Finally took the plunge
- Thread starter CdrDave
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If you can wire a standard household outlet, you can handle this just fine.
It's a digital dual temperature controller. You wire it into a standard 2-plug outlet that you mount in some kind of project box (either homemade or bought at Radio Shack). One (cool) outlet is for the freezer/fridge. Into the other (warm) outlet, you plug some kind of small heater and then put that heater inside the freezer (only if your freezer is sitting somewhere cold, like a garage in winter).
Set the target temp (in Celsius) on the STC-1000. Set the tolerance (default is +/-0.5*C). When the temp (as read by the sensor) climbs 0.5*C above the target, it powers up the cool outlet and keeps it energized until the temp drops to the target and then turns it off. Likewise with the warm outlet if it gets 0.5*C too cool. You tape the sensor on the side of the fermenter and place some kind of insulation like bubble wrap over top of it so that it reads the bucket temp and not the air.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ebay-fish-tank-controller-build-using-wal-mart-parts-261506/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f51/ebay-aquarium-temp-controller-build-163849/
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BigFloyd's right... your temps were likely very far out of range. You'd be astonished how much heat the yeast can kick out!
I recently acquired a fermentation cooler made by Cool Brewing - it's a zip-up insulated sleeve that you chuck a couple of frozen 2-liters into, and it'll take your temps down by 10-20 degrees. Getting more cooling simply means more ice. Much nicer than traditional swamp cooler methods, and dramatically cheaper than buying a (new) minifridge for conversion.
Your current batch is probably going to be chock full of esters and phenols - it depends on your strain. On the plus side, you quoted a 72° upper limit before which means you aren't using Nottingham yeast - which is good, because Notty is famous for doing unpleasant things at warmer temps. You may luck out and the damage may not be that bad.
Still, aging is key. It'll resolve a surprising amount of off flavors. Chuck it in your closet for a month, buy a new bucket, and brew someting else to distract yourself. Then when that's done, bottle your original batch and forget about it for six months. I bet it'll be decent.
I recently acquired a fermentation cooler made by Cool Brewing - it's a zip-up insulated sleeve that you chuck a couple of frozen 2-liters into, and it'll take your temps down by 10-20 degrees. Getting more cooling simply means more ice. Much nicer than traditional swamp cooler methods, and dramatically cheaper than buying a (new) minifridge for conversion.
Your current batch is probably going to be chock full of esters and phenols - it depends on your strain. On the plus side, you quoted a 72° upper limit before which means you aren't using Nottingham yeast - which is good, because Notty is famous for doing unpleasant things at warmer temps. You may luck out and the damage may not be that bad.
Still, aging is key. It'll resolve a surprising amount of off flavors. Chuck it in your closet for a month, buy a new bucket, and brew someting else to distract yourself. Then when that's done, bottle your original batch and forget about it for six months. I bet it'll be decent.
I'm brewing a Brewer's Best American Pale Ale Kit (1lb Caramel 20L specialty grains, 2oz cascade hops, 1oz Citra hops, and 6.6lb light LME in cans.)
I was told this was one of the more forgiving kits to start with.
6 months - ouch!
You could also just drink all of it now and to hell with the off flavors. That's what I did on my disastrous first batch.
I forgot to add two gallons of top-up water, fermented way too hot, and racked to secondary after five days. Tasted like caramel apple doppel, and I'd been shooting for an Irish Red!
You can't go wrong whatever you do, as long as you're enjoying yourself.
I forgot to add two gallons of top-up water, fermented way too hot, and racked to secondary after five days. Tasted like caramel apple doppel, and I'd been shooting for an Irish Red!
You can't go wrong whatever you do, as long as you're enjoying yourself.
![Craft A Brew - Safale BE-256 Yeast - Fermentis - Belgian Ale Dry Yeast - For Belgian & Strong Ales - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [3 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bcKEwQmWL._SL500_.jpg)
Yep. A lot of well meaning and incredibly helpful folks here urged me to just wait it out - I did save one sixer for six months, and the second to last one of those (which I drank at nine months) was pretty awesome. Wished I'd had the wherewithal to hold out for the rest, but I enjoyed the "bad" stuff anyway.
ststephen5
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Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize
A wise decision. Check Craigslist frequently. Often you can find darn good used freezers and fridges in their garage/moving sale listings. I paid $60 for an upright freezer, spent another $25 putting together the STC-1000 controller box and was all set. There's a bucket of summer pale ale in there right now with BRY-97 American West Coast yeast set at 64*F. After it settles down, I'll let it slowly come up to 67-68*F to finish and clean up then cold crash to 35*F for 5 days.
The CoolBrewing insulated bag Kerin mentioned is a viable option if you don't have the space for a freezer/fridge. The cost shipped, however, is very close to what I spent on the freezer and STC-1000 and it lacks the precision.
+1, and I should have stressed this more in my post. In my town, Craigslist has never had minifridges for less than $80. Might be because we have three colleges and they're all into partying. If you can build it for cheap, a fermentation fridge is the bee's knees. I love mine, I just wasn't willing to drop another $150 + time for a second one. :/
Don't know if anyone has mentioned this, but one thing I'd say as a good tip for the future, Fill your carboy near/at where you plan to ferment..Moving 5 gallons of liquid is not easy, and it's even worse with a glass carboy (buckets have nifty handles!)
Otherwise, welcome to the addiction!!!
Otherwise, welcome to the addiction!!!
I hear ya. Unfortunately, I brew in my garage (240v E-BIAB rig) and ferment in the chamber located in my basement. I have to carry full fermenters down a flight of concrete stairs. I only use 6.5 gallon buckets. No way I'd attempt that with a full glass carboy.
I saw a guy on here ruminating on installing a permanent beer line from his garage to the basement fermentation room. Don't think he went through with it though... god help the poor bastard that gets a hop cone stuck twenty feet into a thirty foot line. :fro:
