Keeping It Warm

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datfrog

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I purchased a kit just a week back and last had a kit 6 years ago, I live in the Barossa in SA and the cold was slowing the ferment down. I have since fitted a heater belt and it still was heading down from initial mox, I have no moved it next to my Box freezer (Not Beer Related, Std Freezer) and the temp is sitting where it should be. Anyone thought of this before. (One side of the Freezer is warm to touch)

Seems to be working for me.

Also what forms of heaters do you guys use. I noticed the belt and at Brecraft in SA they had a mat ?

What do you have and use ?
 
I have an 1100 litre coverted chest freezer with temp control and a 300 litre fridge with temp control. Chest freezer gets used for Ales and the fridge for lagers.

In my experience the heat mats get the beer the higher end of the temp range for most yeasts.

Beers,
Doc
 
Be like me and brew lagers in winter so u can ferment around 12 deg
 
I just moved to Nuri, i used a belt last brew and it was generally around 22 degrees C most of the time. I cant tell u what it was at night though because i was sleeping. It was ready after 7 days.
 
I want to brew a lager for the first time. I just brew kits so what would be the best option form me?
 
still do a lager as a kit it the yeast that does the work so a saflager w34/70 yeast or a liquid lager yeast and ferment around 10 to 12 deg and u can brew a lager like coopers lager with masterbrew or ect will be ok unless u want to do a grain brew which will taste better
 
Thanks jazman

Changing the topic of the post here a bit to how to keep cold LOL.

Im not sure if i can keep the temp quite so low, it can get a little bit warmer here outside like around 15. In my laundry it would prob be about same as outside temp that ranges from say 8 to 15 C. Would i be wasting my time trying the lager with a temp range like this?
 
well u could use the steam beer lager yeast or sanfran lager yeast it a liquid yeast the wyeast 2112 which is around the 14 to 20 dec or the white labs san fran i think then it will have a bit more easters in it
 
thanks. what ill do is check out my range with the themom then go to the HBS and pick out what best suits me and the kits and bits i buy.
 
Poodz

I ahve some of the 1722 Californian Lager yeast if you want some.
Put plug in the Laundry Trough.
Place fermenter in the laundry trough and fill the trough 2/3 full of water.
This creates a bigger thermal mass and it will keep th etemp more constant. can add frozen 1.25ltr pet bottles if you want to drop the temp down.
But this should keep it aroun 12-15.
The Californian Lager is very temp tolerant and keeps lager characteristics at higher temps.
 
Putting a fermenter on a cement floor (in shed, laundry or bathroom) will keep it colder and at a more stable temperature range

Jovial Monk
 
datfrog,

Check with your homebrew shop about which kits actually have a true lager yeast tucked under the lid. The ESB 3kg kits use a proper lager yeast, I think the following also do: Coopers heritage lager, MSB lager kits and the Country Brewer wet packs.

Or, buy a proper lager yeast from your HBS.

Keep them as close to 10-12 deg C as you can.
 
Thanks for the replies. All good info. What setup do you have on the Chest Freezer Doc ? I have two freezers like that and am about to move so I can butcher one as it is older. Wont have room for it at the new house :) Seems ideal to me.

How many kist do you guys have, My wife thinks it strange I want another already and I have not finished my first :p
 
Not kits but I've got 3 brews on the go at the moment.
1. IPA in the secondary with more hops and oak chips
2. A pilsner in the brew fridge- lagering
3. Belgian Strong Golden Ale made on saturday 31st

Would do another next week to throw onto the yeast from 3. but I've run out of fermenters for the time being.
 
I got fed up with the belts and relying on the outside temperature to remain constant, so I got a lager fridge and built a Ale Ferment Box (temperature controlled, insulated).
 
datfrog said:
What setup do you have on the Chest Freezer Doc ? I have two freezers like that and am about to move so I can butcher one as it is older. Wont have room for it at the new house :)
The chest freezer has a growarm temp controller on it to keep the temperature at fermentation temps.
In summer it has no problem holding a steady temp.
In winter the outside temp (it is in my shed) means that if there is not full on active fermentation in the fermenters the temp doesn't rise and the freezer gets too cold (yes I'm doing ales in it). So I put a brewing heating pad in there as a thermal source to keep the temp cycling around the set point.

Beers,
Doc
 
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