What did a temp controlled ferm chamber do for you?

[mavrick1903]

Title says it all. If you've gone to a temp controlled fermentation chamber, I'm wondering what you're using to control the temp, and what it did for your quality.

 

[ronjonacron]

I think temp control had a bigger impact than yeast starters. I live in florida, so room temp is upper 70s though.

I use a son of fermentation chamber.

 

[Kmcogar]

My wife hates my brewing gear cluttering the house. I bought a freezer and put it in my car ports storage area. Now I can have my beers ferments at a controlled temp. Since I live in hawaii, it's always in the 80's or higher during the day. The fermentation chamber is awesome.

 

[Wynne-R]

No more green beer. Now I call it fresh beer. I can drink a 1.050 pale ale in as little as two weeks old, in the bottle. Grain to glass.

Instead of hoping and waiting for yeast to “clean up after themselves” I have no faults to clean up. Much better beer.

I use glass carboys in a tightly regulated water bath.

 

[cabron99]

STC-1000. Controlled ferm temp control is the biggest single improvement for your beer that can be done by a homebrewer.

 

[rustym]

I think more than anything else, temperature control is the key to being able to "control" fermentation and get the best that the yeast can offer. Take WLP500, for example. Depending on the temperature range that you ferment, it will give you totally different character through 3-4 ranges. I use a Ranco controller and a refrigerator and I can do any beer I want any time of the year.