Using Freezer Ferm Chamber for Multiple Brews

[adpostel]

So I have been researching Glycol Chillers and temp controlling coils inside the fermenters to more closely follow a specific fermentation schedule for each brew. At the moment, I have a dedicated stand up freezer that can actually fit up to 4 fermenters in it. But since different brews ferment at different temps throughout the fermentation, I was trying to figure out the best way to do that. Glycol Chiller is out of the budget, furthermore, after thinking about it, I rarely do more than 1 batch at a time, but sometimes I like to have two batches fermenting at one time. What my question is, could I just leave my freezer (ferm chamber) at a specific temp, say 38* and use the heat mats wrapped around the fermenters on individual InkBirds and just warm the batch to the specific temps in that 38* environment? The reason I say 38* is so that when the batch is ready to cold crash, I can just set the temp to 38* for the cold crash. I know people in really cold climates have to use something to get their wort UP to temp somehow. It would be a whole lot easier for me to have multiple InkBirds with heating mats and bring the wort UP to temp vs trying to CHILL the wort. Any experiences, thoughts or ideas woulb be greatly appreciated. Happy Brewing...

 

[RM-MN]

If you are brewing ales they only need to be kept within a range of temperature for the duration of the fast part of the fermentation, usually about 3 or 4 days. Once that part of the fermentation is over the temperature (within reason) doesn't matter, the ale is just letting the yeast complete the breaking down of the intermediate compounds produced in those first days, then settling out. The complex fermentation schedules are simply a record of what someone else did, not necessarily the best practice. Unless you are pushing out several beers over a 2 day period, control one batch properly in the freezer, then take it out to make room for the next.

Cold crashing isn't really needed, it simply speeds up the settling of the yeast and trub. Leaving the beer in the fermenter for a longer period of time will accomplish most of it except the last of the proteins that cause chill haze.