regulating fermenting temp

[SewerRanger]

I was wondering how other people regulate the temperature of their fermenting bucket. I live in an old row home that leaks like a sieve. The windows are the original 1900 wooden ones. You can actually feel a breeze when you walk by them. I rent the place so replacing them is out of the question. Because of this, my fermenting bucket ranges from 60 - 75 degrees at any given time (heat stays on 73 but the house leaks that much). So far it hasn't done me wrong, but I'm sure if the temperature really drops for a couple of days, I'll be in some trouble. Plus I’d like to give my hand at making a lager and I’m under the impression that temperature plays a big role in that.

 

[cd2448]

i'm in a similar spot - our house is cold and recently it didn't get above 55 in the living room during the day. the beer is in the basement which was about the same.

for a lager - you need it cold, say 50-55 for fermentation, then 35-40 for lagering. so you actually need a cold snap to get it cold enough for lager fermentation but you won't be able to get it cold enough for lagering - i use a spare old fridge for that.

my problem is that i've got beer going now that actually needs it warmer - i'm not expecting good batches - should have checked the forecast and started another lager.

 

[cd2448]

to be a bit more constructive - if your temp is too low, then you might try wrapping a blanket or sleeping bag around the fermentor - the fermentation produces a little heat and that might keep it in.

if the temp is too high - you can use either an ice bath, changing the ice regularly, or a fridge using a temp controller (or the fridge's own temp control) to keep it steady.

if you're bottling, those bottles need to be kept at higher temp for a couple of weeks to get carbonation.

 

[Dean Palmer]

The best way to control the temps is by using a freezer or fridge with a 2-stage temp controller, and a heating wrap for the warming stage if required.

Now this is requires some investment, but it will keep your temps stable to a few degrees all year, cold or hot weather.

Down here in Florida we just need the cooling part!

Temp control can be the most critical part of your process.

 

[SewerRanger]

How much would the fridge run me and do any of you have suggestions for one you think works best?

 

[PintOfBitter]

I have a mini fridge in the basement that I just stick a medical-type (from Wal-Mart) heating pad in during the winter. I put it on low, and it's regulated by a temperature controller I built using a cheap thermostat. I did a quick writeup here if you're interested. Keeps the temp inside rock-steady.

 

[SewerRanger]

Got anything that doesn't involve an engineering degree? I'm a software guy myself.

 

[menschmaschine]

I was wondering how other people regulate the temperature of their fermenting bucket. I live in an old row home that leaks like a sieve. The windows are the original 1900 wooden ones. You can actually feel a breeze when you walk by them. I rent the place so replacing them is out of the question. Because of this, my fermenting bucket ranges from 60 - 75 degrees at any given time (heat stays on 73 but the house leaks that much). So far it hasn't done me wrong, but I'm sure if the temperature really drops for a couple of days, I'll be in some trouble. Plus I’d like to give my hand at making a lager and I’m under the impression that temperature plays a big role in that.

If you have a closet that's not on an exterior wall, putting your fermenter in there will help to decrease the temperature fluctuations.

 

[Sixbillionethans]

Got anything that doesn't involve an engineering degree? I'm a software guy myself.

I am an engineer, but I've got a really easy solution. I'm suprised no one else brought this up:
https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/medium/Incubator_without_towel.JPG

https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/medium/Incubator_with_towel.JPG


I do my primary fermentations in a 6.5 gal glass carboy and my secondaries in a 5 gal.

I bought a rubbermaid tub (big, like 20 gallon or something), $10. Then I wrapped in about 50 ft of pink styrofoam insulation ($7) and covered that with tape to keep it from getting messed up. I cut a big hole in the lid to put the top of the carboy thru. I fill it halfway or so up with water and put an aquarium heater into it, which I got for like $15 from Target. Then you can see that I lifted it off the ground...realize how much heat your basement floor can suck up. Then I wrap the top up with a towel to trap any heat that goes out the top and block the light.

Ex: Currently I have a Tripel in my fermenter that I'm stepping the temp from 64 up to 72...but my basement is about 50. I'm guessing in a 50 degree basement I could get up to about 80F. I'm going to do a Saison this summer, and I see no problem getting up to 85-90.

Note: I use tap water and a thermometer to hit my target temp, then I set the aquarium heater so it's just barely on. It's got a thermostat in it, so if the water gets cooler, it will turn on. It never varies by more than like +/-2 degrees.

 

[SewerRanger]

That, my friend is ingenious. I'm going to look into doing that. My house never gets hotter then 73 - 74 degrees so this should work rather well.

 

[Sixbillionethans]

One other thing to add about my previous post. Be careful using this setup if the ambient temp (the basement temp in my case) is really close to your fermentation temp.

Why?

Ex: I used this setup during the summer assuming it would simply act as a damper to temperature fluctuations. Instead, since the water didn't have the heat sink (cold basement air) around it, the metabolic heat generated by the yeast during fermentation started to heat all of the water in the tub. And since that is insulated, the water got up to like 75, when my basement was only 65.


Also, in the summer, when your basement is too warm for a particular yeast strain, you can go with the stupid simple wet towel wrapped around your fermenter, which is placed directly on the cold basement floor. Evaporative cooling (i.e. swamp coolers in arizona, or sweat off your back) will drop the fermenter temp by like 5 degrees. Change the towel daily. I think blowing a fan onto it will increasing cooling effect, but you'll also have to change the towel more frequently.