Garage Brewing in Cold Weather

[Ohio-Ed]

well , yeah. I know about all that but i don't have the stuff to do it yet. BTW, First post from my phone. Technology is great, right?

Welcome to HBT.

Anyway you can use technology to help you brew is fantastic as far as I'm concerned.

No problem with not having a chiller. I think most folks start with a pot in the kitchen sink trying to cool it down. Rock salt might help a bit, but I doubt you really need it.

 

[osagedr]

I have been thinking about similar issues (I live in Winnipeg, Canada), just having made the move to AG with a propane burner doing 5 gallon batches. My garage is approx 22 x 30 with 13 foot ceilings so I think I would be okay if I boiled beside the open man door. But what I think I am going to do is just boil on the front step. I'll make it work!

 

[Jawbox0]

I tried the garage thing, then I went completely electric indoors

I was never comfortable burning propane in the garage though since it's built into the house with bedrooms above and only the garage door to vent outside. If the wind was coming from the wrong direction I was too worried about everything getting sucked through the house instead of out the door.

 

[Homercidal]

I cooled my stout in a snowbank last year and it turned out great! After brewing I was lazy, so I plopped it right down in the snowbank and the next day brought it in and warmed it up slowly on the stove to pitching temp.

Scored over 40 at a homebrew competition this spring. And I got knocked for too much hops (less points, but the judges seemed to love it!) Possibly due to the no-chill cooling method. I think leaving the whole hops in overnight added more hop flavor and aroma than the recipe called for. But I'd do it again!

If you want to chill quickly, place the kettle in a larger container with some water and add snow. The water will transfer the cold to the kettle very quickly. Just make sure to keep the wort moving gently so all of it can touch the sides of the kettle.

 

[Brewvy]

I've run my car for an hour and a half with everything closed up in my garage before I passed out cold for a high school science project.So I believe a small burner running for an hour with cracked windows and doors should be fine. But remember always be smart and step out once and a while and mabey open everything up halfway through the boil to refresh the air.

 

[Ohio-Ed]

I've run my car for an hour and a half with everything closed up in my garage before I passed out cold for a high school science project.So I believe a small burner running for an hour with cracked windows and doors should be fine. But remember always be smart and step out once and a while and mabey open everything up halfway through the boil to refresh the air.

Hmmm... somethings not adding up here.

 

[knelson]

I can attest to the DO NOT COOL YOUR WORT IN A SNOWBANK theory. My first batch ever was on a -20f day in Wisconsin. Seemed like a great idea to use the elements to cool my wort....3 hours later and I was still at 100 degrees. This made for my one and only 7 hour brew day.

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

I can attest to the DO NOT COOL YOUR WORT IN A SNOWBANK theory. My first batch ever was on a -20f day in Wisconsin. Seemed like a great idea to use the elements to cool my wort....3 hours later and I was still at 100 degrees. This made for my one and only 7 hour brew day.

I did something similar last year and luckily realized after 10 minutes that I had just created a wonderful igloo for my wort. I tried grabbing handfuls of snow and rubbing the sides of the pot but my hands got cold much too quickly and I moved it inside to the bathtub soon after.

As for the people who claim to use their hoses in the winter for their immersion chillers, how in the h3ll do you turn on that outside spigot when it's frozen solid?

 

[Homercidal]

I did something similar last year and luckily realized after 10 minutes that I had just created a wonderful igloo for my wort. I tried grabbing handfuls of snow and rubbing the sides of the pot but my hands got cold much too quickly and I moved it inside to the bathtub soon after.

As for the people who claim to use their hoses in the winter for their immersion chillers, how in the h3ll do you turn on that outside spigot when it's frozen solid?

With a shutoff located INSIDE, turn that on, then turn it on outside and chill. When done, shut off the outside spigot, then turn off the inside spigot. Then go back outside and turn ON the outside spigot. It will drain.

If it's frozen to start with, heat it up with a propane torch...

 

[Mischief_Brewing]

With a shutoff located INSIDE, turn that on, then turn it on outside and chill. When done, shut off the outside spigot, then turn off the inside spigot. Then go back outside and turn ON the outside spigot. It will drain.

If it's frozen to start with, heat it up with a propane torch...

Ahhh, an inside shut-off. I don't believe I have one of those in my crawlspace. I guess I'll need to go look at some point. I've been meaning to install a split in there anyway so I could run a line out to the garage and install a brewsink. I just don't look forward to digging through the roots of the giant tree that's in the way to get down below the frost line...

 

[Ohio-Ed]

Ahhh, an inside shut-off. I don't believe I have one of those in my crawlspace. I guess I'll need to go look at some point. I've been meaning to install a split in there anyway so I could run a line out to the garage and install a brewsink. I just don't look forward to digging through the roots of the giant tree that's in the way to get down below the frost line...

If you have a frost free hose bib, the actual valve is inside (up to a foot). The handle you turn is connected via a rod to the valve. When turned off, the water between the valve and the outside should drain and the valve stays cozy warm insde. If you make the mistake of leaving a hose attached, and letting it freeze, then you have a problem.

 

[dozer217]

I feel ya, it was 49 here in So Cal this morning. And I almost had to put on long pants at my last brew day.

As far as your home insurance unless they have a specific exclusing for a free standing gas appliance they wouldn't deny your claim however they may elect to not renew your coverage.

 

[sigmund]

Somebody explain why spending $25-$30 for a CO detector is a bad idea but spending the day freezing is a good idea? Guys spend hundreds to thousands on their equipment and yet they scoff at a detector that may save their life? Wow, must be my values are all out of whack..........

 

[GoldMiner]

Somebody explain why spending $25-$30 for a CO detector is a bad idea but spending the day freezing is a good idea? Guys spend hundreds to thousands on their equipment and yet they scoff at a detector that may save their life? Wow, must be my values are all out of whack..........

$25-$30 is a batch of beer.

Where are your priorities?

 

[specialkaye]

I've run my car for an hour and a half with everything closed up in my garage before I passed out cold for a high school science project.So I believe a small burner running for an hour with cracked windows and doors should be fine. But remember always be smart and step out once and a while and mabey open everything up halfway through the boil to refresh the air.

For some strange reason, this really worries me a bit....

 

[vicratlhead51]

For some strange reason, this really worries me a bit....

Lol yeah. That must have been some project, that took some real stones to try that out.

 

[StAnthonyB]

For the record I am in New Jersey where it does get quite cold in the winter.

New Jersey? That's practically Florida for Pete's sake.

I've seen snow on July 2nd.

My frost line goes down almost 3 feet. The ground just goes all tundra on me until May.



EDIT: I brew in my barn. It's a little roomier than most garages. Either way, I open the doors in my hay loft and breeze way. But, I leave the main barn doors closed because the wind just puts out the old banjo burners.

 

[dfc]

Cowboy Up! Open the garage door fully & put on a parka.

That's easy for guys like us to say.

 

[dfc]

That's the thing. I don't have a usual method yet. Was going to try my first Batch this weekend......

Are you going to do a full or partial boil?

 

[dfc]

Hmmm... somethings not adding up here.

Haha!

 

[Hartski]

Are you going to do a full or partial boil?

I believe I'm doing a full boil, but I'm not too good with all the terms of the trade yet....

 

[dfc]

Do you have to add water after you boil? If so it's a partial boil. If you don't have to add water it's a full boil. If you're doing a partial boil you can add ice in order to make up the extra water. It cools down your wort extremely quickly.

I do partial boils and with adding ice I reach pitching temps in 10 minutes.

 

[Hartski]

Ah, then I believe it's a partial boil. I'll have to read the instructions over a few times to familiarize myself.

 

[dfc]

Ah, then I believe it's a partial boil. I'll have to read the instructions over a few times to familiarize myself.

If you have any free time read through the thread that's linked in my signature. I'm by no means the most experienced brewer on here, but I've done enough extract kits to know a bit about them. I made a pictorial thread about brewing extract to help out new brewers and that's the one in my sig.

 

[dfc]

Most of all, good luck. You'll probably make a few mistakes with your first batch. Don't let it discourage you.

 

[Hartski]

If you have any free time read through the thread that's linked in my signature. I'm by no means the most experienced brewer on here, but I've done enough extract kits to know a bit about them. I made a pictorial thread about brewing extract to help out new brewers and that's the one in my sig.

Thanks a bunch. Hope I don't make too many mistakes, though.

 

[dfc]

Thanks a bunch. Hope I don't make too many mistakes, though.

No worries. Just remember to RDWHAHB and you'll be fine.

 

[Hartski]

No worries. Just remember to RDWHAHB and you'll be fine.

Huh??

 

[Ohio-Ed]

Huh??

Ahhh, noobie... you must seek to find the answer on your own.

 

[Homercidal]

RDWHAHB - Resist, Desist, Whenever Her Allowance Has Begone


Sorry to spoil the fun....