Forgive me for thinking this is awesome/Brewing in cold weather.

[unionrdr]

That's a joke right. It's never been 139F in Texas. Either the thermometer was in the sun, the thermometer was broken, or my sarcasm meter is off.

That was the temps when I was last through there in 1974. Out in the middle of nowhere. Flat,hot,& windy. Road side rest stop with some RR tracks behind it.
Today,here in NE Ohio,it's still windy but down to 33F. Was raining yesterday,snowed a bit overnight.

 

[scottland]

That was the temps when I was last through there in 1974. Out in the middle of nowhere. Flat,hot,& windy. Road side rest stop with some RR tracks behind it.
Today,here in NE Ohio,it's still windy but down to 33F. Was raining yesterday,snowed a bit overnight.

That thermometer either spent time in the sun, or it was way off. Highest recorded temp in Texas ever was 120* in 1934. There's no way it was randomly 19* hotter somewhere. Highest temp temp recorded in North America is 134*

It gets that hot in the sun, no doubt. The asphalt here in Phoenix hits 160* or higher. It's not pleasant. But that's with a shade temp of 110-115

 

[microbusbrewery]

That thermometer either spent time in the sun, or it was way off. Highest recorded temp in Texas ever was 120* in 1934. There's no way it was randomly 19* hotter somewhere. Highest temp temp recorded in North America is 134*

It gets that hot in the sun, no doubt. The asphalt here in Phoenix hits 160* or higher. It's not pleasant. But that's with a shade temp of 110-115

+1, gotta call bullish!t on that claim for the Texas panhandle. I spent a few weeks in Texas during the summer of '83 and I agree it can be miserable, but Death Valley, California holds the record at 134F.

 

[inhousebrew]

I have a winter brewing party I'm hosting tomorrow and I feel pretty fortunate that the high is 29*. Could be way worse for MN in Dec. That said, I remember a summer ago here when the heat index here was higher anywhere other than in the rainforest.

Edit: I take that back. On that day it was hotter and more humid than anywhere in the world at the time:
http://www.startribune.com/blogs/125847178.html I totally went for a three mile run that day! It sucked...

Anyways, we have a right to complain about the whether. Hot or cold.

 

[unionrdr]

+1, gotta call bullish!t on that claim for the Texas panhandle. I spent a few weeks in Texas during the summer of '83 and I agree it can be miserable, but Death Valley, California holds the record at 134F.

Well,that's what the thermometers at that middle of nowhere roadside rest stop said regardless. True story whether wrong or what. But New Mexico was pretty much the same. I thought it was kinda funny that some drove what looked like pos cars,but by God,that A/C worked!

 

[Varmintman]

10 degrees last time I brewed. Sucked because the steam built up so bad I could not see the pot or how the boil was going. Had to set up a fan to blow the steam out just to see and brother having a fan going when it is 10 degrees is just dang cold.

Ground water this time of year though is pretty cold and cooling the wort down does not take very long

 

[unionrdr]

I bet that icy water gives one heck of a cold break...

 

[user 103238]

As I'm checking my HBT threads, eating my eggs on spent grain toast, and sipping coffee, it's a balmy -43 this morning. I'm not brewing until January 4 for my Caribrewsary - may have to do at least part of the boil outside if it's really cold.

 

[inhousebrew]

As I'm checking my HBT threads, eating my eggs on spent grain toast, and sipping coffee, it's a balmy -43 this morning. I'm not brewing until January 4 for my Caribrewsary - may have to do at least part of the boil outside if it's really cold.

^Winner

 

[estricklin]

10 degrees last time I brewed. Sucked because the steam built up so bad I could not see the pot or how the boil was going. Had to set up a fan to blow the steam out just to see and brother having a fan going when it is 10 degrees is just dang cold.

Ground water this time of year though is pretty cold and cooling the wort down does not take very long

I salute you sir, much more dedicated than I. I'm not sure what it would feel like outside if it were 10 degrees, but I know I wouldn't be brewing, especially with a damn fan!! We'd be drinking Sam Adam's and Shiner all Christmas long here.

 

[Varmintman]

As I'm checking my HBT threads, eating my eggs on spent grain toast, and sipping coffee, it's a balmy -43 this morning. I'm not brewing until January 4 for my Caribrewsary - may have to do at least part of the boil outside if it's really cold.

Dude that is cold. It will hit 20 below here but not often and not for long.

I do love winter though

 

[SpentGrains]

it's a balmy -43...

+43F is cold enough around here, thank you very much.

 

[djt17]

+43F is cold enough around here, thank you very much.

Weinee

 

[dfc]

Dude that is cold. It will hit 20 below here but not often and not for long.

I do love winter though

My last year living in Ohio I was working outside and one February it got close to -20°F. Eff that noise. I'm glad I don't have to deal with that anymore.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

LOL... Glad I don't live in the Chicago area any more...

 

[jakenbacon]

Ya well you haven't lived in AR then, where the humidity is 110% in the summer. .

Lol, 110%, now that's funny

 

[unionrdr]

Only 20 below? Lucky you. Here in the snow belt (NE Ohio),I've been stuck in the Ford parking lot at 88 below. Had to tune the pinto to get it to start,darn bosch distys. You'd start feelin frostbit in about 2 minutes flat. Glad I was young when I was forced to deal with that noise.20 or 30 below is about average though. Turns the garage into a big flintstone fridge!

 

[markm2151]

Only 20 below? Lucky you. Here in the snow belt (NE Ohio),I've been stuck in the Ford parking lot at 88 below. Had to tune the pinto to get it to start,darn bosch distys. You'd start feelin frostbit in about 2 minutes flat. Glad I was young when I was forced to deal with that noise.20 or 30 below is about average though. Turns the garage into a big flintstone fridge!

What part? I'm in NE Ohio as well.

 

[unionrdr]

That episode was from Ford's Engine Plant #1 in Brookpark in the 70's. The parking lot was right across from the main runway at hopkins airport. It was an unusually cold winter that year. But 20-30 below is typical low range for the colder bouts winter throws at us. Just gets a crap ton colder sometimes with little or no warning. It's just my dumb luck to be forced out into it more often as not. Being from Cleveland as well,you should know this is true at times.

 

[ChubbyBrewer]

If its 30 F here, we will ice fish in sweat shirts at the most. Cant wait to brew something up in the driveway this winter when it gets into the "teens." Neighbors will really think i've lost my bits.

 

[WileECoyote]

Ok all this talk about the cold is giving me chills, so Im thinking about last summer, it was a bit warm here at 125 deg driving down hwy 95 in the dune buggy and No this is not any BS, check out the high temps from the national whether service for Lake Havasu City Az. right down the road from Mohave Valley Az where I live.

Try cooling your wort in that kind of heat lol the thermometer (in the shade) on the back patio was pegged past the 120 deg mark, ouch the house even with the AC running is maxing out saison fermentation temps

Cheers to all

 

[stat]

its 80 degrees and 65% humidity here and I'm trying to do a triple decoction. Trying not to drip sweat in the kettle sucks.

 

[swackattack]

30 outside....half of boil left

 

[scottland]

I've been stuck in the Ford parking lot at 88 below.

I hate to keep calling you out on the carpet, but the coldest temp ever recorded in Ohio is -39*

-80 is the coldest ever in the US (Alaska), with -70 being the coldest ever in the lower 48 (MT)

Sorry man, but It wasn't -88F outside. Not even the windchill. Even if it was -30*, there would have had to be hurricane-strength winds for the windchill to be that low.

 

[Channel66]

We saw -68 or so here in Maine with windchill a few years back. I think the mercury was at like -50. I was out on my snowmobile it was so cold that my breath created actual ice on the inside of my helmet even with a mask on. Imagine chilling in those temps?

 

[DoubleAught]

It wasn't all that cold here today, but we did get 10" of snow....they called it a "blizzard" I'm not so sure. I brewed a Baltic Blizzard Porter just for good cause and partially washed my brewed kettle with freshly fallen snow. Does that count?

 

[Rev2010]

I don't know what's worse, that the OP is amused by steam that most of us see all the time coming out of our kettles or that this thread has reached 6 pages :smack:


Rev.

 

[SuperBreeze]

Did somebody say steam?

Club brew day, it wasnt -43 but it was still cold at +20 with a mighty wind.

 

[Rev2010]

still cold at +20 with a mighty wind.

Wind is the worst, but also a blessing in disguise. On one hand the wind can blow out the burner if strong enough, it can also calm the rolling boil to what looks more like a simmer. On the other hand, if the air is too still I've had a number of times the boil foams up the hotbreak and you have to either blow on it or spray it with a water bottle if it starts getting really high. With a little breeze it keeps the hotbreak foam forming in check. I still prefer it to not be too windy.


Rev.

 

[ArtVandelay]

Neat trick, take a cup of hot water and throw it into the air. If it doesn't freeze instantly, it's not cold outside