Ambient Fermentation Brewers

Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum

Help Support Australia & New Zealand Homebrewing Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

_HOME_BREW_WALLACE_

Professional Drunken Yahoo!
Joined
30/6/09
Messages
1,365
Reaction score
68
Hi all.

I have posted this else-wher, so if you have read this already and replied thankyou.

I have had a bit of a career change in the last couple of months. This has led me to re-locating from Brisbane to Dalby (210Km west of Brissy).

The weather up here is getting pretty cold, up around 17 during the day and anywhere between -3 and 11 at night. I have a double garage at my disposal atm which stays between 12 and 17.

I am just wondering how many of the ambient temp brewers have success with the temperature fluctuations in Australia? Lagers in the dead of winter, Ales in-between and saisons in the summer months. I believe 1 brewer on AHB does this and has good results (he lives in NSW though)
If this goes to my plan the fermenter fridge will become a keg/cc/lager fridge (soo many decisions )
 
I do but I'm in Melbourne.

Water baths will be your friend - very effective insulation.
 
Water bath and ice bottles work even in cairns except the hottest part of the year.

A fridge is just way less work though. It's mostly off with the temp controller.
 
If you are going to go down this route, even if it's just temporary till you set up a fridge, the most important thing to do is get the wort a few degrees below preferred fermentation temperature before pitching. As you know, it wll generate its own heat.

Work hard on maintaining even temp for the first few days of fermentation when it's the biggest issue and measure the temp of the wort (hydrometer samples etc) and the water rather than rely on any stick on temp strip rubbish.
 
Nick B is now in Bris but was living at Nanango for yonks - I'm sure he'll have some input here.
 
being without a fridge will only be a temporary thing. Until i am in a more "permanent" location.

Senario:

"Hi, You have a room to rent?"

"Why yes I do"

"How much is rent?"

"It is $100 a week, No bills, Just supply food"

"Deal.."

"Deal.."

*SHAKE HANDS*

"While i am here, do you mind if i use my electric home brew kettle for 4 - 5 hours every second weekend and run my temp-controlled fermentation fridge aswell?"

"ummmmmm..................."

:lol:
 
Hi all.

I have posted this else-wher, so if you have read this already and replied thankyou.

I have had a bit of a career change in the last couple of months. This has led me to re-locating from Brisbane to Dalby (210Km west of Brissy).

The weather up here is getting pretty cold, up around 17 during the day and anywhere between -3 and 11 at night. I have a double garage at my disposal atm which stays between 12 and 17.

I am just wondering how many of the ambient temp brewers have success with the temperature fluctuations in Australia? Lagers in the dead of winter, Ales in-between and saisons in the summer months. I believe 1 brewer on AHB does this and has good results (he lives in NSW though)
If this goes to my plan the fermenter fridge will become a keg/cc/lager fridge (soo many decisions )
I'm doing this. Yes I have a fridge with a tempmate, but it's a very small fridge.
Just brewed an Altbier, the temps fluctuated a few degrees but was mainly around 16-17c.
Summer it gets all the north sun so anything other than a saison is a no go. The latest porter I'm drinking was done in summer, and is a touch on the thin/fruity side.
 
If i were you i'd just fill up a fermenter with water and put it somewhere. Monitor temps over a couple days and see what happens. If temps are going to be consistently low (say under 12C) then brew lagers, if they are going to be a bit higher (under 18C) then brew ales. I'm brewing at ambient temps in brisbane at the moment. I have a brew in the ferment fridge as well but it doesn't even turn on.
Actuall if you already have the fridge, you could just brew in that and not turn it on for extra insulation. Test the temps over a couple days to see what the average is.

As has been said the brew will be a couple degrees high than the water because the yeast makes heat.
 
If i were you i'd just fill up a fermenter with water and put it somewhere. Monitor temps over a couple days and see what happens. If temps are going to be consistently low (say under 12C) then brew lagers, if they are going to be a bit higher (under 18C) then brew ales. I'm brewing at ambient temps in brisbane at the moment. I have a brew in the ferment fridge as well but it doesn't even turn on.
Actuall if you already have the fridge, you could just brew in that and not turn it on for extra insulation. Test the temps over a couple days to see what the average is.

As has been said the brew will be a couple degrees high than the water because the yeast makes heat.

I'd echo these remarks. Let your choice of beer reflect the conditions. Yeast are temperamental pricks who like an even climate and punish you with off flavours if you rock their boat to much.
In a pinch, I've bodged up my own version of a Coolgardie safe to keep temps down using old towels and a 2L bottle with a few pin holes in it.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top