Buy a brew belt?

[Ksub123]

So I’ve been brewing for a few years now. I probably have 30 brews under my belt, (no pun intended) and I’m looking to improve my process. I always hear that fermentation temperature control is one of the most critical things you can do to make better beer. During the summer I’ve been doing the swamp cooler thing and during the winter my basement is cool enough that it’s not necessary. But after active fermentation my beers cool to ambient which I think is limiting the conditioning ability of the yeast.

Will the brew belt help with this? Is it even necessary?
Also, the manufacturer recommends that it not be used for more than 8 days. Would this be enough for active fermentation and cleanup? Has anyone tried using it for longer?

 

[Br3w4u]

Not necessary. If you are thinking of trying to have closer control your ferm temps you could consider a kegerator large enough to ferment and serve from. I prefer this method myself and kegging beats the pants off of bottling if you haven’t started yet. Just my opinion.

 

[RPh_Guy]

So I’ve been brewing for a few years now. I probably have 30 brews under my belt, (no pun intended) and I’m looking to improve my process. I always hear that fermentation temperature control is one of the most critical things you can do to make better beer. During the summer I’ve been doing the swamp cooler thing and during the winter my basement is cool enough that it’s not necessary. But after active fermentation my beers cool to ambient which I think is limiting the conditioning ability of the yeast.

Will the brew belt help with this? Is it even necessary?
Also, the manufacturer recommends that it not be used for more than 8 days. Would this be enough for active fermentation and cleanup? Has anyone tried using it for longer?

Depending on the yeast, fermentation temperature has a HUGE impact on flavor, mouthfeel, and flocculation.

I use a Fermwrap for heating, but a belt is fine.
You'll need a temperature controller like the inkbird ITC-308.

 

[juggabrew]

How high is the temp getting while fermenting? You want to control the liquid temp so it doesn’t get too high or start fluctuating.

I may be misunderstanding you but it sounds like you might need to look Into keeping the fermentor cooler, say in a chest freezer with a temp controller. If your cooling down to ambient after activity slows, sounds like it’s getting too warm.

Ambient temp is perfect for yeast cleanup. I usually keep the temps within the yeast manufacturers rec.

 

[Carolina_Matt]

How high is the temp getting while fermenting? You want to control the liquid temp so it doesn’t get too high or start fluctuating.

I may be misunderstanding you but it sounds like you might need to look Into keeping the fermentor cooler, say in a chest freezer with a temp controller. If your cooling down to ambient after activity slows, sounds like it’s getting too warm.

Ambient temp is perfect for yeast cleanup. I usually keep the temps within the yeast manufacturers rec.

Well, that depends on the house you're in. I have family members that keep their house 72+ degrees in the winter. I turn my downstairs heat off at night since nobody sleeps downstairs, and I keep it off while I'm at work since nobody is home. Sometimes the thermostat says 57-58 degrees when I wake up in the middle of the winter, and low 60's during the day. Then I turn it up for a few hours when I'm home from work.

I'm considering a brewbelt or fermwrap next winter to raise the temperature a few degrees after fermentation is complete.

 

[Ksub123]

I would love to do a kegerator but I don’t have the money to start kegging or space for a fridge. When I say ambient temperature, my basement sits at 60F in the winter so it ferments at 64-68 (measured using one of those stick on thermometers) depending on the brew then cools to 60 once the yeast slows down. And I was looking at that exact inkbird controller.
So will keeping the beer warm after the active yeast phase ends improve anything?

 

[Br3w4u]

I would love to do a kegerator but I don’t have the money to start kegging or space for a fridge. When I say ambient temperature, my basement sits at 60F in the winter so it ferments at 64-68 (measured using one of those stick on thermometers) depending on the brew then cools to 60 once the yeast slows down. And I was looking at that exact inkbird controller.
So will keeping the beer warm after the active yeast phase ends improve anything?

A high of 68 will not hurt your beer. I regularly ferment at around 70. I have even won 1st place for a German lager that I fermented at 70 by putting my fermentor in a pot of water, covering it with a black shirt, and changed out ice packs through out the day each day to keep the water temp where I wanted it. If you are doing the main phase (first 5-7 days) of fermentation say around 65 and then slowly allow the temp to rise to 68-70 your beer should turn out just fine. If not then I would suspect other parts of your process or maybe recipe.

 

[RPh_Guy]

So will keeping the beer warm after the active yeast phase ends improve anything?

It depends, but possibly.
Some yeast flocculate too early if the temperature starts dropping before they finish fermenting, causing low attenuation and risk of overcarbonation.
You need active yeast to clean up diacetyl and acetaldehyde byproducts. Bottle conditioning generally makes this a non-issue though, in my experience.

Mostly it's the temperature during fermentation that matters.

For cooling you could use the temp controller to power a fan pointed at your swamp cooler (if it's using evaporative cooling). Alternately you could use it to power a cheap aquarium/pond pump to circulate cold water.

Also, keep in mind you don't need to jump through any of these hoops if you're happy with your beer the way it is.

 

[tellyho]

Yep, the only reason I bought a heater is I like Belgians. Reptile tank heater + temp controller + insulation is a killer fermentation chamber.

 

[mongoose33]

I think you'd benefit from being able to ramp up temps at the end of fermentation. I do that all the time, and having just attended a Yeast workshop in Asheville last weekend taught by Chris White of White Labs, where he recommends a small ramp up, I think you should do it.

But you don't have to spend a lot to have that capability. You can get something like the Fermwrap that @RPh_Guy guy is using above (I have one, too), or even just a reptile heat mat or seedling heat mat. I have one of those too.

What you do need is a controller to manage the temp, and many of us have found an Inkbird 308 to be able to fill the bill. I have five of them.

One thing you might consider is getting a tall dorm-style refrigerator. They're not much larger than a fermenter, when you're not fermenting you can keep the fermenter in there, and when you are, well, you can keep it in there too. I have one, it's a terrific size for a currently-space-challenged brew space.

You might check craigslist in your area, see what you can find, or post on FB looking for one. Often at the end of the school year, as seniors graduate from college, you can find those for sale on CL for cheap. My local university has a bunch for sale cheap as they've rotated them out of the dorm rooms. $30 a pop.

What I like about mine is I can control ferm temps to within a degree of set point. Then, when the krausen falls, I bump the heat up several degrees (from, say, 64 to 71) for the yeast to clean up after itself.

Below is a pic of my small ferm chamber (the dorm refrig) as well as a larger one I use as well. In the larger one you can see the Fermwrap on the right-hand fermenter, and the seedling/reptile cage mat on the left, with both fermenters having a probe from an Inkbird held to the fermenter with a piece of foam to isolate the probe from ambient and pick up the temp of the wort.

 

[Ksub123]

Thanks everyone!

I dream of having a setup like in all the pics provided.

I think an inkbird and a fermwrap/brew belt will be my next investment. Then hopefully when the wife isn’t looking I can sneak a fridge in.
One last thing. Does anyone use the heaters for more than 8 days?

 

[mongoose33]

Thanks everyone!

I dream of having a setup like in all the pics provided.

I think an inkbird and a fermwrap/brew belt will be my next investment. Then hopefully when the wife isn’t looking I can sneak a fridge in.
One last thing. Does anyone use the heaters for more than 8 days?

That doesn't matter much if at all. Unless your brewspace is incredibly cold, the heat mat/fermwrap isn't on all the time. The inkbird cycles it on and off as necessary. And even if it did run continuously, so what? The heat mat is designed to heat seedling trays.

And keep your eye out on craigslist for a refrigerator, or put out the word that you're looking for a used one. It doesn't have to cost a lot (free, even).

 

[Ksub123]

Unless your brewspace is incredibly cold, the heat mat/fermwrap isn't on all the time. The inkbird cycles it on and off as necessary.

Wow I feel dumb. I should have realized it won’t be running non stop.

 

[mongoose33]

Wow I feel dumb. I should have realized it won’t be running non stop.

Don't worry about it. It's not the last mistake you're going to make.

I figure every time I learn from a brewing mistake I get smarter. I've made so many I think I must be a genius by now.

 

[tellyho]

The trick is REMEMBERING what you learned. The worst is, "wait, I made this mistake before...."

 

[ncbrewer]

One last thing. Does anyone use the heaters for more than 8 days?

Do you know the reason for the 8 day limit? Process considerations, or electrical/fire concern?

 

[Stand]

I have full fermentation control now with an upright freezer, but when I started I was freezing 2 liter bottles (I liked those simply orange bottles best) and putting them against my fermenter wrapped in a towel to keep them insulated a bit.

Not perfect, but I could keep temp 5 degrees or so below ambient. Swapped out bottle morning and afternoon for first 3 days of fermentation.

 

[sicktght311]

I've got 2 brew belts, one for each Fermentation chamber/Wine fridge controlled by an inkbird. I wrap them around by SS BrewBuckets when the fermenters go in the chamber, and they work great. The temp probe is in the thermowell and i have the compressor on the wine fridges bypassed so the fridge kicks on when the temp probe reads liquid times too warm, and the brew belt kicks on when its too cold. Works great. I can hold my fermentation temps within 1 degree of target through the entire process, and quickly change the temp as needed included cold crashing. Although with cold crashing i take the probe out of the thermowell and let it hang in the fridge to measure ambient air to keep the fridge from cycling entirely too low while it waits for the liquid to catch up

 

[Jag75]

I followed these guys and went inkbird w/ fermwrap which works marvelously.