Chuck It In The Fridge......yes Or No?

[einnebcj]

Hi all
3 weeks into fermenting my first BIAB DSGA (17L). Everything seems to be travelling well and I intend to bottle this weekend. I've just acquired a fridge but as yet have no STC1000 or the likes. I was wondering whether its worth me cranking the fridge to its lowest setting and sit the fermenter in there for the last week of the secondary process? Added complexity is that the fermenter is inside the house and the fridge is out in the shed.....so I'm inevitably going to cause a bit of slopping around if I move it, stirring things up a bit. My instinct tells me to do it - the weather has warmed up a bit and I'm struggling to keep it below 21C....but I'm happy to be enlightened otherwise.....
Cheers Chris

 

[kelbygreen]

wouldnt put it to the lowest. My oldest fridge will freeze beer from about 3/4 onward lol if its a newer one then it will be alright maybe set half way and see how it goes can always crank it down more. And yes I would move it as the yeast will settle faster in the cooler temps

 

[Muscovy_333]

Hi all
3 weeks into fermenting my first BIAB DSGA (17L). Everything seems to be travelling well and I intend to bottle this weekend. I've just acquired a fridge but as yet have no STC1000 or the likes. I was wondering whether its worth me cranking the fridge to its lowest setting and sit the fermenter in there for the last week of the secondary process? Added complexity is that the fermenter is inside the house and the fridge is out in the shed.....so I'm inevitably going to cause a bit of slopping around if I move it, stirring things up a bit. My instinct tells me to do it - the weather has warmed up a bit and I'm struggling to keep it below 21C....but I'm happy to be enlightened otherwise.....
Cheers Chris

Go for it. Just ensure your fermenting wort has hit terminal gravity on your hydrometer before cold crashing. A bit of a swish in the fermenter is no worries, you should have a C02 'blanket' protecting your wort from oxygen inside the fermenter. Just try to be gentle. Anythign you stir up will settle out relatively quickly whn you cold crash.

 

[einnebcj]

Go for it. Just ensure your fermenting wort has hit terminal gravity on your hydrometer before cold crashing. A bit of a swish in the fermenter is no worries, you should have a C02 'blanket' protecting your wort from oxygen inside the fermenter. Just try to be gentle. Anythign you stir up will settle out relatively quickly whn you cold crash.

It's bottomed out at 1004 so I'm pretty sure it's done......

 

[Droughtmaster]

check ya temperature that the fridge gets to as my ferment fridge will freeze at more than 2/3 thermostat setting it will get to 2 C set at roughly 1/3 and that's by a fridge thermometer

 

[Muscovy_333]

It's bottomed out at 1004 so I'm pretty sure it's done......

Thats super low. Low mash temp?

 

[citizensnips]

1.004? what was your OG?

 

[Verbyla]

Definetly move the fermenter to the shed. The lower the temperature the better

Try putting a bottle of water in the frigde for 24 hours on the lowest setting. If it doesn't freeze then the fermenter should be fine

 

[jaypes]

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=68668

ask Santa to bring you one

 

[einnebcj]

Thats super low. Low mash temp?

It was 1044 after mash in approx 16l water at 54 degrees C.
Should I be worried?

 

[kelbygreen]

no! you will learn to never worry just learn lol it will be drier and the hops will seem more bitter but other then that the beer will be fine!

 

[einnebcj]

no! you will learn to never worry just learn lol it will be drier and the hops will seem more bitter but other then that the beer will be fine!

I had noted the bitterness being more predominant than expected. So what should I change/avoid for next time?

 

[kelbygreen]

get the mash temp right. Lower temp lower gravity

 

[pmastello]

It was 1044 after mash in approx 16l water at 54 degrees C.
Should I be worried?

Not worried. You've get beer and thats what you wanted.
But next time, try to shoot for a temp between 65-70.
65 for a more attenuative, dry beer. 70 for a more full bodied, less attenuative wort. This all depends of grist composition too, but thats the basic range you want to shoot for.
You may also notice that the beer won't have much head retention at this range. This is due to the protein degrading enzymes still being active at this temperature.

 

[einnebcj]

Not worried. You've get beer and thats what you wanted.
But next time, try to shoot for a temp between 65-70.
65 for a more attenuative, dry beer. 70 for a more full bodied, less attenuative wort. This all depends of grist composition too, but thats the basic range you want to shoot for.
You may also notice that the beer won't have much head retention at this range. This is due to the protein degrading enzymes still being active at this temperature.

I was a little surprised how low the temp was when I checked it - even though I wrapped copious amounts of towels around the pot. Any creative thoughts on how I can maintain a higher temp next time?

 

[Verbyla]

I was a little surprised how low the temp was when I checked it - even though I wrapped copious amounts of towels around the pot. Any creative thoughts on how I can maintain a higher temp next time?

Either set up a temp sensor to heat things back up if the temp drops below a particular level or check on it manually few times during the mash to adjust temp