Looking for a cool dark place

[rickprice407]

I have been doing a lot of reading while waiting for my equipment to arrive and I notice that I need a cool (temps of 50 - 65 degrees), dark place to ferment -my wife will need to use for her wine too. We keep the house around 75 in the summer and 68 in the winter to allow us to eat and still pay GA Power's bills. Georgia summer's are HOT and even if I dig a root cellar, I can't see it getting that cool in July or August.

Any recommendations on what to do? Build a special closet in my workshop with a window A/C unit. What do you guys use?

ANY help appreciated.

Rick in McDonough

 

[C-Rider]

I have been doing a lot of reading while waiting for my equipment to arrive and I notice that I need a cool (temps of 50 - 65 degrees), dark place to ferment -my wife will need to use for her wine too. We keep the house around 75 in the summer and 68 in the winter to allow us to eat and still pay GA Power's bills. Georgia summer's are HOT and even if I dig a root cellar, I can't see it getting that cool in July or August.

Any recommendations on what to do? Build a special closet in my workshop with a window A/C unit. What do you guys use?

ANY help appreciated.

Rick in McDonough

Use the search option for something like temperature control. There are lots of topics here on that. And welcome to an addicting habit.

 

[BendBrewer]

Stock up now. I took July and August off last year due to the heat. Well that, a wedding and hunting season.

 

[Golddiggie]

If you have the space, get a large (used typically), or large enough chest freezer and a temperature control unit (Johnson Controls, or one of the other brands)... It's typically a lot more energy efficient than trying to rig something up with a window AC unit. Plus, you can always use it to store more things.

There are plenty of threads here about doing this. In a nutshell, you plug the freezer into the controller, which goes into the power socket (wall). The thermal probe goes into the freezer, or a water jug in the freezer, which gives the controller the temperature inside (the water is to act as a buffer so that the controller doesn't go on/off too often)... You can also use a thermowell stopper in your fermenter/carboy so that you get a reading from inside the wort. Some people also use small AC powered fans inside the freezer, to move the air around more.

I plan on making one of these after I've moved into a new place... Luckily, until then, I have a brew buddy that has a basement that stays in the mid to upper 60's for pretty much the entire year. :rockin:

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

I live in Texas and we have much the same problems. If you can build a chamber somewhere with an AC unit capable of keeping temps in the 60s, that would be a good option. (Personally, I don't have that option.)

You can go old school and brew with the seasons. Brew beers that can ferment in warmer temperatures (Belgians, saisons, etc.) during the warmer months. Or you can just brew a lot during the fall/winter/spring and drink that beer during the summer.

Otherwise, you can go the swamp cooler route. Toss your fermenter in a bucket of water and add ice/bottles of frozen water and a fan blowing over the water. It is possible to keep the beer in the mid-upper 60s that way but if you don't replace the ice frequently enough you can end up with some big temperature swings that could negatively affect fermentation.

 

[rickprice407]

I may try the chest freezer. Space isn't a problem since its going into my wood shop and I can dedicate a corner to this and another to my beekeeping supplies. I assume the controller just shuts off the power when it gets to the temp you want?
Next question is this then. Could the same principle be used for a used restaurant style walk-in refrigerator or freezer? I see those fairly often at auctions for a fairly low price. Usually 6' square or so and around 7.5' tall.

 

[cykoduck]

I have to agree with Golddiggie.

I'm in central texas and had the same concern and temps. I bought a used 5cu chest freezer for $50 and put a temp controller on it and using it to control my fermentation temps. My bottles sit in a dark closet that is usual mid to upper 70s

 

[TTB-J]

I use a swamp cooler here in Houston - you'd be surprised at how well those things work, even in high temperatures. I use one of these:

http://www.academy.com/index.php?pa...e_coolers&start=0&selectedSKU=0222-01260-5039

 

[rickprice407]

My condolences. I was born, raised, schooled and lived my first 32 years in Houston. Went east a little over 25 years ago to Atlanta and was amazed that you could have weather and live at less than 90% relative humidity. Actually part of that time was spent in San Antonio, Austin and down in the Rio Grande Valley (Harlingen and Brownsville). Would love to live in the Hill Country again but house is paid for and kids (and grandkids) close by in Atlanta. Just retired from many years in IT and now will be doing wood working, fishing and making beer.