# Tips for keeping your fermenters cool over summer



## s_t_r_o_b_e (21/10/13)

Hey team. I'm still very new to brewing and this will be my first summer. I'm hoping that some of you guys have gone through a few summers and have some tips on how to keep fermenters cool when things get a bit hot.

I'm in the process of completing my fermentation fridge, but even so, that'll only give me space for a single fermenter (and I have three on the go at the moment).

I've got a couple of fermenters sitting at 24.5ish degrees (using US04 and US05) and I'm pretty keen to drop em a bit.


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## JDW81 (21/10/13)

Brew saisons - can get yeasts that work at 25 degrees all the way up to mid 30s. 

JD


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## Camo1234 (21/10/13)

Get three fridges 

Seriously though, 1 fermenting fridge is certainly not the limit.... Check out the various threads asking how many fridges people have... You can pick them up very cheap or even for free and keeping a fermenter at 18 won't cost a hell of electricity.


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## AJ80 (21/10/13)

Got through last summer by sitting a fermenter in an esky, adding 15cm of water and wrapping a wet towel around the fermenter. By adding a frozen soft drink bottle every twelve hours or so to the water, managed to keep the fermenter at 20-22C in +35C ambient. A bit of work, but worth it.


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## philmud (21/10/13)

What are you fermenting in? Would Willow jerry cans allow you to fit more in the fridge?


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## bum (21/10/13)

A fan can help AJ80's method drop a few degrees too, if required.


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## thrillho (21/10/13)

bum said:


> A fan can help AJ80's method drop a few degrees too, if required.


How much of these methods actually change the wort temperature? I did this last summer and saw my little stick on thermometer hover around 18, but I'm fairly certain that's because the damp towel with a fan pointed at it was cooling the thermometer!  

Does it actually cool the wort inside?


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## MrTwalky (21/10/13)

When I first started I stuck mine under the house - dark, cool and steady temps. But freakin' dirty!!


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## bum (21/10/13)

thrillho said:


> How much of these methods actually change the wort temperature? I did this last summer and saw my little stick on thermometer hover around 18, but I'm fairly certain that's because the damp towel with a fan pointed at it was cooling the thermometer!
> 
> Does it actually cool the wort inside?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coolgardie_safe


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## manticle (22/10/13)

Water bath is your best bet. Wet towel draped around the top (vertical section, not lid/glad wrap)wicks water from the bath upwards.

Fan will help if you don't mind the electricity useage. Ice bricks in the water bath. When summer is at its hottest, you may struggle so that's when it is saison time. I did this for years.


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## wbosher (22/10/13)

Google "swamp cooler". You'll get plenty of hits of variations on the methods above, from a simple ice bath to other links describing a full enclosure with fans and light bulbs and secret compartments to another dimension...


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## JDW81 (22/10/13)

manticle said:


> Fan will help if you don't mind the electricity useage.


AFAIK a fan will use far less electricity than a fridge, particularly when it is screaming hot outside.


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## mxd (22/10/13)

JDW81 said:


> AFAIK a fan will use far less electricity than a fridge, particularly when it is screaming hot outside.


I think the theory is the fan will run 24/7 the fridge only runs occasionally (no idea how low occasionally is)

as others have said, different shape fermenters (jerry cans),

Water in an esky with fermenter in that

get a 350 ltr chesty,holds 3 fermenters and is better insulated than a fridge.


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## s_t_r_o_b_e (22/10/13)

Yeah been considering a chest freezer. They just seem so expensive... That said, it'd mean I could turn the fridge into a keg fridge...


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## mxd (22/10/13)

this one is only 200 ltrs but you could watch that


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## Dave70 (22/10/13)

Here's a Coolgardie safe. Supposed to be pretty effective so long as there's a breeze about (fan) and you keep the hessian wet.
Guess you could build one easy enough and scale it up a bit. Its fcukin Aussie as. 

But really.

Far easier to run a chesty through a cheap temp controller. Holding one at brew temp's would cost next to nothing.


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## QldKev (22/10/13)

JDW81 said:


> AFAIK a fan will use far less electricity than a fridge, particularly when it is screaming hot outside.





mxd said:


> I think the theory is the fan will run 24/7 the fridge only runs occasionally (no idea how low occasionally is)
> 
> as others have said, different shape fermenters (jerry cans),
> 
> ...


I've done some testing on power usage, full recording here
Based on temperature range of min 14c, max 26c
320L fermenting fridge with 2 fermenters at:
stable at 18c, cost $33 per annum, so 132kWh/yr
(This is my older 1980's fridge which is now upgraded to an even newer more efficient fridge)


Fan on medium setting.
30cm desk fan, 40w
40w x 24hr per day = 960w per day
960w x 365days a year = 350,400w
= 350kWh/yr = $87.5

I've actually found no real difference in power usage for an upright fridge Vs upright freezer.


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## Bribie G (22/10/13)

The thing about the water bath with the ice or ice bottles is that you are not only cooling the fermenter you are cooling the whole garage as well.
If you have freezer capacity, get some 2L soft drink bottles and freeze them, and wrap the FV with the bottles, a towel and a doonah.

This is what I used to do in SEQ in the summer before I got fridges, using 5L jerry cans.










Edit: of course you are paying to freeze the water so it's self defeating in the long term, but can give you a "window" before you go out and spend dollars on a fridge.


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## vittorio (22/10/13)

have a well insulated garage is a good option, my garage is well insulated and i have no trouble in any weather season with my fermentation


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## Mattress (22/10/13)

When I 1st started I picked up an outboard motor wash tub from super cheap auto.
It was insulated and the packet it came in stated it could also be filled with ice and used as a drinks container at parties.
Fitted the fermenter nicely and, with a couple of frozen soft drink bottles thrown in, kept the temp. nice and cool.


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## peter.brandon (22/10/13)

Just jump in and make the commitment. I spent years with water baths, wet towels and fans etc. i always found it hard to get the beer temp down and keep it there.

Once i had the space i went and purchased an ebay fridge for $80 plus home made temp controller for heat and cool $30 plus heat belt lying around - best money ever spent!

I can make whatever i wantwhenever i want. Whever thats Pilsners in summer or Saison in winter.

Honestly if you have the room for another Fridge and you have $100 then do it.

Fridge is only on when you are fermenting and door is not opened constanly and temp is never as cold as normal fridge so running costs are low but the quality of your beer will massively benefit.


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## manticle (22/10/13)

OP has already made the commitment if you read the first post. Just needs some alternatives as well.


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## JDW81 (22/10/13)

QldKev said:


> I've done some testing on power usage, full recording here
> Based on temperature range of min 14c, max 26c
> 320L fermenting fridge with 2 fermenters at:
> stable at 18c, cost $33 per annum, so 132kWh/yr
> ...


Good old maths puts me on the right path once again. 

Thanks kev.


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## peter.brandon (22/10/13)

Yep read that too manticle.

My two cents was ..... why find an alternative? Just make it happen ..... whats stopping him?

Otherwise he is wasting money on alternatives


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## Alex.Tas (22/10/13)

Plyers, the OP may not want to spend $110 bucks on another fridge+temp controller when they may be able to do the same with household items. while it may not be the best long term solution, the OP may not always be brewing two brews at once, or have the space required for another fridge. I reckon prince imperial may be on the money. cylindrical fermenters dont utilise the available space in your fridge unless you have a cylindrical fridge (I've got one of those beer can fridges i won in a competition). Therefore if you changed up your fermenter shape you may be able to fit a couple in there rather than just the one.


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## MastersBrewery (22/10/13)

yep temp controlled fridge is the best way to go, I gave away my old ferment fridge the other day to a member, I still have another spare fridge I need to be rid of if any one wants it PM me.


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## manticle (22/10/13)

> Yep read that too manticle.
> 
> My two cents was ..... why find an alternative? Just make it happen ..... whats stopping him?
> 
> Otherwise he is wasting money on alternatives


Could be space to run a second fridge (as it is in my case) or power bill or both. A water bath can be had for $2 which is not much of a waste. Making a saison is never a waste. Making two beers rather than one is far from waste.


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## mr_wibble (22/10/13)

I've currently got my fermenter sitting in a 1/2 pickle barrel of water.
About mid-morning & mid-arvo every day I drop in two frozen milk bottles. It's keeping around 17-19C, but mostly at 18.

Wish that STC-1000 would hurry up and arrive... I should'a bought local.


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## Dunkelbrau (22/10/13)

I guess I am luky enough to be able to fit two 30 L fermenters in my ferment fridge. Only issue is winter, haven't wired up a heat source!

Any thoughts on what to put in there? Light/heat belt? Cheapo reptile head pad?


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## mxd (22/10/13)

Jurt said:


> I guess I am luky enough to be able to fit two 30 L fermenters in my ferment fridge. Only issue is winter, haven't wired up a heat source!
> 
> Any thoughts on what to put in there? Light/heat belt? Cheapo reptile head pad?


I have a 4 mtr snake heater belt that is thrown anywhere  carefully laid out in my fridge (which will do 2 fermenters, used the same in a chesty for 3 fermenters.


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## s_t_r_o_b_e (22/10/13)

Thanks for all the ideas. Genuinely appreciate the help and opinions. 

Not worried about electricity cost at all, just the price of a chest freezer. Most that I've seen are $300+ and still only barely hold two fermenters. Maybe I need to look harder/longer and reassess my fermenters too.


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## Pickaxe (24/10/13)

I'm going with manticles advice and going the saison route. Once it get hottet here on the sunny coast, its my only option till wifey let's me take up more room with a bar fridge. Can wait to get that happening, but until then, just persevere with what i have.
It's not always as easy as "buy a temp controlled fridge". And I'm not giving up moving in a resort anytime soon. I may be short on.space, but i have a pool, spa, foxtel, and i can still brew, just need to compromise. Bring it on, SAISON!


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## Pickaxe (24/10/13)

To op, ive had some luck with a wet towel, ice and a fan, but hit and miss. Kept in.the sspare room with curtains drawn. Makes the room musty. Important to get to just below ideal temp before/at pitching, once the yeast gets going this method will be hard to drop the temp, but will help maintain it. Might try the frozen Jerry/ bottles this summer. It's a lot of maintenance, hence me going the saison way.. less work.


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