Safe to ferment in wood shop?

[deanomite]

Hello I am new to the site and home brewing. I am wondering if it is safe to ferment in a dusty garage wood shop. I am using a fastferment conical fermenter. I know the fermenter is sealed an the air lock should keep everything out but just wondering if that holds true in extreme conditions like this? Anyone know? Anyone have first hand experience in doing this?
TIA

 

[slayer021175666]

I don't have any first-hand experience but I don't see why it would be a problem. Maybe you could cover it with muslin cloth or something so that the whole fermenter top is covered. It should work fine.

 

[tracer bullet]

If you are sealed and things are only blowing out, you should be good to go. And even with a traditional airlock, any dust would get trapped in the liquid used.

It's a wood shop, not a sewer. I wouldn't sweat it.

(And even then, w/ the proper setup, it should work there too haha).

 

[MaxStout]

Should be no problem, unlikely any dust or wood chips will find its way in.

If you plan to do any wood cutting or sanding, you can always lay a tarp over the fermenter to prevent dust from accumulating.

 

[bracconiere]

kinda ...some people age on wood on purpose...just make sure while you're using stumpy, only the oak is mascerated in bourbon!

 

[Barbarossa]

Dust tend to go everywhere. I would loosely cover the airlock just in case.

 

[Komodo]

Yep, it's all I do with my competing hobbies.
One recommendation is to not worry about what's in your fermenters, but rather all of the vessels currently not being used. Keep them well covered, or you will just add on a bunch of unnecessary cleaning.

 

[mbg]

I'm a serious woodworking hobbyist and have brewed a few time in my garage/shop without an ill effects. I only brewed in the garage when I needed to because of the condensation.

 

[deanomite]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will probably err on the side of caution and loosely cover with something.
Thanks again! I appreciate the advice.

 

[jerrylotto]

It's a lot more important with the temperature is then whether there's dust on the environment. Depending on the yeast you probably want to ferment ales at around 64F or lagers at about 52F. You also want to keep it out of bright light, so that could be a problem in your shop.

 

[SeeMont]

Good Morning, I have been brewing in my woodworking shop for a decade, with no ill effects, using an all electric system and the doors are usually closed. The large shop is also used for mechanics, welding projects and the hanging of an occasional critter during hunting season. Heat in my shop is supplied with a big wood burning furnace. The trick is blowing and vacuuming up as much surface dust / dirt as possible, cleaning and disinfecting floors with a bleach solution, rinsing brewing equipment with StarSan. My shop even hosts a group brewing session for our club. Relax, Enjoy the hobby and have a Home Brew

 

[deanomite]

It's a lot more important with the temperature is then whether there's dust on the environment. Depending on the yeast you probably want to ferment ales at around 64F or lagers at about 52F. You also want to keep it out of bright light, so that could be a problem in your shop.

Good points @jerrylotto I am fortunate to have heat in this space here in Ohio so I should be able to keep the temperature in the needed range. Thanks Again!

 

[IslandLizard]

The only advice I want to add, don't let the dust get into your fermenter/beer or come in touch with it.
So when racking, opening fermenters, lifting lids, using spigots or valves to transfer, etc., they may be covered with some sawdust in and on which bacteria can harbor, so use regular good cleaning and sanitation on those areas to prevent that.

Yup, I would cover them so prevent dust settling on them in the first place.
BTW, is the whole area at fermentation temps? If not, you'd need to find a way to keep your ferm temps low and constant.
I know those FastFerments are a bit of a nuisance to put inside a fermentation fridge/chamber, but controlling ferm temps makes better beer.