Newbie Swamp Cooler ????

[mjc8870]

I am doing a test with 5 gallon water jug and a cooler. I placed jug in cooler and filled cooler about half way. (The top off of jug sticks out of cooler) I then placed frozen soda bottles filled with water. I was able to get water in cooler to 52 degrees. I used a digital thermometer and placed it into middle of jug and it was registering about 61 degrees perfect. I then placed thermometer in water sitting at top of jug and I am only getting about 72 degrees.

I am assuming this would be a problem. It seems the bottom half that is submerged in water in cooler does fine. The problem occurs at the top where the bottle sticks out of the water.

Would this cause a problem with the fermenting process? I guess an obvious solution is , place carboy or bucket in garbage can and submerge it about 80 % or so. Is this how everyone does it? Is method with cooler as described above ok?

Just trying to get my ducks in a row before I start my first brew. I am saving for a chest freezer but this is my only alternative now.

P.S. I also wrapped bottle with damp towel.

Thanks,


Mike

 

[tvtoms]

Did you leave it there for a number of hours to get those readings? Because the temp of the liquids is going to even out eventually I think.

Fermenting beer though will create some of it's own heat, but I think if you can get it predictable, you are in as good shape as you can get.

In mine right now I have a strongly fermenting brew and the probe in my cooler water reads 59 and the LCD thermometer on the bucket reads 64 - 66 which is where I'd like it to be.

 

[CaptainCoconut]

How long did it sit there equalizing before you measured temperatures? I've been using a T-shirt over my carboy sitting in a couple inches of water, plenty to keep the T-shirt wet with the wicking action, but not enough to use the water to cool the carboy. I'm interested in this as well, because to bring things lower than the upper-60's I'll be doing what you've done.

 

[mjc8870]

I have only had bottles in water for about 5 hours. Are you saying the eventually the temps will equal out throughout the whole bottle over time. My concern is, if it takes 10-12 hours for temps to equal out at top, will this be a problem? Isn't the first 12-24 hours of fermenting the most important? Is getting a bigger cooler the answer? Maybe filling the water to a higher level will make the temp more consistent throughout the fermenter.

Just trying to get things in order before I start this for real. Looking forward to everyone's input.

 

[pwndabear]

rdwhahb

you'll be fine. keep the water cool, things will even out, and dont worry about anything going out of whack with your beer. if you were fermenting with a heater next to the fermenter and keeping it at a steady 90F, then i would say you may have an issue.

 

[tvtoms]

Not really sure to be honest, but if you look at the very bottom of the page here, the board will link some threads it thinks are relevant (and usually are). The tub I'm using is only a 10 gallon one and I think the water level is only maybe half the wort level in the bucket.

I just try to make sure the probe in the swamp cooler water is hanging around 59ish and those batches come out tasting great.. so thats all I'm going by. I'm using US-05 yeast and it seems just fine and happy. I planned to leave my lab thermometer in there this time to monitor the wort temp versus cooler temp, but there's too many sand flies, or gnats or fruit flies or whatever hanging around. They seem attracted to the CO2 which must be like rotting compost to them..

I'll try to maintain the temp for this whole first week or so as best I can and beyond that, not worry too much.

 

[mjc8870]

My temps in water bucket are around 54 degrees. What kind of thermometer do you use for carboy. Do you just tape one to bottle? Didn't think it was ok to open airtight while fermentation to check temp.

I guess just maintaining water in cooler at temp in mid to high 50's will be ok.

I used 2 soda bottles and a 16 oz water bottle and had water temp to 51 in just 4 hours. I removed one soda bottle and temp maybe raised one degree.

I am in south Florida so temps get hot here. It will be a breeze in a few months when we cool down. I am currently testing cooler inside my house. I think this method will work great,

I probably will purchase round cooler (Blue) from target that is used for holding kegs etc.. It's about 7 dollars. Also thinking about a garbage can.

Thanks for all the responses. It is very helpful.

 

[tvtoms]

I am currently using a 6.5 gallon plastic fermenter bucket with one of those stick on thermometers. I have 4 or 5 different indoor/outdoor thermometers and before relying on anything, I set them all near each other and observed the variety of temperatures they showed so I had some idea of what the temp really was.

When the yeast belch out the CO2, it PUSHES any oxygen out of the airlock first, and from then on, it's a solid layer of heavy CO2 on top of the beer and pushing out the airlock. So if you were to remove the airlock on a fermenting brew, the CO2 is still being belched out, still pushing up, still preventing any lighter-than-CO2 gases from getting to the liquid. So if you were to arefully slip a sanitized glass thermometer into the wort, I think it would be fairly safe. As long as no bugs or crud could get in. I wouldnt screw around with opening the lid or whatever for kicks, but if care is taken, it should be fine.

I'm in upstate NY and it's getting near the 40's every night now.. so I sure don't know about how to keep it cool in Florida! Good luck

 

[CaptainCoconut]

Air movement (like a fan) helps with the evaporation and cooling from whatever cloth you have on your carboy, but make you turn off any fans before you open the carboy, or the air movement could blow that CO2 right back out! The heavy CO2 only keeps a protective blanket over your beer if there's little or no air movement.

 

[user 19629]

I try and keep the water level equal to the level of beer in the carboy.
I chill wort to pitching temps, pitch yeast.
Put carboy in cooler, add water to cooler
add ice as needed to get the water to a few degrees cooler then ferment temps.
Try and keep a stable temp in the cooler.
I don't check the temp of the beer.
I know folks will say the temp of the fermenting beer will be higher.
but it works for me.