Temp Question

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panpac

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I have my second brew in the fermenter but given the hot weather we are having in Adelaide - the fermenter temp has stayed around 28 degrees. There is still plenty of action in the fermenter but I am worried my brew ( Coopers Draught kit ) will suffer and turn out crap?
 
It will be drinkable, but you'll probably get some undesirable flavours too. Hot alcohols or fusels (see headaches) are one of the by-products of a warm ferment.

Ideally you should be aiming to keep your fermentation temps below 20deg for an ale. A dead fridge with a couple of frozen soft-drink bottles (rotated daily) will help. Draping a wet towel over the fermenter will also help if you don't have/can't get a dead fridge.

If you can spare the cost/space, get a fridge (even the right sized bar fridge) and a temp controller, then you'll never have to stress about fermentation temps.

Cheers SJ
 
I'm having the same problem at my (uninsulated) place in Adelaide. I've been buying 2 bags of ice on brewday to get my worts cold enough to pitch my yeast. When I say cold enough I actually mean not cold enough but the best I can so given the circumstances. I've got 3 fermenters in the bath with the 2 bags of ice in there from the start & rotating block ice during fermentation. All this for an average temperature of 26. I've got a mate who I reckon I can talk into parting with a sort of working fridge which he doesn't use & I reckon will do fine for what I want it for.

At the moment I'm thinking that it may be better for the Adelaide brewer to brew mainly in winter. I'm picturing a box of some description with a thermostat & a light globe with several fermenters inside the box. I haven't seen any posts on here yet about keeping beer warm (maybe because it's summer). I'm not sure if that would be easier, more energy efficient or cheaper but brewing in the heat is more of a hassle than I'd like. Brew in winter, drink in summer sounds like a plan to me.
 
I have moved to using Saison yeast, then you want it to be hot!!!

Although I do have a Tempmate controlled fridge for other beers which is the only way to go IMO.
 
Heres my heat & cold box theres a light that comes up through the bottom of
the box for winter brews & as you can see in the pic i reuse the kit tins & freeze them
for summer brews,
It can fit 4 vats & is lines with foam i can do my largers in summer & keep them around 16 deg
even lower just put more frozen tins in & rotate them every 12 hours.

Picture_007.jpg




Cheers Rob.
 
That's a super impressive 1st post mate, that's pretty much what I'm looking at I reckon. Do you have a thermostat hooked up to the globe or just keep an eye on it? I like the foam idea, I was thinking about getting pink bats for mine (if I ever get around to building it). Would foam work as well or better?
 
Heres my heat & cold box theres a light that comes up through the bottom of
the box for winter brews & as you can see in the pic i reuse the kit tins & freeze them
for summer brews,
It can fit 4 vats & is lines with foam i can do my largers in summer & keep them around 16 deg
even lower just put more frozen tins in & rotate them every 12 hours.

View attachment 35615




Cheers Rob.

Oooo that's clever. I use four ice packs around my fermenter that sits in a can cooler bag - works alright but I have to keep my eye on the temp. No room for a fridge right now.
 
Yeh Hatchey the foam is only the thin packing stuff about 6mm but the act box is made
out of 19mm GP flooring off cuts (the benifets of been in the building trade hey),

So if you use the thicker foam then yeh i would be as good if not better than batts
its just easier to cut & glue the foam,

& no i havnt got a thermostat set up ive just got a globe that i can leave on all
the time as the Orange winter weather is dam cold B) ,

The other thing i should do as well is put a coat or 2 of wet seal on the base to
stop the water from the frozen tins as you can see from pic :rolleyes: after a while
it will stuff the sheets if i dont.






Cheers Rob.
 

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