Fermenting Fridge And Thermal Mass

[waggastew]

I have just joined the world of temperature controlled brewing ala Ebay Fridgemate. Yay!

I was thinking about the process of cooling down the wort prior to pitching. I am only using K&K/Extract so we are talking about cooling the 23L down from ~25-30degC to 18degC.

I was thinking that this may be quicker if I already have a couple of big bottles of water at ~10degC in the fermentation fridge? The theory is that they will act as a thermal mass and help absorb the heat from the wort. I figure I can set the fridgemate to 10degC the day before and on the day turn it up to 18degC when I put in the fermentor.

Any thoughts?

 

[Aus_Rider_22]

I would get 3 or so 2L juice or water bottles and put them in the fridge the night before you plan on brewing so you have about 6L of cold water. This should bring the temp closer to 22ish.
I mainly use dry yeasts and if the temp is still up near 24-25 for an ale I simply sprinkle the dry yeast on and put it into the ferment fridge and attach the probe and insulate it to the side of my fermenter. By the time the time yeast starts to work the wort is cooled down to my required temp. Usually around 17-19.

 

[BeauVinnie]

Yup, i do the same thing, 3 or 4 1.25L soda water bottles that i sanitze with iodophore, rinse then fill with water and chuck it in the fridge the night before. Then on brew day i chuck it in the freezer while i am dissolving the goo and boiling hops ect, then add the chilled water till 21 or 23L.

Last time i did this i still had to put the fermenters into the fridge till they got to 20 which took about an hour which was sweet cause it gave me time to clean up my old mans kitchen, then went back down, pitched at 20 and all was good. better than stirring for hours and then pitching at 25-26 cause its 1130pm and you are over it.

 

[donburke]

I have just joined the world of temperature controlled brewing ala Ebay Fridgemate. Yay!

I was thinking about the process of cooling down the wort prior to pitching. I am only using K&K/Extract so we are talking about cooling the 23L down from ~25-30degC to 18degC.

I was thinking that this may be quicker if I already have a couple of big bottles of water at ~10degC in the fermentation fridge? The theory is that they will act as a thermal mass and help absorb the heat from the wort. I figure I can set the fridgemate to 10degC the day before and on the day turn it up to 18degC when I put in the fermentor.

Any thoughts?

i dont think it will make a difference if you have a functioning fridge

the ambient air temperature in the fridge will likely be the same in both cases, controlled by your fridgemate

the cooling elements of the fridge should have the effect of removing the heat

try it anyway, cant hurt

different if you put the cold water in the fermenter

 

[Bizier]

Congrats on getting temp control. That is a HUGE step towards better beer.

I also like the idea of boiling the water then cooling it, and using that for your top-up once you have sorted all the rest out with hot/warm water. That way, you have sanitised water, plus it is chilled. Maybe you could just pour from a kitchen kettle into a water cube like AG brewers use for "No Chill".

Img courtesy of Cortez via google

 

[Guysmiley54]

I have had the idea of doing a partial in this way:

Add 10 litres (depending on the recipe) of sanitised water to my clean and sanitised fermenter and putting it in my brew fridge on the coldest setting the night before. This will give me 10 litres of clean ice. After my boil, siphon directly onto the ice to cool the wort.

Anyone tried this?

 

[emdub]

Yesterday I threw a kit together in a SS pot and a minimal amount of water. After dissolving the sugars and malts and cooling for a while, added the can, then put the pot in a sink full of water, refilling the sink a few times and stirring a bit. Keep the lid on while not stirring to prevent skin formation. (I learned that last part)

 

[brocky_555]

Just use clean ice and pour your 10L or boiling wort over that to take the temp down topping up the rest with cold water that you have chilled in the cube over night in the fridge or in several 2L botlles that you could get clean. Done this many time with great success

Cheers

Brocky

 

[Guysmiley54]

I'm curious though, has anyone actually frozen water in their fermenter like this before? It would surely have to be the safest way to get clean ice into your fermenter!