Equilibrium in a swamp cooler.... temperature

[Patton191]

Will the water be the same temperature as the beer? I can only test the temp of the water.

Also how long does it take for the two to become equal if they do become equal.


Thanks again

Patton

 

[Coastarine]

You mean the 2 or so inches of water at the bottom? I think that'll always be a little chillier than the beer. Best I could do was to stick the probe in between the shirt and the carboy.

 

[Kungpaodog]

Do you mean a tub full of water with your carboy mostly submerged? How long for them to become the same temperature all depends on what temperature the beer is when you put it in your swamp cooler, but the water in the tub and the wort should be the same temp after a day or so.

 

[Patton191]

Yeah basically what I did was put the water in the container 2-3 inches below the beer line in the fermenter. It has been about a day and the water is around 62'F

 

[Coastarine]

I think a swamp cooler usually means the carboy is sitting in just a little water with a t-shirt on. The water wicks up the shirt and evaporates.

The carboy submerged should be very near the temp of the water.

 

[Patton191]

Oh ok, so I guess it isn't really a swamp cooler. I was just worried because my garage is at about 70 now and the bucket with no ice and just water from yesterday is at 62'F. Is water colder than the room it is in?

 

[Coastarine]

That's a pretty substantial thermal mass you've got there, which will eventually warm up to ambient air temp. How fast depends on a lot of things, so just keep an eye on it, keep a frozen bottle of water in the fridge, and drop it in when the temps start to climb.

 

[bell0347]

I use the same method you use. I submerge the primary in a tub of water to about the 4 gallon mark or so on the side. I fill the tub a couple days prior to brewing so the water can reach equillibrium with the ambient temp. During active fermentation the temperature of the wort inside the fermentor can be as much as 10 degrees warmer, although it's usually just a few degrees higher. Remember this is an active metabolic process. After 2 or 3 days the wort or now beer will cool to the temp of the water in the tub. Same thing with a swamp cooler. After your rest phase in the fermentor I usually drain the water and let the beer warm to room temp for a couple of days to help kind of wake the yeast up a little to finish cleaning up after themselves.

 

[david_42]

Short answer: yes

Long answer: it will probably be slightly higher, but not by more than a degree or two, since you are using a deep bath.

 

[Dennis1979]

I agree with all said.

I have been using a swamp cooler on 6 batches and find that the beer temp will be 5 - 10 degrees higher than the water in the bucket during fermentation. Usually, after reaching FG it gets close to the same but can still be a little higher. I normally ferment in the primary for 3 weeks. For the first week or 10 days I try to keep the water in the swamp cooler near 60 or in the very low 60's. After that 65 or so is good. I go to secondary and pretty much let the water go to room temp unless in the summer when I may still need to ice it a little.

Dennis

 

[Patton191]

Hmm, ok well then I am in a bit of a predicament. I wanted to have it fermenting at around 60 so that is what I had been keeping the water at. It is a blonde ale and I wanted it to be pretty clean, but it seems from the responses that the beer is probably actually around 63-65, I am wondering since I want to make it clean, should I get the water down to 56-58? Or would the beer turn out better if I just kept it at the current temp, and have a less clean, but still super tasty brew?

 

[Yooper]

Hmm, ok well then I am in a bit of a predicament. I wanted to have it fermenting at around 60 so that is what I had been keeping the water at. It is a blonde ale and I wanted it to be pretty clean, but it seems from the responses that the beer is probably actually around 63-65, I am wondering since I want to make it clean, should I get the water down to 56-58? Or would the beer turn out better if I just kept it at the current temp, and have a less clean, but still super tasty brew?

In my experience, the temperature inside the fermenter is within a degree or two of the water bath. You can use a stick-on thermometer (above the water line- water will ruin the thermometer) to keep on eye on it for yourself.

 

[Dennis1979]

Hmm, ok well then I am in a bit of a predicament. I wanted to have it fermenting at around 60 so that is what I had been keeping the water at. It is a blonde ale and I wanted it to be pretty clean, but it seems from the responses that the beer is probably actually around 63-65, I am wondering since I want to make it clean, should I get the water down to 56-58? Or would the beer turn out better if I just kept it at the current temp, and have a less clean, but still super tasty brew?

I think you are in good shape and don't need to worry.

Dennis

 

[springer]

like others have said when the primary is in water the temps will only vary 1-2° from the water temp. now when the primary is in say 60° degree ambient air the beer will be much warmer as air cannot wick away heat as efficiently as water does. Same reason why you can survive forever in 65° degree air but try to stay in 65° water for a few hours , your body will go into hypothermia.