Getting The Fermenter's Temperature Down

[royourboat]

Howdy, started my first ever home brew (K&K of course) and happy to hear some crazy bubbling going on in Day 2.

This forum and other things I've read suggest 18-20'C is the ideal temperature for fermentation and keeping this a constant is of great importance, the instructions the HBS I bought the 'stuff' from say 20-25'C.

Let's run with 18-20'C is ideal.

I finished mixing it all up etc and it was 25'C, today it was 26'C.

The fermenter is wrapped in a doona inside a box (uni student insulation!). It's also a cool dark room with door constantly shut. This is about the best I can do for this first batch, best way to learn is to stop thinking and brew right?

So.. What is the common solution for keeping the fermenter temperature down?

'Stuff' (in case it is of importance?)
25L Bucket (Fermenter)
Morgan's Australian Draught Kit (Extract + Yeast)
1kg HBS Brand Pure Dextrose
5g Packet Brew Craft Finings
I also have Corny kegs and gas kit, won't be bottling etc.


Possible Future Solution
I made a computer water cooling system years ago and still have the heat exchanger (Torana heater core) and garden pump (200L/hr). For the next batch, I think I might stick a Fermenter (for the next batch, not this one) into an old 50L CUB keg I have here and pump water around the fermenter and through the heat exchanger, just passively cooled, it should shave a few degrees off the fermentation temp, with active cooling (fans attached to the heat exchanger) I could probably regulate the temperature by regulating voltage to the fans.

Details would involve:
1. Removing the lid/valve from the keg so it is essentially a bucket
2. Welding a grate to the bottom of it so it has a flat solid surface to sit on
3. Attaching intake and outtake hose barbs to the keg
4. Putting hose between pump, keg and heat exchanger
5. Testing passively and actively cooling the heat exchanger

The fermenter would be basically sitting in a temp. controlled environment and this would probably be good for the chilly winter in my unit too (by heating the heat exchanger somehow). I could go further and add a Mashmaster style temperature controller to control the pump and maintain temperature automatically as opposed to trial and error manual testing.

Anyone done something like this before, or is it silly and I'm missing a far simpler solution?

 

[Yeasty]

step 1. buy mashmaster temp controller for $45
step 2. buy 2nd hand fridge from tradingpost / ebay for less than $100

 

[royourboat]

Bugwan has something quite similar, seems he just uses it for heating in Melb's winter tho.

Bugwan's Fermenter Warmerer

 

[royourboat]

step 1. buy mashmaster temp controller for $45
step 2. buy 2nd hand fridge from tradingpost / ebay for less than $100

That would be ideal I Yeasty, but money is an issue and when I do get a freezer/fridge and temp controller, It will serve a higher purpose in dispensing beer every night of the week instead of just parties with iced HB kegs.

 

[Stuster]

Fermentation is exothermic (it gives off heat) so wrapping it in a doona is going to keep it warm. For now, I'd take away the wrapping. Sticking it in a bucket of water like in the picture above will help to stabilise the temp. You can wrap a towel around the fermenter which will wick the water up and evaporation will cool it also. You can put some coke bottles in the freezer and swap ice bottles in the water when necessary. That should get it down to 18C fairly easily at the moment

Your idea seems good for the future. I wouldn't worry about keeping the fermenter warmer in the winter. If it gets colder, do some lagers. They'll ferment best at about 10C.

 

[royourboat]

Yer, I vaguely thought it was exothermic from yr 11 chem. Wrapping in a doona, I figured would keep it insulated and less prone to temp rise during the daylight hours, but that logic is flawed I suppose.

Good call Stuster!

 

[Brewtus]

look here

 

[braufrau]

step 1: get free cardboard box from bunnings
step 2: freeze a couple of 2l milk of OJ bottles
step 3: put fermenter in box with OJ bottles (might be a good idea to line with
garbage bag since condensation rots the box but they're free so do we care? )
step 4: throw doona over the lot because now, we hope, the T is lower than the
ambient.

 

[RobW]

or get a can cooler bag:

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...c=12817&hl=

 

[warrenlw63]

Another very impressive idea. Cheap too.

Tyre Tube Cooler

Warren -

 

[ozpowell]

...

'Stuff' (in case it is of importance?)
25L Bucket (Fermenter)
Morgan's Australian Draught Kit (Extract + Yeast)
1kg HBS Brand Pure Dextrose
5g Packet Brew Craft Finings
I also have Corny kegs and gas kit, won't be bottling etc.

...

Hey Royourboat,

Not really related to your cooling problem, but I would definitely suggest you ditch the yeast that comes with the kit and spend an extra few bucks on a decent dried yeast. If you even want to go a step further, adding some hop pellets to your boil will do wonders too as kits are notoriously underhopped (Pride of Ringwood would be a suitable hop for the above kit). Just 10 to 20 grams. You'll be amazed of the difference. :chug:

Cheers,
Michael.

 

[royourboat]

Cheers guys,

All solid working ideas, but cool room/fridge temp controlled is the clearest winner for the long term, if I find a broken fridge or large esky on the streets next 'council clean up', I will pinch it, however as early stated, I won't ebay a fridge and temp controller for fermenting as I still haven't acquired one for kegging yet!

I'll run with my idea as the only thing I need to buy is some Angle Grinder discs and hose to connect everything. I'll post pics with experimental temperatures sunday hopefully.

EDIT: OzPowell, I would of went straight out trying to replicate my beloved Carlton Draught (yes CD Luv), but my LHBS said to use Morgans Lager (not draught) and just dextrose coz it was my first time and from there I could taste the parts of the beer I don't like, to improve on in the next batch.

I'll ask for Carlton Draught recipe ideas in another thread to keep this on topic.

Cheers!

 

[FazerPete]

Simplest and cheapest method is to use Bugwan's idea of immersing the fermenter in a tub of water. In summer you chuck in a couple of softdrink bottles with frozen water in them and in summer you put in an aquarium heater which has a thermostat so is way better than those heater belt things. I've been doing it for a while and find it very effective

Cost
Tub: $15
Aquarium heater: $15
Softdrink bottles & water: free (well near enough)

The other advantage is that I chuck steriliser into the tub of water so it keeps the tap nice and clean.

 

[domonsura]

Ditto me (until recently) with the fermenter in the tub of water with ice bottles. Got me through the summer and 45 degree heat, and saved my beer. Probably the cheapest and easiest way to do it if you don't have a spare fridge.

 

[Brewtus]

Cost
Tub: $15
Aquarium heater: $15
Softdrink bottles & water: free (well near enough)

Taste of good beer .....priceless

 

[bennyc]

Hmmm...so the ambient temperature at the moment in my house in 20 degrees spot on. Should I still be trying to cool the fermenter down to take into account exothermic heating? I don't really trust the stick on thermometer I've got - it's a bit old and I forgot to pick up a new one...

Ben

 

[Blackfish]

Hmmm...so the ambient temperature at the moment in my house in 20 degrees spot on. Should I still be trying to cool the fermenter down to take into account exothermic heating? I don't really trust the stick on thermometer I've got - it's a bit old and I forgot to pick up a new one...

Ben

I would ben. Its still 20 degs under my house at the moment and I am still doing the wet towel thing to keep it stable at around 16-17. I think there is something magic about keeping ales sub 20 degrees.

FHG

 

[bennyc]

Will do - just hope the current fermentation temperature over the last 34 hours hasn't done anything too nasty to the flavour before I get to it!