdoors it's more likely that the neighbors are going to come by and start asking questions and keeping me company. Even better is that one of my neighbors helped me clean up even though he wasn't there for the whole process.

 

[kgs]

Now I'm wondering how many SWMBOs have bought their spouses beer-making equipment to get them out of the house..!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I'm brewing right now. It's about 18 I think......Been at it all day because I'm doing two boils.......I'll be happy when it's over now.........It was ok for the first few hours, but now I'm ready to punch my frigging dog.