Keeping cool in Georgia heat

[mrk305]

It has been really hot here in Georgia for the last week. I have read that some of you have made insulated boxes and put them in front of your A/C vents to keep you fermentors cool. I took a very warm & very thick patchwork quilt and put it over my three buckets. I raised the bucket handles up so it would not interfere with the airlocks and kind of rolled up the sides so it would seal against the wall, except for a escape whole on one side. I also took a paper towel and folded it up to make an insulated pocket and taped it to the bucket for my digital thermometer probe. I have my A/C set on 78, and my brews are 66.

 

[Beer Dude]

It has been hot here. I set up a fridge because I got tired of fighting the temps.

 

[abracadabra]

Another route is to get an Igloo Ice Cube cooler and some 2 liter soft drink bottles. Fill the soft drink bottles with water and freeze them. You can put 1 bottle in each of the 4 corners with the carboy in the center of the cooler. But in most cases 2 bottles will keep it cool enough. Keep additional bottles in the freezer and alternate them as the ones in the cooler thaw. Some people cut a hole in the top of the cooler for the carboy and airlock to stick thur, others fashion a new top out of ridgid insulation.

This method requires a little more work (swapping the bottles out every day or every other day) but cost less $.

I've got to admit that I'm not a big fan of brewing it the summer. It's just too hot, too many other things I've got to do, to many things I'd rather do.

I do my brewing in the cool weather months.

In the summer I enjoy the fruits of my labor. And grow hops that will be used in the fall.

 

[Beer Dude]

I'm not sure I could make it thru the summer without brewing.
Growing hops would be cool though.

 

[Bill1968]

I didn't think it ever got hot up North. For us, anything north of Tifton is up North.

 

[Beer Dude]

It's the only hot we got so we're proud of it.

 

[Beards Brews]

I live in Habersham County and found that keeping the thermostat at 76 with the fermenter in the guest bathroom (coldest room in the house) and the door shut was enough to keep the brew at 65. We've had a few days that got into the 90's, but no problems with the brew.

I grew up in South Florida, so if the mercury barely sees 95 all year, I'm happy.