Brewing big and maintaining temperature in winter?

[minimalizarte]

Hi all, I spent last winter fermenting my beer inside a country house during the winter where the lowest the room got was about 15 degrees C (59 F). This summer I have a milk tank in the garage of the country house to maintain fermentation temperatures at a nice 18 C (64 F) which will really make the whole process a lot easier.

When it gets back to winter, however, switching back to fermenting in the country house is not going to be much of a viable option. The temperatures, when it is coldest, fluxuate between -2 C at night (28 F) and 17 C during the day (62 F). The milk tank has a 540 liter capacity, and while it is in a garage, that garage is not very well insulated and will definitely reach freezing temperatures.

My question: does anybody know if the fermentation from the 500 liters of wort will generate enough heat to maintain a steady fermentation despite the cold temperatures? I know some breweries in Colorado don't have to use a heating system for their tanks despite the snow, but those tanks have thousands of liters.

 

[Truman42]

I doubt it very much if your getting down to -2C. You could try insulating the fermenter but that will only help when your yeast are still fairly active. After that it will probably drop over a few days. Your better off using a heat belt or infra red heat lamp. They are cheap enough..any reason why you cant use one? Do you have power in there?

 

[pedleyr]

It's going to have to be some massive heat belt or lamp to heat 540 litres - definitely not one you'd find at the LHBS.

 

[JaseH]

The milk tank has a 540 liter capacity

Your better off using a heat belt or infra red heat lamp. They are cheap enough..any reason why you cant use one?

LOL... I think you missed the part about the 500L fermenter.

There will be more experienced guys around to help you for that sized stuff but I'm thinking you'll need a small cool room type insulated box for it maybe?

 

[Bribie G]

Is the OP running a bootleg operation? h34r: That's some BIAB operation :blink:

 

[mje1980]

Who has a country house?.

 

[Truman42]

LOL... I think you missed the part about the 500L fermenter.

There will be more experienced guys around to help you for that sized stuff but I'm thinking you'll need a small cool room type insulated box for it maybe?

Ahh my bad, I thought he was just sitting a standard fermenter inside a milk tank...for some strange reason.

 

[Truman42]

Who has a country house?.

Yeah especially one that will fit a 500 litre fermenter inside.

 

[Bribie G]

Actually a 500L fermenter wouldn't be all that huge, probably only the size of a fridge and I'd bet London to a Brick that a king sized electric blanket wrapped around with a Tempmate control would just about hack it.

For the OP, some other useful suggestion might be: things to consider when contemplating drinking half a tonne of beer.

 

[Beertard]

It's going to have to be some massive heat belt or lamp to heat 540 litres - definitely not one you'd find at the LHBS.

Maybe a hydroponic grow light?

 

[jaypes]

That type of setup would need steam jacketed fermenters

or put the whole thing in a jacuzzi

 

[minimalizarte]

OP here: The tank is about a meter and a half in diameter. The walls of the tank are fairly thick (maybe 10-15 centimeters). We removed the mixer since it wouldn't be of any use during the summer.

I could wrap the monster with some of the heat insulation material they use for chimneys which will help retain any fermentation heat clearly, and making sure the fermentation didn't go over 18 degrees wouldn't be a difficulty. I thought that maybe I could construct a box using insulated panels so the cold temperature swings wouldn't cause such an impact, but if the temperature wanes after the main activity then I am not sure how well the whole set up will work.

I fear that while an electric blanket could heat the tank well in theory, chances are it would catch on fire if I left it on all night.

@Bribie G: it's somewhat legit

 

[pedleyr]

Just spit balling here...

I've heard of people using a coil in the fermenter which circulates glycol to keep temps down - sort of like an immersion chiller.

If there truly is no worries about the high end of the temperature, you could do similar with hot water to heat it perhaps - have an electric element in an external tank filled with water that pumps through the coil. Pump and element turn off when temperature set point is reached.

 

[n87]

some people put aquarium heaters straight in their wort.
i think you can get one suited to 500L

 

[Mardoo]

Build yourself a fermentation chamber around the fermenter. Either build up some wall panels or just use pallets. Either way stuff them with insulation. Use a radiator-type electric heater hooked up to a temp controller and put the probe in the tank. That's where I'd start at least.

 

[Mattrox]

some people put aquarium heaters straight in their wort.
i think you can get one suited to 500L

2x 300w Aquarium heaters will work. Connect to stc1000.

I'd just be worried that it might cook the beer onto the glass which then would cause problems. Test in a small fermenter 1st.

 

[Bribie G]

re electric blanket: I hope SWMBO doesn't combust during the night. Might be hard to explain to the NSW cops, who aren't the most friendly. :unsure:

 

[jlm]

I think you'll find with a healthy pitch you'll be more worried about keeping the beer cool at that size. Brewery I work at (inland Tas.......is warmer in the coolroom in the morning this time of year) ferments in milk vats.........we mostly brew 750 or 1000L at time (they used to brew 500 before I got there and they still needed to use the old refrigeration coils then) and we recently had a compressor die not long after pitching. 12 hrs later was sitting at a healthy 26 deg C.

 

[Wilko76]

I use a big heat belt on the grease drums at work over winter so the grease flows through the hoses, and pumps quicker. Fits around a 205l drum. Just like a brew belt but supersized. Has a temp dial on it. Cost a couple hundred $ though, but would be safer than electric blanket.