Heat wave and trying to keep cool

10 months ago | Jim (Member)

Hey fellas,

How are you all doing in the heat wave! Anybody melted yet :-)

What are you guys doing with you brews, I have got a brew in the FV that is 3 days in and a 5 gallon barrel (racked on Friday) in my shed. It is fairly shaded, but the temperatures are getting up pretty high in the day. Don't want to move them and if I did I am not sure where would be cooler.

Do you think that the sudden rise in temperature is going to effect the fermenting and / or conditioning brew.

What strategies have you guys got for getting through these heat waves?

Good luck in the heat

Jim.

“If at first, the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it” (Albert Einstein)

Drinkin' - Midas Touch Golden Ale
Drinkin' - Coopers Real Ale (dry hopped)
Conditionin' - Tarwebier
Fermenting' - Admirals Reserve
Plannin' - A Wherry (with Saracen's enhancement)

Read responses...

Responses

Hamish:

Posted 10 months ago by Moderator

If its in the barrel or bottle conditioning I would guess it'll be ok.

As far as fermenting goes I wouldn't want the brew to get above 22°C, you'll get fruity flavours otherwise, I think 'esters' is the brewspeak for it.

Short of not brewing at all during the height of summer, wrapping the fermenter in a wet towel should cool it. The forecast is for cooler weather tomorrow though.

Fortunately I have a brew fridge. :wink:

Planning: Wheat beer fermented with Schneider Weisse yeast, a Stout, lots of hoppy pale ales
Fermenting: Marynka pseudo-lager
Maturing/Conditioning:
Drinking: Wheat beer, ESB, Vienna lager & shop bought stuff

Jim:

Posted 10 months ago by Member

Hi Hamish

Ah, so could be a fruity beer then :-)

Probably a stupid questions, but is a brew fridge just a fridge, or something a bit more specific?

Cheers,

Jim.

Hamish:

Posted 10 months ago by Moderator

Its perhaps an expensive luxury, depends how far you want to take your hobby.

Beg, borrow or steal a fridge, fit a tube heater and an ATC 800+ or similar which will either switch on the fridge or heater to maintain the temperature.

Bernie:

Posted 10 months ago by Member

Thankfully, the cellar where I do brewing maintains a faily constant temp of 12-16oC.

However, after transferring a lager to a Second Tub for "lagering" and bottling later, I am starting to wonder if making lager in the height of summer is a good idea?!

I have the tub in a shallow plastic tray for cleaning the BBQ grill in 1/2 inch of water with a couple of freezer blocks in it.

Its only got down to about 10oC though. I'm starting to eye up the old fridge in the cellar!

If I take the upper shleves out, will the bottling tub fit in it I wonder?

Planning: Wheat Beer (partial BIAB mash and extract)
Fermenting: Muntons Continental Lager kit brew; Brupax BOTW Belgian Tripel
Maturing/Conditioning: Woodforde's Nog
Drinking: Last of the Weird Brew I did last.

Jim:

Posted 10 months ago by Member

Hey Hamish,

Ingenious!! I have an old fridge that is not doing much at the moment, I reckon that I can convert it for less than £100. What did you do with the wires, did you drill them in or just close them in the door? Also, would you recommend the Plastic Coated Sensor or the Stainless Steel Sensor, or does it not matter? (more info on this page http://www.forttex.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_5_17&products_id=46&zenid=959d8d6a7c6209488e430ced5c2aa9e0)

Watch this space :-)

beerlover1983:

Posted 10 months ago by Member

Just a thoaght the fridge i use with my atc 800 holds temp at 22 without actually being on.So even if you dont have the funds for the atc straight away the insulating properties of the fridge alone could be enough.Well at least untill you get the atc.

Building : kegerator
Fermenting:Dandelion wine
Conditioning:Fullers pride extract Elderflower wine,Dandelion wine,Ribena wine,summer ale
Drinking: Turbo Cider/summer ale/way to amarillo/funked up wherry

beerlover1983brew@gmail.com

Jim:

Posted 10 months ago by Member

Thanks beerlover1983, will give it a whirl, must be better than outside!

Nath:

Posted 10 months ago by Moderator

You can probably get a fridge free from freecycle or for a few quid in freeads - I picked up my 5ft beko fridge for a tenner and its newer than the one I have.

An atc will set you back £25-30 if you do the wiring yourself and the tube heater £15 ish so its well worth it. Ive had a brewfridge for a few years now and though its now a kegerator its served me well.

Drinkin' - nowt, it's all gone

Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!

nathbrew@gmail.com

Hamish:

Posted 10 months ago by Moderator

Jim, the wires are just poked through the door, my sensor is stainless steel but I don't suppose it makes much difference which one you have.

Make this chap an offer, though you'll have to wire it yourself...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ATC-800-Digital-Auto-Aquarium-Temperature-Controller-/150607165643?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish&hash=item2310e2f8cb

Bernie, what lager are you brewing?.

Jim:

Posted 10 months ago by Member

Thanks Hamish, made an offer and am on the case!

Jim:

Posted 10 months ago by Member

Guys, will a 60 watt tube heater be powerful enough, or would you recommend a 120 watt? Hamish, what have you gone for in your setup?

Cheers,

Jim.

Hamish:

Posted 10 months ago by Moderator

1 foot 60 Watt, its more than enough.

Jim:

Posted 10 months ago by Member

Thanks Hamish,

The fridge is in place, the heater has arrived and was fitted this evening, just waiting for the ATC 800+ and we are in business!

Bernie, how did the "lagering" go, did it survive the heat wave?

Hamish:

Posted 10 months ago by Moderator

Blimey, you're not hanging about!.

Bernie:

Posted 10 months ago by Member

Hi Jim,

The shallow tray with freexer blocks idea just couldn't get the temp down cold enough as it stayed at 10oC ish.

I "rearranged" the spare fridge in the cellar (I say rearranged, I mean, stripped all the shelves out and transferred all the contents) and gingerly lifted 5 gallons of lager into the fridge.

Its now sitting there quietly at about 2-5oC. Can't see much in the way of any further fermentation, but my god did it go clear! There is about another inches worth of sediment after the inch that I left in the first VF!

Off on hols next week so will just leave it in there and think about bottling when I get back.

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