Texas Brewing in the garage during the summer

[ryanj]

I live just outside of San Antonio and this summer has been so brutal that I've barely brewed at all. I'm 100% electric, but the only room I have to brew is in the garage. I played with the idea of moving everything into my laundry room, but really don't want to deal with installing a vent hood for the steam. Plus, I think the maximum area I could spare in my laundry room would be 4' wide area (which should fit a nice countertop, but will be a tight fit for 3 vessels).

I looked into port-a-cools and swamp coolers, but the humidity here is typically 50%+, so I won't get much efficiency there.

I have a AC window unit that I use for emergencies, but my garage doesn't have a window (darn!)...and then that got me thinking...

Has anyone used one of those roll-around portable AC units? I know you still need to vent the hot air and condensation, but I can just run that right outside and close the door. Does anyone have any thoughts on this method?

 

[brew703]

I'm down in Louisiana and I brew in my garage using butane. It's been brutal here as well and it's at times unbearable. I want to go all electric but putting that off until i get my man cave that will have AC and heat (hopefully next year).

As for as those portable AC's, not sure if that will be big enough to drop temps to cool a garage.

 

[ryanj]

I'm down in Louisiana and I brew in my garage using butane. It's been brutal here as well and it's at times unbearable. I want to go all electric but putting that off until i get my man cave that will have AC and heat (hopefully next year).

As for as those portable AC's, not sure if that will be big enough to drop temps to cool a garage.

My garage is 450sq-ft. Most 12,000 BTU units are designed to cool 500sq-ft areas.

The catch is that garages are intentionally not sealed (for safety's sake), so I won't get maximum efficiency. But if I could just bring the temps from 100 down to...80-85... it might be worth it.

The one snag i thought of is that I would still be boiling in a "closed area" without any sort of vent hood.

 

[kh54s10]

Your garage is pretty dry with your low humidity level. I wouldn't worry about the "closed area". One of the portable units might help but I am not sure how well since garages are not well insulated.

Here in Florida, my garage is well into the upper 90s maybe low 100s with high humidity included. I brew on my back porch with all the windows open, I start early in the morning when it is almost bearable, then spend as much time as I can inside in the A/C. The garage is out of the question even if I did the portable A/C.

 

[brew703]

You could always "rent" one of those ac's and try it out. If it doesn't work can always return it.

I have two windows in my garage and even with both open and garage doors open still not enough relief from the heat. Doesn't help I'm using propane.

 

[ryanj]

You could always "rent" one of those ac's and try it out. If it doesn't work can always return it.

I'm brewing tomorrow and we have a high of 96 (pretty mild as compared to the last few weeks)...I've been contemplating the "rental" option. I really like the idea of a portable AC because the ducting/condensation line can easily be temporarily run. Also, if for any reason our house AC goes out again, having another back up unit could be a real lifesaver.

Again... even if a unit could get me down to ~80F ...it might be worth it.

I have considered a small mini split as well. For <$800 I can have either a 110 or 220v 12,000 BTU mini split which I could probably install mostly myself. I spend a lot of time in the garage, so it might be worth it, but I'm just not sure I can justify spending over $500...

 

[Arthur Anderson]

I'm brewing tomorrow and we have a high of 96 (pretty mild as compared to the last few weeks)...I've been contemplating the "rental" option. I really like the idea of a portable AC because the ducting/condensation line can easily be temporarily run. Also, if for any reason our house AC goes out again, having another back up unit could be a real lifesaver.

Again... even if a unit could get me down to ~80F ...it might be worth it.

I have considered a small mini split as well. For <$800 I can have either a 110 or 220v 12,000 BTU mini split which I could probably install mostly myself. I spend a lot of time in the garage, so it might be worth it, but I'm just not sure I can justify spending over $500...

I'm from Texas too, Arlington specifically. I have a Whirlpool 14,000 BTU portable unit and it won't cool down my single car garage and my garage is insulated with an insulated garage door & no windows. And my garage usually doesn't get much warmer than 85 on a 100 degree day because of the insulation. I do plan on getting a mini-split in the near future and install it myself. Amazon has pretty good deals on some well reviewed units.

 

[ryanj]

I'm from Texas too, Arlington specifically. I have a Whirlpool 14,000 BTU portable unit and it won't cool down my single car garage and my garage is insulated with an insulated garage door & no windows. And my garage usually doesn't get much warmer than 85 on a 100 degree day because of the insulation. I do plan on getting a mini-split in the near future and install it myself. Amazon has pretty good deals on some well reviewed units.

*sigh* That's what I was afraid of. A good friend of mine here in town said he bought a portable unit from Costco (I think it was 12-14k btu) and ran it all summer long in his garage and it maybe dropped the temps 8-10 degrees.

I guess I should save myself the hassle.

I know swamp coolers are really designed for dryer climates, but I came across this unit at Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hessair...er-Swamp-Cooler-for-950-sq-ft-MC37V/304078772

For $279 and free delivery... if it could even take the edge off, it might be nice to have.

 

[Arthur Anderson]

*sigh* That's what I was afraid of. A good friend of mine here in town said he bought a portable unit from Costco (I think it was 12-14k btu) and ran it all summer long in his garage and it maybe dropped the temps 8-10 degrees.

I guess I should save myself the hassle.

I know swamp coolers are really designed for dryer climates, but I came across this unit at Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hessair...er-Swamp-Cooler-for-950-sq-ft-MC37V/304078772

For $279 and free delivery... if it could even take the edge off, it might be nice to have.

It would be worth a try.

 

[duffy5018]

I had to use one of the portable units when my AC crapped out last summer. I live just south of Houston, so it was about 97 and 75%+ humidity. The portable unit could only cool the air about 10' around it. If you walked to the other side of the room, it was 95. And the thing never stops chugging along. They really aren't very effective for anything.

During summer, I just brew on the back patio and try not to sweat in the beer after I turn off the propane. Sometimes I feel like I should account for sweat in my brewing salts...

 

[mongoose33]

Ryan, a few thoughts on this.

1. The boil off water vapor is going to heat the heck out of your garage and raise the humidity. You might look into the @BrunDog method of capturing steam with a condenser. I'm implementing that so I can brew in the winter in my garage and not have to open doors to ventilate. If you wrapped your BK in reflectix or similar (if you haven't already), and condensed the steam, you'd drastically reduce the heat load in the garage. The system uses a 9 gallon-per-hour fine stream of water to condense the steam. Here's a link to the thread discussing it, a specific post showing how @Bobby_M is going to implement it as a kit.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/...entilation-needed.636955/page-14#post-8337176

I've had a TriCLover port added to the top of my kettle to accommodate this.



2. Do you have enough electric capacity to add an air conditioner? Just a thought.

3. If it were me, I'd try to find a handyman to put an air conditioner port through the wall, or maybe better yet, a window for all-season ventilation. That's really the best solution to your problem, and despite the problem of cooling that large a space in Texas in the summer, half the battle is just getting the humidity down. You could turn the AC on late in the evening, and by morning you'd probably have a tolerable brewing environment, brew in the morning and you're good to go. North side of the building if that's possible.

4. This all depends on how dedicated you are to the problem, but you might consider insulating the garage. I live in Wisconsin--different set of climate problems--and mine is insulated both walls and ceiling. It's essentially an insulated room attached to the house without any heat in it. It virtually never falls below 32 degrees in the winter because the cars are heating the garage with their residual heat.

The point is insulation can go a long way to turning that space into not just brewable but also useful for other things. We have drywall over the insulation so the inside is quasi-finished. Didn't have any mudding and taping done, but it's more than a usable space.

Anyway, some thoughts that may or may not work for you, or may stimulate some other better idea. Good luck!

 

[user 30639]

I'm from Texas too, Arlington specifically. I have a Whirlpool 14,000 BTU portable unit and it won't cool down my single car garage and my garage is insulated with an insulated garage door & no windows. And my garage usually doesn't get much warmer than 85 on a 100 degree day because of the insulation. I do plan on getting a mini-split in the near future and install it myself. Amazon has pretty good deals on some well reviewed units.

I'm just down the road from you in Dallas, love the idea of an insulated garage. I brew in the garage as opposed to on my patio, even if it's a little warmer at least I'm out of the sun. I keep both garage doors open and the door to the backyard open while brewing so the breeze moves through.

 

[ryanj]

UPDATE: After weighing out the options I've made a decision:

1. A window AC unit would be nice mostly because it's plug and play and would probably provide "mediocre" cooling. The downside? I don't have a window.
2. A portable AC unit would be REALLY nice, but the consensus is that they really don't move the needle much. The downside is that they're also $300-500 for a decent model.
3. A mini split seems to be the most reliable way to cool the garage. The downside is the cost. ~$1,000 is an awfully lot to spend for something I won't be using all that often. It's really hard to justify the price.
4. Port-a-cool's are awfully attractive. I realize they work best in dry climate, but when I came across this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Hessair...er-Swamp-Cooler-for-950-sq-ft-MC37V/304078772 I think I found the right price:value ratio. So I bought it.

After tax it was right at $300 shipped to my door. Home Depot has a 30-day return policy, so if I don't like it...I return it. I like the ability to turn it on as needed and that I can also roll it around back and use it on our patio. I don't necessarily need it to condition the whole garage, but if I put it right where I'm brewing, it should keep the immediate area "bearable". I know swamp coolers are very popular in mechanic shops, so hopefully this will be just enough to cut the heat and allow me to not melt.

I should have it by Wednesday. I'll let you know how it goes!

 

[ryanj]

Wow... Home Depot raised the price $70 overnight. It looks like I got a deal!

 

[prefsnider]

Wow... Home Depot raised the price $70 overnight. It looks like I got a deal!

I have a portable set up in my garage here in north Florida. I don't brew in the garage during the warmer months however. I build & repair guitar amplifiers in the garage though, but I had to hang curtains and limit my floor space to 144 sq ft to get the temp down to a constant 75℉. I brew on my lanai, still hot but I keep a few fans running and I sneak into the kitchen when I can.

Sent from my HTCD200LVW using Home Brew mobile app

 

[b_d]

I solved this problem by moving from Texas to northern California. 60 degree Summers ftw [emoji23]

 

[kh54s10]

I solved this problem by moving from Texas to northern California. 60 degree Summers ftw [emoji23]

Brrrrrrrrrr!!

 

[spittybug]

I have the Hessair here in Houston and it works very well as long as it is actually blowing on you. I thought it would be too humid to be effective but it works on all but the most humid days. Color me surprised, but pleasantly.

 

[shetc]

I need 2 fans to brew in South Florida, and pretty much all year round.

 

[4of7]

I brew for 14 years in fort worth...never had problem with the heat...texas brewing is a winter sport ..yeah I worked in my un ac shop with just a fan...For some it is just hot and hotter..I also worked outside when i was there...man just stay brewing

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

One day in the far future, I think I will brew in the garage. Living in AZ, this will be completely unworkable unless I use a window AC or probably what I will actually do is use one of these.

 

[Beer Nuts]

I'm in San Diego.
I feel for you guys.

 

[4of7]

Beer Troll asking.should you really be worrying about how you are going to Cool the beer for pitching

 

[AkTom]

@ryanj how did that unit work for you?

 

[shetc]

Beer Troll asking.should you really be worrying about how you are going to Cool the beer for pitching

This is actually my real concern as I know I'm pitching too warm. If I get the wort down to like 80F and put it in the fridge, it takes a long time to get down to the mid 60s. How long is ok?

 

[kh54s10]

This is actually my real concern as I know I'm pitching too warm. If I get the wort down to like 80F and put it in the fridge, it takes a long time to get down to the mid 60s. How long is ok?

With everything sanitary, the next day shouldn't be a problem.

The ground water here in Florida reached 80 degrees in February this year. I chill until I get bored, then put the fermenter into my chest freezer chamber set to fermentation temperature. Sometimes I can pitch late in the evening, else it happens the next morning.

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

With everything sanitary, the next day shouldn't be a problem.

The ground water here in Florida reached 80 degrees in February this year. I chill until I get bored, then put the fermenter into my chest freezer chamber set to fermentation temperature. Sometimes I can pitch late in the evening, else it happens the next morning.

Brülosophy did an exBeeriment on warm pitch. It came back insignificant. I felt this intuitively because yeast are an aquatic life form and in my mind should be pitched at the temp they reside at after rehydration. I was never told otherwise so that’s how I’ve always done it. Apparently everyone else “knows” that yeast should be pitched at fermentation temp, so I guess the slurry would need to be cooled too, if you wanted to pitch at the same temp. So nice to have Brülosophy around to validate my beliefs. It’s also a hobby of mine to ignore Brülosophy when their exBeeriments conflict with what I believe.

http://brulosophy.com/2014/12/15/the-temp-at-which-we-pitch-exbeeriment-results/

 

[shetc]

It’s also a hobby of mine to ignore Brülosophy when their exBeeriments conflict with what I believe.

I see a career in the current Whitehouse for you

 

[user 30639]

This is actually my real concern as I know I'm pitching too warm. If I get the wort down to like 80F and put it in the fridge, it takes a long time to get down to the mid 60s. How long is ok?

I do the same thing. Just get the wort down to 80 or so and pop it in the fridge. Maybe now I can get wort down to 60 since unlike a lot of Texas, we actually get winter (or something kinda close to it) in north Texas.

 

[Dland]

The original poster was asking about roll around AC units, the kind that vent out window, and now 4 mos later is this....wow, I am even boring myself...yawn,,later ...

 

[4of7]

The original poster was asking about roll around AC units, the kind that vent out window, and now 4 mos later is this....wow, I am even boring myself...yawn,,later ...

You ever work in the heat in Texas ? Yes a swamp cooler is okay..or a wet wall is about the only way to Cool down.. but the ground water is the real problems 4 months ago,..hard to do with out ice.just saying it's a winter sports in Texas

 

[Dland]

Was not questioning AC, just goofing on how off topic things were getting.

I get the winter sport part, it hit 30F today, but was in teens last night, made for a cold outdoor brew session day. Ice in the valves and lines this AM, going to have to move brew gear inside for the rest of the winter, easy to hit lager temps in cellar though.

 

[November]

I live in southern AZ and deal with the same issue. I spent about 400 on a minisplit and it works great. Has heat too for the winter.

 

[azdavid]

I live in southern AZ and deal with the same issue. I spent about 400 on a minisplit and it works great. Has heat too for the winter.

I live in Phoenix as well and have been looking at these ductless minisplit systems for awhile now... Where were you able to find a system for $400 ?everything I am seing has been between $800 +

 

[4of7]

Was not questioning AC, just goofing on how off topic things were getting.

I get the winter sport part, it hit 30F today, but was in teens last night, made for a cold outdoor brew session day. Ice in the valves and lines this AM, going to have to move brew gear inside for the rest of the winter, easy to hit lager temps in cellar though.

You will be mad if they freeze up enough to split it

 

[November]

I live in Phoenix as well and have been looking at these ductless minisplit systems for awhile now... Where were you able to find a system for $400 ?everything I am seing has been between $800 +

I drove to Hermosillo and bought it at an AC shop. I can probably dig up the name if you think you might make the trip.

A buddy just bought one off eBay for something like 400 to 500, but I'm not sure on the size.

 

[azdavid]

I drove to Hermosillo and bought it at an AC shop. I can probably dig up the name if you think you might make the trip.

A buddy just bought one off eBay for something like 400 to 500, but I'm not sure on the size.

Never thought to look at ebay that might be the route to go as I don't get into Mexico that often.. But I definitely need to find a solution before next summer.

 

[dammuss]

Hi, ryanj. Why do you to go a long way? I mean that you can refer to Ben - he is from Texas and worked in similar conditions, helped a lot of guys including me, so who could help you if not him? If you need to need to save money you should go to the specialist and ask for help than you will have a clear plan of what to do.