ok I think i may have F'd up my beer. Help?

[gregbankley]

THe temp here is just crazy. 80 one day, 30 the next... So what would you guys suggest for keeping a consistent temperature for your primary wort? I jsut have mine in my room with the thermometer and it reads it. Its going up and down from 59-71.. you think the beer is bad? but also, how do I keep a consistent temp? thanks!

 

[pernox]

Available at Wal*Mart for about $6.

Fill with water.

Insert fermenting vessel.

Add ice, or frozen soda bottles full of water if needed to keep temperature in the proper range.

Enjoy temperature-controlled fermentation and great tastiness.

You probably didn't make your beer undrinkable, but once you get the temp control thing in hand you will notice a difference.

 

[gregbankley]

thanks! but won't this make my beer too cold? With ice?

 

[grimzella]

well u didnt tell anyone what kind of beer u made. or what type of yeast you have pitched or for how long its been in primary...

 

[Runyanka]

The point with this system is that you are surrounding your beer with a larger mass of water, thus it takes a longer period of time for a major temperature swing. I live near Dallas TX, where the summers are brutal. Before I got a fermentation chamber, I used this same system. Basically I would put three frozen water bottles in the water when I left for work, and change them out when I got home, then again when I went to bed. My fermentation temperatures never got above 67 degrees, even though my house sat at 76 degrees. I kept mine in the coldest room in the house (my closet) and it worked perfectly fine.

 

[two_one_seven]

How did your temp drop to 30 degrees F? That is a huge swing in one day. If it's moving that much your temperatures in your room must be really going crazy. How are you measuring the temp?

 

[starrfish]

How did your temp drop to 30 degrees F? That is a huge swing in one day. If it's moving that much your temperatures in your room must be really going crazy. How are you measuring the temp?

LOL two_one_seven you haven't spent much time down south have ya? Esp. this time of year! Days can hit 80°s Nights can drop to 40°s It's CRAZY. Completely threw me for a loop moving to the south from PA.

I usually swamp cool when needed not usually ice just a water bath, a fan and a towel evaporation cools effectively and keeps things in an acceptable range for most ales and steam lagers. Swamp cooling also insulates against our wild temp shifts as water cools/warms slower than air.

 

[two_one_seven]

I lived in Texas just off the coast as a kid. We sometimes get 60 degree temp swings, here in Illinois,from Morning to night. I agree swamp cooling is the way to go.

I guess I assumed that the OP was using Central Air. And I miss read his post I thought the beer was going from 80 to 30........ I have my basement of course which is super stable. I think if he isn't using AC we may have solved his problem.....