Summer time brewing stinks

[duckredbeard]

beer won't make itself

That would be excellent or horrific if it did. However, I think it all started that way. We just perfected it.

 

[Spartan1979]

Thanks for the info. I definitely get it now.
I wish I wouldn't need so much ice. 30 lbs is about another $10 which adds up quickly.

The last time I did this I only needed two bags of ice. This time I've started collecting the ice from our ice maker. Hopefully by Friday I'll have the equivalent of 3 bags.

 

[philber]

It would be excellent if the beer would make itself, clean up after and get into my mug nice and cold

 

[baulz]

You know what would really suck?

Going an entire summer and NOT brewing

Summer happens regardless, beer won't make itself

What really sucks is standing outside in below freezing temps on a windy day brewing. Or chilling your wort in a snowbank at 1am.

 

[neosapien]

What really sucks is standing outside in below freezing temps on a windy day brewing. Or chilling your wort in a snowbank at 1am.

You say that....

I'm in a garage in texas when it's 105 on a good day. I look forward to getting back up to Rochester to brew in the winter a few times. As a lifestyle though, no thanks, that sounds horrible :/

 

[shroomzofdoom]

You say that....

I'm in a garage in texas when it's 105 on a good day. I look forward to getting back up to Rochester to brew in the winter a few times. As a lifestyle though, no thanks, that sounds horrible :/

A teeny, tiny micro gloat: since switching to all electric, I brew in air conditioned comfort any time! Groundwater temp is the only thing currently beyond my control.

My buddy has an air conditioned garage, I found that to be very cool.

 

[zmad2000]

I just brew last weekend in my kitchen and was it ungodly hot in there. I was sweating so much there was a puddle on the floor. Next time i am going to do the frozen soda bottle idea and also freeze my "wort chiller chiller bucket".

 

[DrunkleJon]

My buddy has an air conditioned garage, I found that to be very cool.

Pun intended?

I look forward to brewing out of my car-hole. Just need to decide on a burner...

 

[DPBISME]

A teeny, tiny micro gloat: since switching to all electric, I brew in air conditioned comfort any time! Groundwater temp is the only thing currently beyond my control.

My buddy has an air conditioned garage, I found that to be very cool.

Where the hell is the "unlike button" this guy needs to be beaten...

On top of that now I have to go do reasearch on Electric Brewing and see if it is cost effective.

Getting a propane tank filled is 12 bucks... so much cheaper than trading in at the Home Depot....

DPB

 

[natefrog255]

It's been a pretty hot summer in the Green Bay area and I haven't had a horrible cooling wort experience really. I am more fearful of my first winter brewing outside, or in garage. I turn off of spigots so I don't know how I will tackle the cooling process. Just stick the pot of wort in the cold weather...?

 

[DPBISME]

Since I started this mess.... I went and looked at Wyeast, White Labs, andf Danstar...

One of them had Belgians up to 76 F I think,,, what ever it was it was 2 degrees warmer than the other...

One offered Saison that went to 80 F.

So, in the Summer-Time; a Saison yeast in all my recipies??? Hell why not,,, it will not go to waste...

DPB

 

[bmick]

My summertime chilling routine is very different than my wintertime routine. In the winter it's straight tapwater through the plate chiller, takes the wort as low as 65. In the summer, here in NY, where it's been 90F for the last, idk, 2 months, it's different. I knock out, use my old immersion to get to about 170, then transfer the immersion to an ice bucket to act as a pre-chiller for the plate chiller, which even then can only take it to 70. Also adds about 15 minutes to my day. Damn yoooouuuu suuuuunnnnn!!

 

[DPBISME]

My summertime chilling routine is very different than my wintertime routine. In the winter it's straight tapwater through the plate chiller, takes the wort as low as 65. In the summer, here in NY, where it's been 90F for the last, idk, 2 months, it's different. I knock out, use my old immersion to get to about 170, then transfer the immersion to an ice bucket to act as a pre-chiller for the plate chiller, which even then can only take it to 70. Also adds about 15 minutes to my day. Damn yoooouuuu suuuuunnnnn!!

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE SUMMER.

It is just the Brewing in Summer...

Many good ideas...

 

[brewguyver]

Since I started this mess.... I went and looked at Wyeast, White Labs, andf Danstar...

One of them had Belgians up to 76 F I think,,, what ever it was it was 2 degrees warmer than the other...

One offered Saison that went to 80 F.

DPB

From what I've read they recommend starting Belgians lower (65-68 ) and then ramping up temps once the yeast get going. The risk is hot alcohols (solvent flavors) and medicinal/band-aid like flavors if they start the ferment too high.

On the flip side, I've definitely pushed the white labs saison 2 over 85 ... If you get a good starter and have it at the same temp as your wort, it should ferment. Just make sure you spend extra effort to aerate the wort - you'll have less O2 dissolving at the higher pitch temp.

 

[brewguyver]

BTW - did our first run with the therminator on Tuesday. Worked well until it clogged, but the temp was still coming out around 84. Looks like I'll be trying the pre chill method through my Immersion chiller.

We ended up pitching the Nottingham yeast at 86 (package read 90 or below). I'll let you know how it works out.

Here's a picture of the setup.

 

[brewers-assistant]

I just brewed this last Saturday and had to give up at 80, it just wouldn't chill any further - my tap water is lukewarm basically. Pitched the yeast at 80, put the carboy in a closet at 68 room temp. Will see how it turns out in a few weeks...

 

[dfc]

I brew in the sub-suburbs of Phoenix and I brew all times of year including summer. Our ground water in the summer has to be above 90°F. I use my ground water to get the wort below 100°F. I then dump 20lbs. of ice (it costs $2-$3) into a tub filled with water. I then hook the intake to my wort chiller to the output of a portable sump pump and place the sump pump into the ice water. I make sure the output of the wort chiller is feeding the tub of ice water and I turn on the sump pump once connected and continue chilling.

This process from start (ground water) to finish (wort getting below 70°F) takes about 20 minutes. I've even brewed when it's been over 110°F and this is still the case.

I hope this helps.

 

[RmikeVT]

Thats the same set up I have and get similar results.

 

[dfc]

Thats the same set up I have and get similar results.

Well, I got the idea from this message board, so I assumed it was a good idea. Apparently that's the case...

 

[DPBISME]

BTW - did our first run with the therminator on Tuesday. Worked well until it clogged, but the temp was still coming out around 84. Looks like I'll be trying the pre chill method through my Immersion chiller.

We ended up pitching the Nottingham yeast at 86 (package read 90 or below). I'll let you know how it works out.

Here's a picture of the setup.

View attachment 70479

After a few years of extract brewing I kind-a forgot what temp to pitch Nottingham (I used it all the time).

I would pitch at 80 and let the wort cool down in the house (Fall, Winter, Spring) and never had a problem...

NOW these were 5 Gallon batches so I assume that this might not be safe now that I do 10 Gallon batches...

Geometry, the mass of the wort, and such causing the heat to stay longer at a higher TEMP.

 

[Phyrst]

I brew in the sub-suburbs of Phoenix and I brew all times of year including summer. Our ground water in the summer has to be above 90°F. I use my ground water to get the wort below 100°F. I then dump 20lbs. of ice (it costs $2-$3) into a tub filled with water. I then hook the intake to my wort chiller to the output of a portable sump pump and place the sump pump into the ice water. I make sure the output of the wort chiller is feeding the tub of ice water and I turn on the sump pump once connected and continue chilling.

This process from start (ground water) to finish (wort getting below 70°F) takes about 20 minutes. I've even brewed when it's been over 110°F and this is still the case.

I hope this helps.

This is exactly what I do. It's pretty cool when it's 95 degrees outside and you see condensation dripping off your wort kettle.

 

[joelrapp]

I stick my immersion chiller in a 6g fermenting bucket full of water, and stick it in my deep freezer till it is rock solid. Then I run my ground water through that and into my counter flow. Works, not 100% but I agree I'm in Indiana and have all but given up summer time brewing.

 

[mbauer013]

I feel spoiled - her in MN my tap water is rarely above 55, so chilling isn't a problem here. It's winter brewing. Bringing a 15g batch up to a boil when it is below zero takes mucho propane, not to mention the boil off you get when there is no humidity and it's -20. Unfortunately, this summer I haven't brewed but one batch for a collaboration brew at my club. Remodeling sucks!

 

[DPBISME]

I feel spoiled - her in MN my tap water is rarely above 55, so chilling isn't a problem here. It's winter brewing. Bringing a 15g batch up to a boil when it is below zero takes mucho propane, not to mention the boil off you get when there is no humidity and it's -20. Unfortunately, this summer I haven't brewed but one batch for a collaboration brew at my club. Remodeling sucks!

I am using Keggles and I even though I am not brewing in that cold of weather I have considered wrapping the top two thirds of my Brew kettle with insulation... so creating an outer shield of some kind that would capture the heat coming from under the Keggle to force it along the sides… Hot Air Insulation…

Again this fits in with Cheaper Brewing

 

[duckmanco]

I feel spoiled - her in MN my tap water is rarely above 55, so chilling isn't a problem here. It's winter brewing. Bringing a 15g batch up to a boil when it is below zero takes mucho propane, not to mention the boil off you get when there is no humidity and it's -20. Unfortunately, this summer I haven't brewed but one batch for a collaboration brew at my club. Remodeling sucks!

You need one of these... Hell for 15 gal, maybe 2. I use one with a 7-7.5 gal preboil and I barely keep the gas on. It's saved me at least 2 propane tanks over the last several batches.

 

[LandoLincoln]

I made a 45 ft copper / garden hose CFC. I am always able to get my wort down to within 1° of the temp of my tap water in one pass, even in a blazing hot summer like this one.

 

[mbauer013]

You need one of these... Hell for 15 gal, maybe 2. I use one with a 7-7.5 gal preboil and I barely keep the gas on. It's saved me at least 2 propane tanks over the last several batches.

Forget a link? I am all about saving propane!

 

[Spartan1979]

I stick my immersion chiller in a 6g fermenting bucket full of water, and stick it in my deep freezer till it is rock solid. Then I run my ground water through that and into my counter flow. Works, not 100% but I agree I'm in Indiana and have all but given up summer time brewing.

I tried something like that but there must have been some water in the IC. I couldn't get any water to flow through it. Either that or the water entering it froze and blocked the tubing.

 

[drkaeppel]

Brewing outside in the summer in TX is horrible. Something about standing over a propane burner in 105 degree heat just doesn't do it for me.

I've decided to switch to extract during the summer so I can brew inside. Chilling wort has become somewhat of a challenge. My chiller will only get my wort to 85 F or so. I know this is frowned upon, but lately I have just been throwing ice into my wort to get it down to pitching temp. I've done this 5 or 6 times without any ill effects, but I can't wait till it cools off some so I can switch back to brewing AG outside.

 

[Dutch218]

Brewing outside in the summer in TX is horrible. Something about standing over a propane burner in 105 degree heat just doesn't do it for me.

I've decided to switch to extract during the summer so I can brew inside. Chilling wort has become somewhat of a challenge. My chiller will only get my wort to 85 F or so. I know this is frowned upon, but lately I have just been throwing ice into my wort to get it down to pitching temp. I've done this 5 or 6 times without any ill effects, but I can't wait till it cools off some so I can switch back to brewing AG outside.

I just started home brewing so excuse my stupid question. Why is this frowned upon? Does the ice need to come from boiled water to be safe? Also someone mentioned putting frozen soda bottles that have been sanitized in to bring down the temp. Anyone else have experience Witt this?