Fermenting Fridge With Fridge Mate In Cold Weather.

[gunbrew]

Saturday I put on a 23 litre pale ale OG1059, safale05 added at 20 derees.
Into the fermenting fridge set at 18 degrees.
Wednesday night it was at 1020 sitting at 16 degrees.
Because of the cold weather the fridge has not turned on as the temp does not get to 18 degrees.

So I would like some opinions.

If the temp was 16 degrees at 7pm, it may have been 12 degrees at midnight.
What effect will these Temprature fluctuations below 18 degrees have?


Have read that some people put a heating pad in the fridge.
Are there other solutions?

 

[JestersDarts]

Have read that some people put a heating pad in the fridge.
Are there other solutions?

For heating, I use a lightbulb fitting inside an upturned terracotta pot, on a ceramic plate (to keep the heat off the fridge floor)

This keeps the light out of the fridge, but utilises the warmth of the pot.
A cheap solution.

Also use a fan to circulate the air inside the fridge.

The only tricky part is finding small bayonet cap lightbulbs!

I am yet to test if the new enerygy saving or halogen lightbulbs provide the warmth, however, i suspect not.

on a side note - I realy dont like the light that these new sort produce for using around the house.. I know they save power and are better for the environment,
but nothing compares to the warm light from a incandescent bulb..

 

[WSC]

Saturday I put on a 23 litre pale ale OG1059, safale05 added at 20 derees.
Into the fermenting fridge set at 18 degrees.
Wednesday night it was at 1020 sitting at 16 degrees.
Because of the cold weather the fridge has not turned on as the temp does not get to 18 degrees.

So I would like some opinions.

If the temp was 16 degrees at 7pm, it may have been 12 degrees at midnight.
What effect will these Temprature fluctuations below 18 degrees have?


Have read that some people put a heating pad in the fridge.
Are there other solutions?

I have the same issue, fermenting with 1272. No yeast I ever new produced off flavours at low temps so I wouldn't worry too much, Us05 goes down to 14 odd degrees I think. aAthough most texts say yeast doesn't like the wide fluctuation in temps, think only 1 to 2 degree shifts in 24 hours is optimal, but I have never stuck to that rule too strictly (some one can correct me if I'm wrong).

I have wrapped mine in a blanket and it is holding temp OK and the yeast is still active.

Maybe open the fridge during the day, let it warm up and then close it. Also set the Fridgemate up to say 22, so it really only switches on if it get way warmer.

That is how I am managing things.

I think i will get a heat pad though at some stage as it really seems to slow fermentation and is effecting my through put!!!

 

[mr_tyreman]

try a yeast that prefers colder temps, im just using Safale s-23 which likes it about 11C

 

[MarkBastard]

Saturday I put on a 23 litre pale ale OG1059, safale05 added at 20 derees.
Into the fermenting fridge set at 18 degrees.
Wednesday night it was at 1020 sitting at 16 degrees.
Because of the cold weather the fridge has not turned on as the temp does not get to 18 degrees.

So I would like some opinions.

If the temp was 16 degrees at 7pm, it may have been 12 degrees at midnight.
What effect will these Temprature fluctuations below 18 degrees have?


Have read that some people put a heating pad in the fridge.
Are there other solutions?

What temp does your garage get down to?

Don't forget what normally keeps the cold air inside the fridge can also keep the cold air outside the fridge. If the garage gets down to 12 degrees I really doubt your beer will get anywhere near that temperature, especially if the yeast is creating its own heat.

 

[Cortez The Killer]

When I need to get to 26*C for a Belgian in the depths of winter

I was filling my 3 Litre Erlenmeyer flask with boiling water and putting into the fermenting fridge with the fermenter (fridge set to 26*C)

It kept things toasty

You could do something similar

Cheers

 

[WSC]

When I need to get to 26*C for a Belgian in the depths of winter

I was filling my 3 Litre Erlenmeyer flask with boiling water and putting into the fermenting fridge with the fermenter (fridge set to 26*C)

It kept things toasty

You could do something similar

Cheers

Mayeb a couple of Hot Water bottles might work too then? Just but it in at say 5 or 6pm.

 

[kbe]

What temp does your garage get down to?

Don't forget what normally keeps the cold air inside the fridge can also keep the cold air outside the fridge. If the garage gets down to 12 degrees I really doubt your beer will get anywhere near that temperature, especially if the yeast is creating its own heat.

I was going to say similar to this. The way I look at it is that the fridge does not have any heater in it, so how would it have got from 12 to 16? Is it outside in the sun? I think that it would have gotten to 16 and just sat there because of the way it is set up now.

 

[reVoxAHB]

my setup with terracotta bulb, etc. too easy and cheap. highly recommended.

reVox