Who stops brewing during the summer?

[RichBrewer]

I just read a post by Rhoobarb and he stated that he is going to brew his last batch before summer and won't brew again until it cools down.
Who else shuts down their brewery in the summer?
I don't skip a beat. I keep brewing all summer long. If I have to I will put the fermenter in ice water to keep the temps in control.
What does everyone else do?

 

[Lou]

I just read a post by Rhoobarb and he stated that he is going to brew his last batch before summer and won't brew again until it cools down.
Who else shuts down their brewery in the summer?
I don't skip a beat. I keep brewing all summer long. If I have to I will put the fermenter in ice water to keep the temps in control.
What does everyone else do?

i can barely get myself to take a weekend off....no chance in hell i'm taking the whole summer off....

 

[homebrewer_99]

Ditto!!

 

[Brewby, my beer]

I just started, so I'm not going to stop now.

My apartment has a front stair well that is always much cooler than the house, even in warm weather. It's 'L' shaped and has a landing in the middle with plenty of room to store fermenters and bottled beer. I might need to put some kind of shelves to organize better.

I'll just stick with Ales and leave the Lagers for Winter.

 

[brewhead]

i rotate a batch every other weekend and a bottling/racking every other weekend. i'm currently drinking the last of the winter stouts and brewing summer beers. i don't know where Rhoobarb lives but i start most if not all of my brewing at 6:00 in the morning. nice and cool and quiet then

 

[Kaiser]

At least one North Carolina friend of mine mentioned once that his brewing season was restricted to the colder months. But I figure, if you consider brewing a primary hobby of yourself, you will find ways to brew through the summer. No Offense Roobarb. I can easily see how much of a hassle it can be to keep the fermentation temps down during the summer. I don't even know if my fridge set-up is powerful enough to keep the temp below 50F in a 80F gargage.

I'm looking forward to moving back to New England, where I will have a basement

Kai

 

[Ivan Lendl]

i used to, but now i got me a fridge...but between tennis, cobia slaying, school, boxing, and work i dont have much time...i plan on doing a couple of snail-lagers so i guess maybe 3-4 batches this summer is all ill get.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Just brew Belgians!

 

[Dude]

I wish I had a fridge to control temps but no way am I stopping for summer. Especially this summer. With the new rig and the new chiller, I'll be pumping out a s-load of beer. Especially in June. The wife will be gone the whole month. I plan on picking up about 10 more cornies and I'll be filling every one of them by month's end.

I'll figure out the temp control thang at some point.

 

[RichBrewer]

I wish I had a fridge to control temps but no way am I stopping for summer. Especially this summer. With the new rig and the new chiller, I'll be pumping out a s-load of beer. Especially in June. The wife will be gone the whole month. I plan on picking up about 10 more cornies and I'll be filling every one of them by month's end.

I'll figure out the temp control thang at some point.

Now that's what I'm talking about!

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

My wife keeps the house so d@mn cold I could lager in the summer. She keeps the thermostat at 65 in the summer and 85 in the winter. Jeeze!

 

[JRGSPE73]

I just started a little over a month ago...there's no way I can stop for the summer...not happening...it's too addictive. I was an hour late to work today because I was up until 2:30 last night brewing (needless to say, I got a much later start than anticipated, and brewing over a rather old gas stove in my apartment doesn't do much to expedite the process).

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

Since I was brewing in this up until not too long ago I can't see stopping for the summer.

 

[uglygoat]

i don't stop, we moved last fall, and i told the realtor, i don't care what else the house has, it has to have a basement/cellar. it stays nice and cool in there year round.

 

[SteveM]

Central air and ale! No basement, I have a rancher on a concrete slab, but I don't stop. My HBS guy tells me, though, that things slack off big time in the summer. He stays open on Sundays in the winter but starting a week ago or so, he will close on Sundays until fall.

 

[RichBrewer]

Central air and ale! No basement, I have a rancher on a concrete slab, but I don't stop. My HBS guy tells me, though, that things slack off big time in the summer. He stays open on Sundays in the winter but starting a week ago or so, he will close on Sundays until fall.

Part of why I asked is I was wondering how summer affects LHBS. It is tough for them anyway so bet summer is particularly tough. So in the interest of the health of our LHBS- BREW THIS SUMMER!

 

[boo boo]

I know I always complain about the weather and how good you guys on the mainland and in the states have it regarding nice hot tempertures during the summer, but when it comes down to it I'm just glad to be where I am. My weather isn't extreme, and is pretty moderate all year long. Not overly cold winters, wet springs and falls and cool to warm summers.
I brew all year long and with temperture control do lagers all year long. I have to brew all year long as I drink all year long.

 

[Monster Mash]

I only stop brewing lagers in the summer because it's tough to cool the wort down to 45 degrees. I still brew even when its 110 degrees out but it does suck standing over a 300,000BTU burner in the summer though....

 

[david_42]

In the summer, I've fermented the ales next to an A/C vent. I'm hoping to get a temperature- controlled cabinet done by June. Just got the hop stand finished today, that had to be done before the plants get too large (I hope).

 

[todd_k]

I just started a little over a month ago...there's no way I can stop for the summer...not happening...it's too addictive. I was an hour late to work today because I was up until 2:30 last night brewing (needless to say, I got a much later start than anticipated, and brewing over a rather old gas stove in my apartment doesn't do much to expedite the process).

Sweet avatar!

The snausberries taste like snausberries.....

 

[JRGSPE73]

Sweet avatar!

The snausberries taste like snausberries.....

"You boys like Mexico?!?!?!":rockin:

 

[fa1321tx]

brewing over a rather old gas stove in my apartment doesn't do much to expedite the process).

I got a bigger canning pot at walmart so I can use two burners on my kitchen stove it really seems to boil alot faster now.

 

[SkewedBrewing]

I have good air conditioning and wussy roommates that always run it. Its constantly a cool 65 degrees in my apartment so it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Rhoobarb]

I just read a post by Rhoobarb and he stated that he is going to brew his last batch before summer and won't brew again until it cools down. ...

That post you read was an addendum to a recipe I posted about this time last year. Back then, I did extract and partial mashes in the kitchen, and it just got too hot to brew indoors. So, back then, I did suspend brewing until the early Fall.

But last summer I went all-grain! That forces you to brew outside or in the garage during the dead of Winter. So now, barring rainy weather, brew day in the Summer is a backyard event! I usually slather on the SPF, fire up the smoker, throw on a tasty dead animal to two and brew away! Makes for a full, but very satisfying day!

 

[RichBrewer]

That post you read was an addendum to a recipe I posted about this time last year. Back then, I did extract and partial mashes in the kitchen, and it just got too hot to brew indoors. So, back then, I did suspend brewing until the early Fall.

But last summer I went all-grain! That forces you to brew outside or in the garage during the dead of Winter. So now, barring rainy weather, brew day in the Summer is a backyard event! I usually slather on the SPF, fire up the smoker, throw on a tasty dead animal to two and brew away! Makes for a full, but very satisfying day!

Sorry about that. I should have read the post closer. I'm glad to hear that you can now brew year round. What you discribe sounds like a very fun day!

 

[Rhoobarb]

Sorry about that. I should have read the post closer. I'm glad to hear that you can now brew year round. What you discribe sounds like a very fun day!

No problem; easy mistake to make. Yeah, I'm really looking forward to getting back outside. I've been stuck in the garage. We're finally getting nice temps., but it's been raining nearly everyday - and more is forecasted for this weekend, so... back to the garage this Saturday.

 

[Ize]

No problem; easy mistake to make. Yeah, I'm really looking forward to getting back outside. I've been stuck in the garage. We're finally getting nice temps., but it's been raining nearly everyday - and more is forecasted for this weekend, so... back to the garage this Saturday.

It's been raining up there? It's been absolutely PERFECT south of I-80...

In fact while I was cleaning the garage last night I was pondering places for a new cooker that SWMBO knows nothing of as yet...



Ize

 

[beergod35]

When I first started reading the thread I thought "Isn't Rhoobarb from Plainfield, IL?" When I lived in Plainfield I brewed all year 'cause I had a basement for 70 degree fermenting all year. I have been using an out door cooker for about 11 years now which speeds things up. But when I moved to Hawaii I bought a temp controller to go on the old freezer for a nice constant 65 degrees. Now in Texas I have a 15 gallon SS pot for 10 gallon batchs. More beer, fewer brewing days. By the by Ize, Central Illinois is closer to 1-70. I'm originally from south of I-64.

 

[Ize]

When I first started reading the thread I thought "Isn't Rhoobarb from Plainfield, IL?" When I lived in Plainfield I brewed all year 'cause I had a basement for 70 degree fermenting all year. I have been using an out door cooker for about 11 years now which speeds things up. But when I moved to Hawaii I bought a temp controller to go on the old freezer for a nice constant 65 degrees. Now in Texas I have a 15 gallon SS pot for 10 gallon batchs. More beer, fewer brewing days. By the by Ize, Central Illinois is closer to 1-70. I'm originally from south of I-64.

It's that old joke that to everyone in Chicago, everything South of I-80 is Southern Illinois.

You were way south of me then... I'm actually in Decatur, working in Springfield so I-72 cuts things in half in my neck of the woods...

I definitely have the basement, and IF I get that garage insulated like I plan to this summer, winter brew days won't be an issue.... (Note I said IF, a certain 2 year old may have other ideas for keeping me busy....)

All in all, I'd rather be in AZ or anywhere further south for that matter!


Ize

 

[user 574]

If I can brew in summer everyone can; you just got to get creative and start early! Cooling the wort is my biggest PITA