Brew Months

[mayzi]

Is anyone else looking forward to it getting a bit cooler? Its near on impossible to brew out here in the summer. My "cold" tap water was running at 28C the other day from my tanks. The town supply is cooler but no good for brewing! Pitching yeast at 34C is ummmmmm interesting.

 

[DJR]

Absolutely, but my soft esky (similar to a 100 can cooler) with some ice packs around it makes it bearable to brew now.

 

[Fents]

Same DJR, i had an APA chugging along @ 20c the other day on a 30c day in the 100 can cooler.

But im looking fwd to making loads of pilsners @ 12c in winter. Cant wait.

 

[mayzi]

Yeah i've tried the ice packs in the past, they don't last long enough to make a difference when its 42C+ unfortunately. oh well will just have to plan better and brew up a storm in the cold months and kick back and sip when its hot next summer.

 

[SpillsMostOfIt]

Towards the end of last year, when I was doing only kit beers, I told myself that winter would be grand because I could make lagers - ales could easily be made in the warmer months with my wet towels and ice packs.

I got sick of dedicating half the kitchen freezer to ice packs, tending constantly to the brews and bought myself a decor-friendly wine cooler. It works fantastic for ales (fermenting currently at 16-17C), but I am still looking forward to winter...

 

[Wortgames]

I tend to do more brewing in the winter, ales and lagers.

The ales are good for drinking straight away and the lagers are good to keep until the warmer weather (assuming you have the space and the discipline).

Poring over a pot of steaming wort just isn't as much fun in 40C weather. But on the cold winter mornings there's nothing better than the smell of malt and hops...

 

[RobboMC]

During a brew prep in late Jan I measured the cooled liquid in the fermenter at 18 deg with an immersion thermometer, and the thermometer strip in the outside was telling us 23 deg.
Hot weather creates all sorts of hassles even with refrigeration and chillers at your disposal. Autumn in Sydney certainly is a fine time to brew. I find my best results come from this time of year, even with a brewfridge. Last new years day at 47 deg ambient even the fridge was pushing the proverbial stuff up hill with blunt stick.