Its Warming Up, How Much Longer Can I Brew

[mick8882003]

Yea well its finally warming up, thank god. One really hot day last week for spring (30+) So my question is how much good (lager) brewing time do we have left in for the year?

I am in southern NSW, near Echuca, I hope we at least have a few months up our sleave to put some brews away!

Oh yea and I just put my 60l batch on, thanks for the guys that answered my last thread, I was lucky, the local (small) supermarket decided to get some dex in yay!

 

[pokolbinguy]

My answer is.....for ever...get a fridge, add a mashmaster fridgemate (available from sponsors above) and you can brew all year round.

I'm still waiting to get a new fermenting fridge...but when I do...bring on the brews

Cheers, Pok

 

[Bizier]

I just received my fridgemate today for that exact reason...

Otherwise brew to temperature perhaps (cali commons?) and insulate to avoid the huge aussie temp fluctuations.

I would say 0 days left brewing lager in ambient temp as I can't forsee 2-4 weeks of anything near 12 degrees between here and autumn.

 

[fazz1975]

+3 for the fridge/FridgeMate combination.

Its the best thing I've ever shouted myself for brewing.

Around $60 will get your FridgeMate and extra bits needed, plus you dont have to modify the fridge (bar taking out a few shelves).

Article on FridgeMate how to here.

Cheers

 

[Supra-Jim]

+1 definitely for Fridgemate and fridge combo.

Brew all year round with the confidence of consistant controllable temperatures for your brew.

 

[capretta]

even if you are too tight for a fridgemate you can dial in the temps with and old fridge and a 4 dollar power timer from bunnings. ive got mine to come on for 30 min intervals over the course of the day and it keeps the temps down. its friggin 28 degrees in wollongong and its not even 9am yet so i think its too late for me!

 

[mick8882003]

Oh god I'm an idiot sometimes, I meant to say ale brewing.

 

[wambesi]

Oh god I'm an idiot sometimes, I meant to say ale brewing.

All comments are still relevant though, with the hot weather and varying temps we get the best option is fridge + fridgemate.
I don't think anyone has ever regretted it!

Best thing is you know for sure it will stay at a stable temp.

 

[Tyred]

There are also other options for brewing at semi-stable temperatures.

Have a read of http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...?showtopic=9233. There is information in there regarding methods of keeping your brew cool while fermenting, post #3 has most of the information.

 

[white.grant]

even if you are too tight for a fridgemate you can dial in the temps with and old fridge and a 4 dollar power timer from bunnings. ive got mine to come on for 30 min intervals over the course of the day and it keeps the temps down. its friggin 28 degrees in wollongong and its not even 9am yet so i think its too late for me!

38 degrees in the shed at 3.32 in W'ong- fridgemate on the job, fermenter temp = 17. Gotta love the little buggers.

 

[quantocks]

have my brew in the cupboard now but today it's sitting at 25 degrees, unacceptable really

I just had a chat with SWMBO and said 'I think I might buy you a new fridge', she insisted our current fridge is perfect... but I kept going and she said "why, so you can use the fridge we have now for your beer?", I just smiled and with that now I'm on eBay looking for a fridge for around $400-500 for our kitchen and I'm going to have a fermenting fridge

this heat is a killer today. even now, 6:16pm it's 34 degrees

 

[matti]

Well. I was in the same boat not too long ago.
I suggest you get a large tub and emerge the fermenter in cool water if you haven"t got a fridge.
Salt is the best thing too keep thing cold.
You need a load of it and you can brew ales all summer long in the shade.
Briny water chills quickly and stays temperate longer.
The key thing is temperature control an sanitation.

matti

 

[mick8882003]

Well I'm using my 70L fermenter so thermal mass isnt a problem, dunno how I'd go trying to fit it in a fridge. The good thing is the temp stays stable, but I am wondering how long it will be before it gets to hot to do a room temp beer.

I am already waiting for next winter for a decent lager again, ok for the first time in my life I see a good thing about winter