Warming Fermentation Temps

[Mountainbeers]

Does anybody know an effective way to warm up your fermentation temps? I'm in college and when I go home for Christmas my roommates will most likely want to turn down the heat to save money.

 

[josiahcox]

Fermwrap - Space Heater - Get roomates who won't sacrifice your brew for money - Put a down vest around the carboy and hope it doesn't get too cold. These are all options.

Best option is to get one of your roomates to babysit your brew while your gone and keep the temp where it needs to be.
That is of course if they are reliable, which they may not be knowing most college aged guys. Good luck.

 

[Mountainbeers]

Fermwrap - Space Heater - Get roomates who won't sacrifice your brew for money - Put a down vest around the carboy and hope it doesn't get too cold. These are all options.

Best option is to get one of your roomates to babysit your brew while your gone and keep the temp where it needs to be.
That is of course if they are reliable, which they may not be knowing most college aged guys. Good luck.

Haha thanks. None of us will be here though. I might try some tests over the next week with these ideas. I have a space heater, I would just worry about the fire hazards.

 

[josiahcox]

If you use a space heater make sure it is a newer one with good safety features. Use your common sense on this. Remove any fire hazards etc...
Hmm your in WV. It's gonna be cold.
How far into fermentation are you? How many gallons? Do you know without the heat on around how cold your place gets?
If you are all gone and you don't do the space heater option I would suggest going the vest option and wrap thick blankets under and around the carboy.

 

[Mountainbeers]

This is a good space heater that is only a year old.
http://www.amazon.com/Holmes-HWH2605-U-Water-Filled-Adjustable-Thermostat/dp/B000V5URJI

I'll be 2 weeks into fermentation (5 gallons) once we leave so it should be finishing up. The house is not very well insulated so it's going to get as cold as the thermostat is set pretty much. We can't turn the heat all the way off or the pipes will freeze.

 

[richt]

Put your fermenter in a keg tub or something, fill it partially with water, then go to the pet store and get a submersible aquarium heater. Both of mine have a range of around 68 to 80.

 

[Mountainbeers]

Put your fermenter in a keg tub or something, fill it partially with water, then go to the pet store and get a submersible aquarium heater. Both of mine have a range of around 68 to 80.

Solution!

Thanks!

 

[josiahcox]

I'd check your grav before leaving. If you are close to your estimated FG then you should be fine. How long are you gonna be gone for? What is the ideal temo rnge for the yeast your using?
That space heater should work fine. The water tub method works too.

 

[Mista_Sparkle]

i have a closet that has a couple incandescent lamps in it too keep my beer warm while the heat is out, they are however hooked up to an extra thermostat i had laying around so i dont cook my beer

 

[Mountainbeers]

I'll be gone for 2 and 1/2 weeks. The kit recommended a 4 week fermentation (2 primary, 2 secondary) but I diluted it a bit because I didn't have as much boil off as expected with my new turkey fryer. OG was supposed to be 1.045 and mine was 1.037. Safale US-05 yeast. Optimum temperature: 59-75° F.

 

[DKershner]

I personally think you will be fine just leaving it. After 2 weeks the yeast is probably just chillin. Call it 'cold crashing' or 'cold conditioning' in order to make it sound like you did it on purpose.

 

[SpanishCastleAle]

I'll be gone for 2 and 1/2 weeks. The kit recommended a 4 week fermentation (2 primary, 2 secondary) but I diluted it a bit because I didn't have as much boil off as expected with my new turkey fryer. OG was supposed to be 1.045 and mine was 1.037. Safale US-05 yeast. Optimum temperature: 59-75° F.

It should be done fermenting after two weeks. You could just keg it/bottle it then. Or you could just let it sit while you're gone, at that point you don't really need to maintain temp.

One thing to be aware of is that if the beer is finished fermenting (i.e. no longer giving off CO2) and the beer/fermenter go from warm to cold...then the gas in the headspace of the fermenter is going to shrink which will create a vacuum. If you're using a regular 3-pc airlock it could suck the liquid from the airlock back into the fermenter. Not good. The 1-pc 'bubbler' type airlocks won't do this as long as you don't put too much liquid in them (they'll just bubble in reverse).

 

[khiddy]

+1 on the water tub/aquarium heater solution. It takes quite a swing in ambient temp for that much water to appreciably change temperature.

And +1 on josiahcox's advice on checking to see how close to your FG you are by the time you leave. With your low OG of 1.037, you ought to be close to the FG in the two weeks before you leave, anyhow, which will decrease the impact that any temp swings have on your brew.

Don't bottle it before you leave, though. That's just tempting the bottle bomb fate for your brew.

 

[Mountainbeers]

It should be done fermenting after two weeks. You could just keg it/bottle it then. Or you could just let it sit while you're gone, at that point you don't really need to maintain temp.

One thing to be aware of is that if the beer is finished fermenting (i.e. no longer giving off CO2) and the beer/fermenter go from warm to cold...then the gas in the headspace of the fermenter is going to shrink which will create a vacuum. If you're using a regular 3-pc airlock it could suck the liquid from the airlock back into the fermenter. Not good. The 1-pc 'bubbler' type airlocks won't do this as long as you don't put too much liquid in them (they'll just bubble in reverse).

Well luckily I use the bubblers.

I think I'm either going to just let it sit or go with the aquarium pump. Like I said my roommates are cheap (and from up north) and I haven't been controlling fermentation temps very well. Most of my beers are fermenting at 62 which I feel might be a little chilly. For example my Apfelwein crapped out at 1.009 last time.

 

[josiahcox]

I personally think you will be fine just leaving it. After 2 weeks the yeast is probably just chillin. Call it 'cold crashing' or 'cold conditioning' in order to make it sound like you did it on purpose.

Probably what I would do. Like I said just take a grav reading 2 days before you leave and then again on the morning of you leaving. If there is no change let that batch sit till you get home. If it is still going down maybe think of warming while your gone.
My money is on you making a good beer either way.
RDWHAHB. Cheers.
- Josiah