Tempertures

[Morgo]

So I haven't brewed anything yet but while doing my research I see that you need to ferment at a temp between 65 and 75 roughly. It's summertime and it's been getting to 108 around here. I like to keep my house as cold as possible but electricty is expesive and I couldn't guarantee a consistant tempurture in that range.

Is there any tricks to keeping things cool? Like I was I brainstorming with my wife and she suggested to keep it in our spare bathroom in a cool water bath...it would be dark in there constantly.

Would this, or another way, be worth doing? Am I going to have to wait for the cooler months? That would make me sad =(

 

[Yooper]

Well, the yeast you would use would really kind of dictate the temperature you need to keep it at, but 70 degrees is generally about right for an ale yeast.

I made a swamp cooler type thing for my fermenter (see my gallery for pictures) and I put water in it and change out frozen water bottles to keep the temperature down where I want it. Some people put the fermentor in a bucket with water and a towel around it to "wick" up the water and have a fan blowing on it. That works well, I understand.

 

[anthrobe]

To keep it around 70 degrees, fill a barrel or bathtub up with water, put a shirt or towel over the carboy, and have a fish pump push water over the towel. Then you can put a small fan flowing on it. The water evaporating will drop you down 15 degrees from your house temp. That is if you are in an area of low humidity

 

[zoebisch01]

Yeah you guys in the southwest can really take advantage of the evaporative cooling effect! That is by far the best route to go.

Here is a chart to help:

 

[jvh261]

I live in an apartment in Chicago and we've been hitting the hi 80s - 90s recently. No basement for me, just a big pantry.

I bought a small rubbermaid plastic tub, fill it with cold water and keep a few frozen plastic soda bottles in there. I soak a t-shirt and put it over my fermenting bucket leaving the bottom of the t-shirt in the water. Point a fan at it and let the evaporation do its thing.

I just started brewing this past january and have learned so many tips and tricks just be reading thread after thread on this site. This place rules.

 

[malkore]

$20 fix to keep your fermenter cool
https://www.homebrewtalk.com//showthread.php?t=32651

you'll need A/C vents on or close to the floor so you can use it to create a ghetto fridge.
I can easily hold 60F inside, with my central air set to 77F.

 

[Brewsmith]

Bathtub will work. If not get a ice chest or some other vessel that the fermenter will fit in and keep a water bath around it that way. You can freeze some water bottles and have them keep the water cool. And the t-shirt works great.

 

[Morgo]

Thanks all