Need to cool down your carboy?

[Desert_Sky]

Wow, just found this out the other day. I think it worked too well. ANyways, I looked at my temp on the side of the carboy before I went to bed two nights ago. It read 72 with the 74 starting to turn blue. Great....Well I didnt have anything to fill with water at the time to sit the carboy into.

Well I decided to wet a towel with cold water and wrap around the carboy and and just leave it there. It now is holding nicely at 66-68. THis has been 3 days now, and I haven't changed the thermostat in the house at all. I just soak the towel once a day and it seems to get the job done.

 

[homebrewer_99]

You might want to consider a shallow tub that you can partially fill with cold water and use the towel in the same manner (the "wick method"). I know it gets damn hot in SV.

I've been there several times. We were last there visiting friends in Feb and it was already pretty nice. We came from El Paso that trip.

 

[david_42]

Evaporative cooling works well in dry areas. In Illinois, the tub is the right approach.

 

[Cheesefood]

Evaporative cooling works well in dry areas. In Illinois, the tub is the right approach.

In Illinois, opening up the front door works just fine.

Alternatively, you can place your carboy near an AC vent.

 

[Desert_Sky]

Evaporative cooling works well in dry areas. In Illinois, the tub is the right approach.

Oh, I didn't even take into consideration of it being so dry out here. Good point. Yea I did the towel method since my usual tupperware container was full of brew stuffs and I didn't feel like emptying at the time.

Ok, then for those of us in the "dry" part of the country, this works well...... Its early, and apparently I need more coffee.

 

[HomerT]

Another trick is to throw the wet towel over it...then place it in front of a small fan or A/C vent. Works very well.

 

[homebrewer_99]

In addition to keeping my carboys in milk crates (lined with several layers of cardboard on the (inside) bottom, I also keep the heavier stuff on dolly's so I can wheel them from room to room. Especially my 6 boxes of DME at 55# each. Well, not all of them are full. Some are partials and some unopened - yet!

 

[Desert_Sky]

IEspecially my 6 boxes of DME at 55# each. Well, not all of them are full. Some are partials and some unopened - yet!

OMG, I don't even want to know how much that cost.

 

[homebrewer_99]

OMG, I don't even want to know how much that cost.

I'll tell you anyway, I usually buy 2 boxes at a time (my standards are wheat and extra-light DME, but I have light and amber also) plus some side items like several bags of hops (by the pound), yeast, etc. Usually costs me between $275-400 depending on my purchases.

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

About how big are those 55# boxes? I just ordered one from Northern Brewer and I think I have a big, air tight container to put it in but not sure. Also got a pound each of Northern Brewer, Saaz & Tettenger hops and some yeast. I figure this should keep me busy for most of the summer:rockin:

 

[homebrewer_99]

15" square and about 13" tall.

There's no need to transfer it to another container. The malt is double bagged. I just open the first one and pull it over the edges and it holds the lids open for me while I remove and measure malt from the inner bag. All too simple. They close up with rubber bands.

I tend to cut back on the inner bag about 12" or more. Just enough to close it up. When you get air trapped inside you can wad the opening (like blowing into a paper bag) and very slowly push down on the bag while releasing the air from it and then seal it with the rubber band.

 

[Walker]

just be sure yours comes in a box. BOSTONBREWIN and I split a 55# order of DME, and it came in a big dog-food like bag. I've got mine in GIGANTIC ziplocks, and BOSTON bought an airtight petfood container with a flip-open lid.

I need to get a better container, those ziplocks are starting to get gummed up and I have a hell of a time getting the zippers to lock.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I need to get a better container, those ziplocks are starting to get gummed up and I have a hell of a time getting the zippers to lock.

Incidentally, I was watching 'America's Test Kitchen' on PBS last weekend and they did a lab test on sealable bags. Apparently the zipper type bags make the worst seal and are more likely to explode open if dropped. The old-fashioned manual seal bags (blue + yellow = green) made a superior air-tight seal and stayed shut even when dropped on the floor.

Just a little baggie info :rockin:

 

[homebrewer_99]

I didn't realize they came packaged any other way...(see, I've learned something).

Mine come in Munton's boxes.

Have you tried re-weighing and re-packaging the malt in seal-a-meal vacuum-type bags? Pre-measured 3 lbs bags seem to be the norm anyway. You could also do 1 pounders.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Have you tried re-weighing and re-packaging the malt in seal-a-meal vacuum-type bags?

Sensitive topic alert!

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

Now why would that be sensitive? I'll find out what they're coming in on Thursday, That's when UPS shows delivery.