What will temperature control do for me?

[p_p]

Hi all, I am just about to close in my first year of brewing, having completed 5 AG batches in 2015.
I am aware that temperature control is the first thing a new brewer is advised to pay attention to, unfortunately wet towels + ice has been the solution I have been forced to so far. The beer has been OK, but I cannot say it has been amazing. I have not perceived off flavours, but then again, I am not sure if I could recognize off flavours anyway.

I have only brewed american & english style darkish ales ranging 1.045 to 1.055 using either wlp004 or chico. My fermentation vessel has a reliable thermometer in contact with the wort (~1 1/2 inches below wort level) and during the first two days of fermentation I have been camping next to the FV making my best to keep the temp steady. Inevitably I get temperature oscillations +/- ~2F and when the wife takes over during the week (usually after 2 day of fermentation), the ripples get wider.

I know managed to source a fridge to which I will fit an STC 1000+ controller.

What quality improvements you think will I see moving forward and what problems I may have had on my previous batches given the rudimentary way I have controlled temperature so far?

Thank you in advance.

 

[bransona]

I'm all about the DIY spirit of homebrew, so my go to is a swamp cooler.

Large plastic bin
water
Frozen two liter bottles of water

It's cheaper than dirt and mine holds a perfect 64 in a room that goes from 68-72. It made an immediate and tremendous difference in the quality of my beers.

So I guess the main difference is the lack of undesirable esters and fusel alcohol

 

[jimyoung]

Hello!
I am in a similar stage as you - I have been doing AG for about a year, maybe 10 batches. Over the summer I built (most of) a fermentation fridge using the brewpi software on a home-made box with the wiring, arduino, etc. I just bottled my first batch with temp control, and now have my first lager in the fridge. I'll let you know if it's any better than my standard beer.

Pre temp control, I actually got really good beer. My temps were about 18-23c (64-74f) and I got great beers out of it. About 1 in 3 were good but not shareable quality, which I chalked up to the recipes I was using. One my standard APAs is consistently good. The biggest thing I did to improve my beer was to get a better boil. I am using an electric range and did some tricks to make it boil better. The next big thing was to keep it out of the sun while fermenting

In short, if you are getting sub-par results with that temp range, then I would consider some other variables as well. Perhaps that yeast does not play so happily with those temps / swings. I have used almost exclusively safale s-04 and s-05, although I just bought the gear to wash and freeze my yeast, so will be playing with more strains Of course, I may just have an under-developed sense of taste and my beer may not be as good as I think.

At least, if you get the fridge up and running, you'll have one less variable to consider. Also, you can try lagers!

I am more than happy to share my standard APA I make that has turned out well, just let me know.

 

[d3track]

The big thing is it gives you control. No more camping by the FV. And now lagers become much more manageable, as well as Belgians that like higher temps. Cold crashing becomes the press of a few buttons.

 

[m00ps]

what will temperature control do for you?

The answer is simple: it will make your beers better. Guaranteed

 

[Rhumbline]

The big thing is it gives you control. No more camping by the FV. And now lagers become much more manageable, as well as Belgians that like higher temps. Cold crashing becomes the press of a few buttons.

These are the biggest benefits from my perspective.

I just recently built my ferm chamber from a chest freezer and an STC1000. Previously I did the swamp cooler thing. I'm in Florida, so I could only get things so cool.

Now, as stated above, I don't need to sweat things. I can brew without being driven by the time of year. Also, I'm currently bulk aging two beers for twelve months at 55 degrees, which I'd never have been able to do before.

 

[iijakii]

 

[blizz81]

Ask your doctor about what Temperature Control® can do for you!

 

[madscientist451]

during the first two days of fermentation I have been camping next to the FV making my best to keep the temp steady. Inevitably I get temperature oscillations +/- ~2F and when the wife takes over during the week (usually after 2 day of fermentation), the ripples get wider.

Keeping a steady temperature is a goal, but WHAT temperature?
Certain yeasts will throw off flavor components at 67 that they won't at 62.
You have to get to know what your yeast does in certain situations.
Your temperature control will allow you to know what temperature you are running and will also make it easier to ramp up your temperature near the end to finish fermentation.

 

[p_p]

Hello!
I am in a similar stage as you - I have been doing AG for about a year, maybe 10 batches. Over the summer I built (most of) a fermentation fridge using the brewpi software on a home-made box with the wiring, arduino, etc. I just bottled my first batch with temp control, and now have my first lager in the fridge. I'll let you know if it's any better than my standard beer.

Pre temp control, I actually got really good beer. My temps were about 18-23c (64-74f) and I got great beers out of it. About 1 in 3 were good but not shareable quality, which I chalked up to the recipes I was using. One my standard APAs is consistently good. The biggest thing I did to improve my beer was to get a better boil. I am using an electric range and did some tricks to make it boil better. The next big thing was to keep it out of the sun while fermenting

In short, if you are getting sub-par results with that temp range, then I would consider some other variables as well. Perhaps that yeast does not play so happily with those temps / swings. I have used almost exclusively safale s-04 and s-05, although I just bought the gear to wash and freeze my yeast, so will be playing with more strains Of course, I may just have an under-developed sense of taste and my beer may not be as good as I think.

At least, if you get the fridge up and running, you'll have one less variable to consider. Also, you can try lagers!

I am more than happy to share my standard APA I make that has turned out well, just let me know.

Thanks for the write up and advice.
I think I am fairly ok(ish) with the process, including yeast. Luckily I don't enjoy Lagers which makes the brewing challenge slightly easier.
The two things I am was missing is fermentation chamber and wort aeration. I have approached these using wet towels and ice (manage to maintain 1F around target, but it is too much work).
The beers have been fine, I have shared amongst experienced beer drinkers and I got only constructive compliments. But I am not an expert and neither are they, so now that I have temp control I was looking for advice on what changes I should expect. I want to be prepared to recognise the improvements, if any.

 

[zacster]

2 things I did to my setup that really made a difference.

1. A stir plate and 2L flask. I make a starter every time.
2. A temp controller and fridge. I get everything to the right temp, from the starter to the wort, to the fermentation, to the keg.

Those two things took my beer making from "pretty good, usually", to "Fantastic, Always!".

 

[Nate]

As others have said, it will lessen your work load and make your beers more consistent. Certain yeasts are very sensitive to your fermentation temperature profile and, depending on the temp (or temps) at which you ferment, it can have a significant impact on your final product.

Also, some brewers run numerous steps in their fermentation to produce a specific flavor/aroma profile from their yeast. A programmable controller obviously makes this much easier...