Fermentation temperator

[njohnsoncs]

For my next brew, I'm focusing on controlling my temperature as best as possible. I bought a dial kettle thermometer which connects to the kettle so I can monitor my water temp during boil. I'm also looking at getting a digital thermometer with a thin/flat probe which I can tape to my bucket/carboy fermenters to monitor fermentation temp.

First question. I'm looking to buy a digital theremometer for my fermenter. I'd like one that has a flat probe with a cord that I can tape to the side of the fermenter. If it has bluetooth, so I can continuously record my temps, that would be a bonus. What do you guys use?

Second question. If my fermentation temp range is 64 - 72 (according to Brewers Best recipe), I've heard that during fermentation that the temperature can rise to 10 degrees F above ambient. If this is the case, would it be a good idea to try to keep my temp at ~60 F according to my thermometer which is taped to the outside of the fermenter?

After the first few days when fermentation is slowing down, should I allow the temp to rise to be within the 64 - 72 F range since less heat is being produced by the yeast and the temp of the beer is closer to ambient temp? How do I know exactly when to do this? The only evidence I have that fermentation is slowing down is the airlock activity and krausen unless I take gravity readings but I try to limit that as much as possible (because contamination, oxidation, etc. concerns).

Any comments are appreciated.

Cheers!
Nick

 

[ChelisHubby]

Well I have a few questions, What is the recipe and the yeast and how do you plan on controlling the temperature during fermentation. All of these things are needed to consider when you are talking about fermentation and temperature.

 

[njohnsoncs]

Well I have a few questions, What is the recipe and the yeast and how do you plan on controlling the temperature during fermentation. All of these things are needed to consider when you are talking about fermentation and temperature.

My first question was with respect to a digital thermometer for recording the temperature of a fermenter. I don't believe the recipe matters in this case.

My second question was on how much lower I should get my fermenter temperature to read given the recommended fermentation temperature range of 64 - 72 F. If you are curious, my next batch will be a weizenbier but these questions apply to more types of beer than just weizenbier.

 

[MrBJones]

For my next brew, I'm focusing on controlling my temperature as best as possible. I bought a dial kettle thermometer which connects to the kettle so I can monitor my water temp during boil. I'm also looking at getting a digital thermometer with a thin/flat probe which I can tape to my bucket/carboy fermenters to monitor fermentation temp.

First question. I'm looking to buy a digital theremometer for my fermenter. I'd like one that has a flat probe with a cord that I can tape to the side of the fermenter. If it has bluetooth, so I can continuously record my temps, that would be a bonus. What do you guys use?

Second question. If my fermentation temp range is 64 - 72 (according to Brewers Best recipe), I've heard that during fermentation that the temperature can rise to 10 degrees F above ambient. If this is the case, would it be a good idea to try to keep my temp at ~60 F according to my thermometer which is taped to the outside of the fermenter?

After the first few days when fermentation is slowing down, should I allow the temp to rise to be within the 64 - 72 F range since less heat is being produced by the yeast and the temp of the beer is closer to ambient temp? How do I know exactly when to do this? The only evidence I have that fermentation is slowing down is the airlock activity and krausen unless I take gravity readings but I try to limit that as much as possible (because contamination, oxidation, etc. concerns).

Any comments are appreciated.

Cheers!
Nick

Quite a few use one of THESE on the side of a carboy. Some folks have done tests and found that they're pretty accurate on a carboy...not so sure about on a bucket. You can get them at most any LHBS. Will take care of you while looking for a difgtal.

Regarding temperature in a fermenter vs ambient -- yes, active fermentation can cause temp inside to be 10 degrees or so higher than outside. When in doubt, start low (within reason) and adjust from there.

 

[njohnsoncs]

Quite a few use one of THESE on the side of a carboy. Some folks have done tests and found that they're pretty accurate on a carboy...not so sure about on a bucket. You can get them at most any LHBS. Will take care of you while looking for a difgtal.

Regarding temperature in a fermenter vs ambient -- yes, active fermentation can cause temp inside to be 10 degrees or so higher than outside. When in doubt, start low (within reason) and adjust from there.

I have a fermometer already but would like to have a digital thermometer since my fermometer is becoming inaccurate due to getting wet during cleaning/sanitizing.

Regarding fermentation temperature, I'm more uncertain of how low I should start and when to increase the temperature.

 

[MrBJones]

I have a fermometer already but would like to have a digital thermometer since my fermometer is becoming inaccurate due to getting wet during cleaning/sanitizing.

Regarding fermentation temperature, I'm more uncertain of how low I should start and when to increase the temperature.

You might consider starting 5-10 degrees below your preferred temp.

By the way, 64-72 is a pretty wide spread. Depending on the style you're brewing, and the flavor - or lack thereof - that you want the yeast to provide (clean, estery, etc), you night want to narrow it some.

 

[d3track]

Are you looking to just monitor the fermentation temp, or control as well?

 

[mongoose33]

Monitoring temperature during the boil should produce a thermometer reading approximating 212 degrees, maybe a bit less if you're at altitude. Not sure what temperature monitoring will do for you there.

I have a dial thermometer on my boil kettle but I use it to determine strike water temperature prior to mashing, to be able to tell when i'm close to boiling so I can monitor the kettle for boilovers, and to see when I've chilled my batch to the appropriate temperature.

I control fermentation temperature in a small refrigerator (pic below). I use an Inkbird 308 which has a remote probe I hold against the fermenter with a piece of foam and a bungee cord. I also wrap a heat mat around the fermenter inside the carry straps, so if it gets too cold, it heats, and if too warm, the refrigerator turns on.

I typically ferment an ale at 64 degrees. During fermentation when temps can rise 5-10 degrees above ambient temp if not controlled, the refrigerator will keep that wort at 64 degrees plus a 1-degree variance.

You can control temp somewhat using a swamp cooler, which has the fermenter sitting in a pan of water with an old t-shirt draped over the fermenter and hanging down in the water. The water wicks up and evaporates, cooling the fermenter. You might be able to knock 5 degrees off the temp this way. Often people will use frozen water bottles changed out regularly to control that temp.

I've included a couple pics below that show a closeup of the foam/bungee cord approach, and a pic showing the use of a swamp cooler. Before I used the refrigerator, I monitored temp using the Inkbird itself.

You are very much on the right track trying to control fermentation temp. It was one of the major things that caused the quality of my beer to take a jump.

 

[RM-MN]

For my next brew, I'm focusing on controlling my temperature as best as possible. I bought a dial kettle thermometer which connects to the kettle so I can monitor my water temp during boil. I'm also looking at getting a digital thermometer with a thin/flat probe which I can tape to my bucket/carboy fermenters to monitor fermentation temp.

First question. I'm looking to buy a digital theremometer for my fermenter. I'd like one that has a flat probe with a cord that I can tape to the side of the fermenter. If it has bluetooth, so I can continuously record my temps, that would be a bonus. What do you guys use?

Second question. If my fermentation temp range is 64 - 72 (according to Brewers Best recipe), I've heard that during fermentation that the temperature can rise to 10 degrees F above ambient. If this is the case, would it be a good idea to try to keep my temp at ~60 F according to my thermometer which is taped to the outside of the fermenter?

After the first few days when fermentation is slowing down, should I allow the temp to rise to be within the 64 - 72 F range since less heat is being produced by the yeast and the temp of the beer is closer to ambient temp? How do I know exactly when to do this? The only evidence I have that fermentation is slowing down is the airlock activity and krausen unless I take gravity readings but I try to limit that as much as possible (because contamination, oxidation, etc. concerns).

Any comments are appreciated.

Cheers!
Nick

While you heard correctly that the temperature can rise 10 degrees during fermentation, you didn't hear the rest of it where it gives the conditions for that to occur. Yeast give off heat as they eat the sugars (your body does too) but how fast they give off the heat determines how much the temperature will rise. I set my fermenter in a room where it stays 62 degrees and chill the wort below that temp when I pitch the yeast, Being that cool keeps the yeast working slowly and my beer rarely exceeds 64 during the height of the ferment. Had I pitched the yeast at 80 as some kits suggest, I probably could not control the speed of the ferment and would get a much higher temperature rise.

The temperature on the outside of a bucket fermenter will be within half a degree of what the beer is. I used a stick-on fermometer for a bit but like yours, getting it wet destroyed it. Now I use a non-contact IR thermometer. I don't have to get on my knees with a flashlight to read that accursed fermometer anymore. Now I just stand back and shoot the laser pointer of the non-contact IR thermometer at the bucket and know in a second or 2 what the beer temp is.

 

[njohnsoncs]

Are you looking to just monitor the fermentation temp, or control as well?

I guess right now mostly to monitor. In the future, I hope to get a fermentation chamber so I can control the temperature as well. Currently, I'm using a swamp cooler but need a more accurate thermometer which I can remove when cleaning.

Any recommendations? Inkbird 308 looks nice but I would not use the heating or cooling control capabilities right now so it seems like overkill.

 

[njohnsoncs]

It would also be nice to monitor two fermenters at the same time. Perhaps something like this would work?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I3DNAOS/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Anyone use a single temperature sensor, or even two, to monitor two fermenters? Any recommendations?

 

[njohnsoncs]

This one looks pretty nice actually

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01H1RDJOI/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

but can only monitor a single fermenter. I'd have to purchase two of these for my two fermenters.

 

[d3track]

It would also be nice to monitor two fermenters at the same time. Perhaps something like this would work?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01I3DNAOS/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Anyone use a single temperature sensor, or even two, to monitor two fermenters? Any recommendations?

At that price, go for it.