Controlling fermentation
- Thread starter browning
- Start date
Help Support Homebrew Talk:
DarthMalt
Well-Known Member
I use a swamp cooler setup during the summer months. It's quite simple, but requires a little bit of attention. Basically, just pop the fermenter into a larger, plastic tub and fill the tub with water so it's halfway up the fermenter. You can add a couple frozen water bottles to the water two or three times a day to keep the carboy temp consistent and you're good to go.
Some people add a t shirt over the top of the carboy that dips into the water and train a fan on it to allow for an evaporative cooling effect. There's a couple good threads on here regarding this method. Search for "Swamp Cooler."
You can also buy a chest freezer and hook up a thermostat if you're willing to lay out some $. I'm currently in the process of shopping for one myself. A couple summer's of dealing with a swamp cooler and being away for 11 hours at work started getting old.
Some people add a t shirt over the top of the carboy that dips into the water and train a fan on it to allow for an evaporative cooling effect. There's a couple good threads on here regarding this method. Search for "Swamp Cooler."
You can also buy a chest freezer and hook up a thermostat if you're willing to lay out some $. I'm currently in the process of shopping for one myself. A couple summer's of dealing with a swamp cooler and being away for 11 hours at work started getting old.
Swamp cooler. Big plastic bucket with lots of water. I use it for every brew as it prevents the temperature from running away from you. Due to the large thermal mass, the fermenting temperature stays about the same as the water.
I keep mine in the basement, where temperatures vary from 60 to 68 throughout the year. That temp is fine for most ale yeasts ... and again, the temp doesn't rise on you as it would if you just had the fermenter in the air.
I don't have a need to cool the water with frozen water bottles, but I do heat the water up with a fish tank heater for Belgians and usually a couple of degrees at the end of every fermentation.
I keep mine in the basement, where temperatures vary from 60 to 68 throughout the year. That temp is fine for most ale yeasts ... and again, the temp doesn't rise on you as it would if you just had the fermenter in the air.
I don't have a need to cool the water with frozen water bottles, but I do heat the water up with a fish tank heater for Belgians and usually a couple of degrees at the end of every fermentation.
well i got this idea, that im almost done working on, to use office water cooler together with aquarium heater, 2 stage temp controller and small water pump to control fermentation temperature, im still not sure if this will work but from the tests i did looks optimistic. Here is the link to the thread:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/office-water-cooler-temp-control-289108/index2.html
im gona update it with final post when i will use it to ferment beer in a week or two
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/office-water-cooler-temp-control-289108/index2.html
im gona update it with final post when i will use it to ferment beer in a week or two
another guy for using a swamp cooler. works great.
